It can be very tempting to lie to your attorney to save yourself from having to explain an embarrassing habit or regrettable past behaviour. Unfortunately, the dirty laundry that you so wish to keep hidden often comes out via the other party if/when the proverbial gloves come off.

The reality is that you will have to get used to sharing personal information with your attorney so it is best that you find an attorney that makes you feel comfortable. The consequences of your dishonesty to avoid embarrassment will depend on the circumstances but will always leave you feeling more embarrassed for lying.

To be safe, test the waters by telling your attorney that you have done “some things” in the past, briefly mention the behaviour without offering specifics and ask your attorney whether the behaviour could “in theory” be relevant to your case. Your attorney should be able to guide you from there.

The fear of punishment can be so overwhelming that it can lead to elaborate lies which could seriously derail your case.

In practice, the fear of punishment is often unnecessary and completely misinformed. Remember that you are protected by attorney/client privilege and that the easiest way to rid yourself of the fear of punishment is to ask your attorney’s advice on the topic and then allowing your attorney to protect your rights.

As noble as your intentions may be, keeping secrets from your attorney is not the way to protect yourself or others. For the most part, your attorney can only act on your specific instructions, which means that your attorney cannot force you to take action on something that you are not comfortable with.

Your attorney will use legal remedies to ensure that you are protected so make sure that you extract the most benefit from your attorney when giving instructions.