The Consequences of Not Telling Your Lawyer the Truth During a Divorce

Telling your lawyer the truth about all of your assets & stuff is extremely important when going through a divorce. If you fail to list or disclose assets, then it’s possible that those assets won’t be taken into consideration when dividing marital property. This could mean that you might not receive what you are entitled to from those undisclosed accounts. Additionally, hiding any form of property—whether it’s money, stocks, jewelry, or something else—can also have legal ramifications well beyond the division of your stuff.

The same goes for debt; if there are any outstanding loans or other forms of debt that aren’t disclosed during the divorce proceedings, then they won’t be taken into consideration. This means that any debt associated with your name on undisclosed accounts could remain in your name after – and you could pay for you’re your ex’es credit card bill, medical bill or other debt and have no ability to get reapid if you have to pay a debt that should have been listed.

Protecting Yourself Legally

Hiding information from your lawyer during a divorce can also put them in an awkward position because they must abide by ethical principles while representing clients. Depending on how severe the case of nondisclosure is, the lawyer can fire you as a client. So no matter how tempting it may seem at first glance (or how difficult it may be) telling your lawyer the truth about everything relating to your divorce is always best for everyone involved. Besides, any lawyer that has been around has heard something similar and is not going to judge you for your disclosure. Trust me, at nearly 20 years of practicing law, I do not judge you.

Telling your lawyer the truth helps them build a strategy that’s tailored specifically to your needs and designed to deliver you the best outcome possible. When they have all of the facts—including those that may not paint you in the most favorable light—they can craft legal agreements on your behalf that are stronger and more protective of the future you than if they had to guess at certain details or piece together bits and pieces from incomplete information. It also reduces delays caused by having gaps in their knowledge that need filling before they can move forward to reaching your goals.

Honesty Gives You More Control Over Your Divorce

By providing complete transparency regarding your finances, assets, debts and other pertinent aspects of your marriage, you give yourself more control over how things play out during the divorce process. You don’t want surprises popping up throughout negotiations or litigation—that could mean significant delays while new evidence is presented, analyzed and addressed by both parties involved—so being honest upfront gives you greater control over how quickly things progress and what kind of outcome awaits at the finish line.

I am here to help you with your professionally drafted uncontested divorce. To give you the best divorce, I have to ask uncomfortable questions so I can make sure I have all the information I need. You should not worry: any information that is not relevant to drafting your papers never leaves my office. If you are ready to start down the path, reach out through my website or call me.