Understandably, you may be embarrassed to confess certain pieces of information regarding your marriage with your divorce attorney. However, doing so will be pivotal to how well your attorney can assist you throughout your proceedings. Read on to discover what type of information you should share with your attorney and how one of the seasoned New Jersey divorce attorneys at Haber Silver Russoniello & Dunn can step in.
What is attorney-client privilege?
Attorney-client privilege is a law that protects communications between attorneys and their clients. These discussions are kept confidential so that clients are more inclined to be open and honest about the circumstances surrounding their case. This will only help an attorney prepare for potential claims the other party may make in court and prepare potential arguments against them.
For example, if you believe that you may have had a fault that led to the breakdown of your marriage, then you must share this with your attorney. Relevant examples are as follows:
- If you believe your spouse may accuse you of having an affair.
- If you believe your spouse may accuse you of exhibiting cruelty.
- If you believe your spouse may accuse you of abandoning them for a certain period.
- If you believe your spouse may accuse you of having issues with impotence.
- If you believe your spouse may accuse you of having issues with substance abuse.
- If you believe your spouse may bring up the fact that you have been incarcerated.
- If you believe your spouse may bring up the fact that you have been institutionalized.
Importantly, you must share these thoughts even if you and your spouse are pursuing a no-fault, uncontested divorce. This is because this may quickly turn into a contested divorce if you end up disagreeing on even just one divorce-related issue. Here, your spouse may decide to cite any of the above fault grounds.
What type of information should I share with my divorce attorney?
Aside from sharing potential fault grounds that your spouse may cite in a divorce filing, you should also share the following types of information with your attorney:
- Whether you have any fault grounds that you wish to cite.
- Whether you have any hidden assets or money in an offshore account.
- Whether you have any reservations about going through with the divorce.
- Whether you have a legal prenuptial agreement or postnuptial agreement.
- Whether you or your spouse are not United States citizens.
In the end, you should share any information that you find relevant to your upcoming divorce proceedings. Rest assured, you can trust one of the competent New Jersey divorce attorneys to abide by the attorney-client privilege law and protect your information. If you are ready to work with us, pick up the phone and call our firm. We look forward to hearing from you.
