Whatever the nature of the charges, it was in your best interests to hire a criminal trial lawyer and begin preparing for your day in court. Securing legal counsel is only the beginning. You have to actively participate in the preparation of your defense. In order to do that, you must work closely with your lawyer. Here are four ways that you can do so and support the effort to ensure justice comes to pass. Tell Your Legal Counsel Everything That You Can RememberingNow is the time to provide your lawyer with as much information as possible. That includes information that you may think has no real relevance to the case. It also includes information that may involve a third party that you would rather protect. Holding back anything makes it that much more difficult for your lawyer to work on your behalf. Remember that if something you share is not relevant to the case, your lawyer will immediately recognize that. Thanks to the fact that everything you do tell your legal counsel is confidential, those types of facts won’t have to be addressed in court later. They will remain between you and your legal counsel. If you do share something that is relevant but seems unimportant to you, the lawyer will follow up on that information. There’s always the chance that something you saw or heard could make all the difference to the defense. The bottom line is that you are not in a position to decide what’s important to the case and what is of no value. Leave that in your lawyer’s hands. It could make the difference between being free and ending up behind bars. Pay Attention When the Lawyer Explains the Severity of the SituationIt’s not the lawyer’s job to make you feel warm and fuzzy about what’s coming up. Expect your legal counsel to provide you with hard facts about the situation. That includes outlining all the potential outcomes for your case.

Jail Cell; image courtesy of AlexVan via Pixabay, www.pixabay.com

The lawyer will not provide this information to scare or intimidate you. Instead, the purpose is to help you grasp the gravity of the situation and prepare for each contingency. At first, you may feel overwhelmed. After the initial discussion, you will be able to see why working with your lawyer is so important. Be Careful About Discussing the Case in Front of OthersYour lawyer is likely to recommend that you say little about the case to others. Casual remarks have a way of being misinterpreted. The last thing that you need right now is for something that you said in jest or without thinking to come back and complicate the case. When your DUI lawyer recommends saying little to nothing, take the advice seriously. Let Your Lawyer Do the Talking in CourtWhen the case does get to court, follow the lead of your legal counsel at all times. That means speaking only when your lawyer indicates that you may do so. Avoid any outbursts, even if you feel your emotions rising. If there’s any need to say anything at all, whisper it to your legal counsel or write it down and pass it over to the lawyer. Disruptions in the court room will not help your situation at all. Your legal counsel is there to help you deal with this difficult time. Follow the advice given closely and work with your lawyer in every way possible. Doing so will go a long way toward bring the matter to a close and hopefully the outcome that you want.