What does a healthy attorney-client relationship look like?

An attorney-client relationship is essential, and it’s got to be a good one, a solid one, a real one. That doesn’t mean that your criminal defense attorney is your friend. No, it means that your criminal defense attorney gets the facts, gets the details, is thorough. Gets you to tell him or her everything that’s essential so that we can represent you properly. An attorney-client relationship is one based on mutual respect and mutual trust. I’m not here to judge you. I’m not here to decide whether you’re a good guy or a bad guy or whether you’re guilty or not, other than in the legal context, so that I can represent you properly. Everything you tell me is privileged and confidential. We don’t ever violate a confidence, but I’ve got to know everything in order to represent you properly and to represent you well. That will help us to prepare your case, or if you’re lucky enough to come to us before you’re charged, this will help us to try to convince the prosecutors not to charge you.

By Jeffrey S. Weiner, P.A.