A lawyer should be your confidant regardless of the circumstances surrounding your legal problems. Your family lawyer represents you better in a trial or negotiation if they have enough information and time to prepare for the case. Therefore, ensure you fully disclose all the information that impacts the case. This piece discusses some valuable items you must reveal to your family lawyer. 

Family History

Your family history is essential in helping the attorney understand your circumstances. For example, family health history helps the attorney understand the risk of genetic conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and depression. These issues are essential when discussing agreements such as child custody, emancipation, divorce, or adoption. 

Therefore, ensure you reveal all material facts about your family's history to the lawyer. Lawyers abide by the attorney-client privilege, an ethical and legal restriction against revealing your confession to anyone else. Therefore, your story is safe, and you do not need to worry about the repercussions of revealing family secrets to your attorney. 

Financial Status

Your finances are a huge concern when discussing family conflicts. Therefore, ensure your attorney knows about your income, assets, employment status, investments, and expected future earnings. Suppose you alert your attorney about such issues during consultation. In that case, you can prevent surprises such as letting the other party use your employment status to deny you custody of your child. 

Financial disclosure is also essential in family issues such as surrogacy and adoption. The lawyer can help prove to adoption agencies and social workers that your family has enough resources to give a child a decent home and cater to their needs. Therefore, print a list of assets and liabilities before visiting the attorney to avoid omissions. You may also include all your current and expected expenses. 

Criminal History

Your lawyer must also know about any convictions in the past, regardless of their impacts. The lawyer knows the best ways of handling hindrances caused by a criminal history. For example, the attorney can prepare a request for the suspension of your criminal record. Such an application is critical for parents who want to adopt children. 

The lawyer also knows the extent of the adverse effects of criminal records. For example, a criminal record should not hinder you from getting custody of your child. Unlawful issues that do not involve violence or child-related criminal convictions cannot impede a parent from getting custody. The lawyer helps convince the judge about the circumstances of your criminal past. 

Some essential information you must tell your family lawyer includes your family history, financial status, and criminal history. For more information on family law, contact a professional near you.