Introduction: Partnering with Your Attorney for Success
What can you do to help your attorney be prepared for court in anticipation of an upcoming court hearing? My name is Carl Birkhead. I’m an attorney with Wirth Law Office in Tulsa, Oklahoma. I want to help you make law easy by talking a little bit about some things that maybe you can do outside of the courtroom to help your attorney out, to make sure that you guys are acting like a team to help your case.
Importance of Proofreading Pleadings
Today I’m going to talk about how important it is to make sure that you proofread the pleadings that your attorney is filing on your behalf. I try not to file anything without my clients at least getting the chance to look at what I’m filing, especially if it’s very fact-specific. If I’m filing a motion for continuance just to try to get a new court date, I don’t have my clients look over that. That’s just procedural stuff. It’s just working on the mechanics of the court system.
But if I’m filing something substantive, if I’m filing something that directly references the facts in the case, the facts in your life, I really, really, every time I want my clients to review them, to approve them. Oftentimes you’ll see something called a verification page on the backend of the pleadings that I’ll have my clients sign off on and notarize saying, hey, I’ve read this document. The foregoing information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge.
Real-Life Consequences of Inaccurate Pleadings
Here’s why. I saw this happen the other day in court where thankfully it wasn’t my case. I saw two different attorneys coming in on some sort of a custody deal and the judge is reviewing the pleadings that both the lawyers filed. The judge looks at the lawyers and their clients behind them and essentially says, hey, so there’s no way that these statements and these pleadings can exist together. So what I’m going to do is give you a little bit of time to go out in the hall, talk with your clients, and figure out what you want to pursue here.
And then we’re going to come back. I’m going to put them under oath and I’m going to ask them questions. It’s incredibly likely based upon what I’m reading in these pleadings, that someone is going to be leaving in handcuffs for perjury. Guys, it is that important. You have to, have to, have to, have to make sure that you see what your lawyer’s filing on your behalf. You’re the client. You have the right to see what your attorney is filing on your behalf and it is so, so crucial that you do so.
Ensuring Accuracy in Legal Documents
I don’t know these lawyers from Adam. I don’t know what was happening in the drafting process. I don’t know if they took maybe a form that they used in a different case and they missed some facts. I don’t know if there were just some typos. But the thing is, every case is important to us and every case matters to us. I’m never going to know the facts of a case better than you will. Because to me, it’s my case, but to you, it’s your life. You’re going to be able to know the who, what, when, where, why, and how.
I need you every time to help me out. Help your lawyer out. Make sure that everything in those pleadings is correct. Make sure that everything is accurate because otherwise, you’ll end up in a situation where your attorney’s sitting in front of a judge with a pleading that just cannot possibly coexist with what else has been filed. And you might be the one who ends up facing perjury charges for it.
Schedule Your Initial Strategy Session
If you have any questions about this, and I realize that’s kind of a heavy thing to end one of these discussions on, if you have any questions or maybe you’re not entirely sure where you’re at in your case or what’s being filed on your behalf, absolutely give us a call. If you need representation, absolutely talk to us. If you’ve got representation but you’re not sure what’s going on, I’m happy to consult with you. I’m criminal attorney Carl Birkhead. I’m with Wirth Law Office and I want to help you make law easy. Thank you.
Take the first step towards a clearer legal path. Call us today at 918-879-1681 to schedule a low-cost initial strategy session. We’re here to help you navigate your case effectively and confidently.
