Is it wise to tell your lawyer everything?

It's almost always advisable to tell your Personal Injury Attorney near Fork SC the whole truth about your case, even if you've committed a crime. Giving your lawyer all the facts helps you craft the best defense by raising reasonable doubts. Even when a customer admits guilt, there are usually many extenuating circumstances that can come into play. If you have been charged with a crime and are guilty, you may be wondering if this is something you should tell your Personal Injury Attorney near Fork SC. You may have no intention of pleading guilty and you may be concerned about how well your lawyer can represent you if you admit your guilt to them.

There is no doubt that you should inform your lawyer if you are guilty and you should never hide this information in your communications with him. Your criminal defense attorney is subject to attorney-client privilege, meaning that your conversations with them are protected by law. This means that your defense attorney cannot disclose the information you provide to him without your consent. You may be so afraid of the possible punishment of being convicted of a crime that you are willing to lie to avoid consequences. However, lying to your lawyer or in court almost always makes things worse.

For example, if you lie on the stand, it's a third-degree felony and you can receive between two and ten years in prison, in addition to the punishment you receive for the original offense. For example, a lawyer representing a woman accused of killing her boyfriend may want to know everything that happened during the incident and throughout the relationship. To defend you to the best of their ability, your lawyer must know absolutely everything there is to know about your case. If you don't tell your lawyer the truth, you'll waste valuable time organizing a defense based on incomplete or inaccurate information.

Otherwise, the lawyer cannot effectively advise the client on the feasibility of going to trial or on defense theories (for example, self-defense or the fact that another person is responsible). First, anything you say to your lawyer depends on attorney-client privilege, so you can admit anything to your lawyer: that you have committed a crime in the past, for example, and that you have committed this particular crime and that they cannot share it with anyone. Whatever your financial resources, the more time your lawyer spends developing your defense, the better the outcome. If you are facing criminal charges in New York, hiring a New York criminal defense attorney is recommended.

But I've also seen lawyers attend interviews, so perhaps he would have allowed her to speak if he had claimed he was innocent. If he had representation, they would not have arrested him on the spot, because the lawyer would refuse an interview. If the client admits to her lawyer that she killed the man, but describes the tremendous physical and emotional trauma she previously suffered at the hands of him, the lawyer can present a compelling defense based on the history of abuse. If you are accused of, say, sexual assault or domestic assault, for example, and you tell your lawyer that you were the one who did it. But with the next lawyer, they probably shouldn't say anything and let that lawyer defend them properly, not call them as witnesses, but now they don't have any real restrictions during cross-examination.

The best strategy for someone facing criminal charges is to follow the example of an experienced and trustworthy criminal defense attorney and, no matter what, be honest with that lawyer.