Should you tell your attorney everything?

Should you tell your attorney everything?

Most (but not all) criminal defense attorneys want their clients to tell them everything—the good, the bad, and the ugly—because an attorney cannot defend against what he or she does not know. No matter what, with a few exceptions, attorneys are required to maintain lawyer-client confidentiality.

Can you tell your lawyer the truth?

Attorney-client privilege explained. “The attorney-client privilege may well be the pivotal element of the modern American lawyer’s professional functions.” It means that you can tell your lawyer the truth, the whole truth … and your lawyer cannot be compelled to testify against you or disclose confidential information …

Is everything you say to a lawyer confidential?

Most, but not necessarily all, of what you tell your lawyer is privileged. The attorney-client privilege is a rule that preserves the confidentiality of communications between lawyers and clients. Under that rule, attorneys may not divulge their clients’ secrets, nor may others force them to.

Can a lawyer represent you if they know you are guilty?

Your Lawyer’s Opinion Defense attorneys are ethically bound to zealously represent all clients, those whom they think will be justly found guilty as well as those whom they think are factually innocent. A defendant may have done the act in question, but the client may have a valid defense that would exonerate him.

Do defense attorneys get paid if they lose?

To further this goal, the losing side doesn’t usually pay the winning side’s attorney’s fees. In the United States, the rule (called the American Rule) is that each party pays only their own attorneys’ fees, regardless of whether they win or lose. Even so, exceptions exist.

What kind of lawyer defends the victim?

Defense Attorney: the lawyer who represents the defendant in legal proceedings. Victims are usually not required to speak with defense attorneys except in court, but may do so if they choose.

Do Lawyers lie?

In California, the Rules of Professional Conduct govern a lawyer’s ethical duties. The law prohibits lawyers from engaging in dishonesty.