The conversations that you have
with your attorney are protected by the attorney-client privilege. This means that what you tell your attorney
is confidential and he or she cannot divulge the privileged information (there
are a few exceptions to this, the most significant being an attorney’s duty to
report child abuse). The confidentiality
rules are designed to enable the attorney to offer the best representation
possible.
In
family law cases, your
attorney needs to know the full story to help him or her offer you the best
advice. Withholding information because
it is embarrassing or because you hope no one will find out can harm your case
and impede your attorney’s ability to properly advise you. If you are uncomfortable sharing personal
information or are worried your attorney may think badly of you, remember that
family law attorneys commonly deal with cases involving abuse, mental disorders
and drug and alcohol problems, so it is unlikely that you will surprise your
attorney with whatever issues might exist in your case. Regardless, it is far better to surprise your
attorney in a private conversation than have your attorney be surprised in
Court after you have spent thousands in legal fees.
