Lying Clients

Clients sometimes lie. There. I said it. Clients may withhold information, often intentionally, and some tell outright falsehoods.

As paralegals we know that often a tiny bit of information can completely change a situation. That means it's our job to ferret out all relevant information as we possibly can before taking the matter to the attorney. Unfortunately, one of the best ways to figure out what questions to ask to get the most information from clients is the experience of finding out later that a client did not provide all the needed information. At my office we regularly update our trademark search request form to require the client to provide specific information that prior requestors did not provide and which affected the advice given by the attorney. We have also added some language to some of our opinions that state we are assuming certain things and if those assumptions are incorrect, to let us know.

What techniques do you use to try to ensure your clients are providing all the relevant information?