Divorce is a very intimate and personal matter that often involves embarrassing details. Many people are tempted to tell their Oklahoma divorce attorney only certain more positive or neutral facts while leaving out others to avoid feeling humiliated. While you may think this does not happen that often – you would be surprised!

It is critical that you tell your divorce lawyer everything, including the good, the bad, and most importantly, the ugly. This means that even if the information is damaging to you or makes you uncomfortable to admit, you must tell your lawyer. The sooner your attorney has this information, the more prepared he/she will be to deal with it.

Failing to inform your attorney is a quick way to damage your case severely. No attorney wants to be surprised – ever. Telling the full story from the start allows your attorney to brainstorm and establish the best strategy for minimizing the potential harm to your case.

How do I Know What is Important to My Divorce Attorney?

Your lawyer will ask you many questions, but an important way for you to dig deep into finding what information he/she needs to know is to consider what the worst thing is that your spouse knows about you. If your spouse is aiming to damage your position in the divorce, what will he/she focus on?

In most cases, the information clients are reluctant to share in answering this question is not that bad. And, even if it is damaging, at least your lawyer can prepare a plan to minimize the harm. Do not think your lawyer can pull off a miracle if he/she finds out the harmful information while standing in front of a judge.

In addition to any damaging information, your divorce attorney will need information regarding finances, child custody matters, problematic behavior of either spouse (such as alcohol abuse), and any legal documents that may impact the divorce (such as a prenuptial agreement).

3 Reasons Full Disclosure Is Critical

Your divorce attorney is the person you can trust and rely on to keep your information confidential. In fact, the law requires confidentiality from lawyers. Having an experienced attorney on your side during a divorce ensures that your best interests are protected. Below are three reasons why full disclosure to your lawyer is critical:

1. Strategic Advocate

Lawyers have been trained to think through problems and create strategies for handling them. If you provide full disclosure, your lawyer has a complete picture of how to prepare for your case. If certain damaging facts are missing from the picture, your lawyer will not have a strategy in place to deal with them. For example, if you took a significant sum of money out of the marital bank account prior to filing the divorce, your attorney must be prepared to address this fact appropriately.

2. Avoid Surprises

All lawyers dread the idea of being caught off guard by opposing counsel. Not only is it uncomfortable, but even the look of surprise by your attorney sends the message to opposing counsel and the judge that you are not being fully honest with your legal counsel. You want your legal team to be as prepared as possible to handle anything thrown their way.

3. Trust in the Attorney-Client Relationship

The attorney-client relationship is special, and it is afforded certain protections under ethical rules governing attorneys. As such, you and your lawyer must trust each other. You must communicate openly and clearly with each other, which begins with you trusting your lawyer with everything.

Contact Babbit, Mitchell & Ogle Attorneys at Law today

If you are looking for a divorce attorney, contact BMO Law for a consultation. We aggressively fight on behalf of our clients. There are long-term implications for those affected by a family law case, and we are here to protect your best interests. Call us at (405) 692-7676 to schedule your appointment.

At BMO Law you are not just getting one attorney, you are getting a team!