The Importance of Trusting Your Attorney

3 questions to ask yourself

Unfortunately, if a divorce is contentious, it is likely that the parties’ private details will be exposed in court to an uncomfortable degree.

As attorneys, one of the biggest challenges that we struggle with is when our clients keep things a secret from us. This can lead to us getting blindsided by opposing counsel, or worse, in front of the judge and court, and we need to respond without any kind of context or preparation. It may be preferable for you to keep some things private, and you may even be confident that your ex won’t remember or stoop to that lower level, and you could be right. However, we strongly advise that for your best outcome, that you disclose everything to us just in case.

The great thing about attorney/client privilege is that everything you tell us stays in the vault and will be received without judgment. We have literally heard it all, and we just want to ensure that we’re both prepped for any situation. Shame has no place here and we pride ourselves on that. You are a grown adult, and we all make mistakes and choices that we regret later. It’s the learning from those events that is hard, and you don’t want to through learning from them while inside a courtroom.

We know that we aren’t going to be the right fit for everyone, but making sure that you trust your attorney is one of the most important facets of the attorney-client relationship. We can only be kickass if you help us to help you, and you empower us with all the facts and information that we need to advocate for you effectively.

When searching for representation or thinking about your relationship with your current attorney, ask yourself these three questions:

• Do I feel comfortable with this attorney? (This is a gut test. Tap into your intuition.)
• Do they value what is important to me?
• Is there anything that I haven’t told them, and, if not, why do I feel like I can’t share that information with them?

Lack of this kind of imperative communication is only going to hurt your chances of getting the resolution that you desire.

Another important factor of why trust is so vital to the attorney/client relationship is because you want to have faith in you attorney’s strategy and advice. Our job as attorneys is not to blindly say yes to all of your suggestions. Our job is to advise you in a way that is going to help your reach your desired goals, and, sometimes, this requires us to tell you things that you aren’t going to want to hear (AKA “tough love”). Occasionally, these may be things that are even difficult for you to hear. But if you have trust and faith that your attorney has your best interests at the forefront, it will be easier for you to accept and implement their advice. If not, then this attorney isn’t the right fit for you, and you should seek alternate counsel that aligns with you.

The definition of trust is: “a firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.” When the most significant things in your life are on the line in a family law case—your children, your home, and your finances, it is crucial that you maintain this firm belief in the attorney that you engage with to zealously protect these precious people and possessions.

Send us an inquiry or email us at info@foundationsfamilylaw.com if you have any questions or to schedule a consultation.