Everyone does it. You know, those itty bitty, teeny weeny, little innocent fibs that sometimes slip out of your mouth during your annual visit with your doctor.
“What” you say. Not me. I never! How dare you say such a thing!
Perhaps this rings a bell…. You go to your doctor for your annual physical and they begin the examination with those slightly irritating set of “standard questions.” You know the ones: How many hours a week do you exercise? How many alcoholic drinks do you consume per week? Do you smoke tobacco, even if only in social settings? Have you EVER smoked tobacco in your life? Do you use or have you EVER used any recreational or other type of non-prescription drugs?
Sitting there, on that small patient bed in your paper-thin white gown with your feet dangling off the side, you can’t help but start to feel a bit judged by the doctor in the white coat! So maybe, just maybe, you get a little confused and say you exercise five days a week, even though it’s once every five weeks. Or maybe you slightly reduce the frequency of your alcohol consumption from once a day to only once or twice on the weekends. Or perhaps you can’t quite remember that time you and your friends snuck a few smokes.
Regardless, those tiny little fibs have never hurt anyone. What’s the big deal? Well, when you meet your lawyer, those tiny little fibs can be a very, very big deal. It is essential you tell your attorney the absolute truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.
Why? Because ultimately, the truth will come out! The opposing side will do their homework, conduct investigations and possibly have you under surveillance. You never, ever, ever want your lawyer to be caught off guard because of a tiny while lie or slight omission. It is imperative that you tell your attorney everything: the good, the bad, and the ugly. Just because you may not consider every detail important, does not mean it is not. It is your attorney’s job to decide. Let them do it. It is your job to tell the truth about every detail concerning your case.
Honesty is the best policy for two major reasons:
1. Everything you say to your attorney is confidential – they can’t repeat it to anyone! They just want to make sure they understand the full picture to best help you.
2. “Bad” facts always tend to rise to the surface. It’s better for you and your attorney to know everything so that they can address the “problems” in your case right away. It will negatively impact your case if you have hidden details that later surface at mediation or in trial. Your attorney won’t be prepared to help you, and it will be obvious to a judge that your attorney did not know the harmful facts. This will certainly damage your credibility which will hurt your case (and give you a 100% guarantee of receiving a look like this from your attorney):
No individual or case is perfect, and we understand that! Be completely honest with your attorney and let them do their job. Misleading your attorney or “forgetting” details, can only hurt you. Call us at 704-370-1212 for a completely free initial consultation and let Maggie Shankle and her team at Shankle Law Firm help you get the care, compassion and compensation you deserve.
Resources:
https://www.shanklelaw.com/