How to Prepare for Your First Meeting With a Mortgage Fraud Lawyer

If you are being investigated for mortgage fraud, then you need the help of a skilled and experienced mortgage fraud lawyer. However, your attorney can’t deal with this on their own. You should prepare for your meeting with your lawyer ahead of time to give yourself the best chance possible of getting through this case successfully.

Ask a Mortgage Fraud Lawyer: Do I Need an Attorney If I Didn’t Commit Mortgage Fraud?

There are many types of mortgage fraud, and there are numerous people involved in buying a house who may commit it. You could be the buyer, seller, appraiser, broker, or real estate agent involved, and you may not have known a thing about fraud taking place.

However, just because you didn’t knowingly commit mortgage fraud doesn’t stop you from being investigated if fraud took place in some way. You need an attorney on your side to try and demonstrate that you were unaware of what was going on. Protect yourself as much as possible. Check out this site to get in touch with a mortgage fraud attorney ASAP.

How to Prepare for Your First Meeting with Your Attorney

1. Get the Story Straight About What Happened

If you’ve been arrested or charged, then ensure you tell your attorney about what happened in as much detail as possible. If you haven’t been arrested, but you’re being investigated, then also share as much as you know.

Give the name of every person who contacted you, and provide details on what organization they work for. Tell your attorney exactly what’s going on and what you’ve been accused of or are being investigated for. You should also be prepared to answer a wide array of questions your attorney may ask you about the events that occurred.

2. Let Your Attorney Know You

It may not seem relevant to the case, but your attorney might ask you questions about yourself, your profession, and your life in general. If you are a home buyer or seller, then you may not think questions about your profession are relevant, but your attorney won’t ask something unless they think it’s important.

Your attorney needs to have a good idea of you and your situation so they can get to know your interests and best represent them as the case goes forward. Getting to know a little about your background and your connection to the alleged fraud may also help them come up with a defense strategy for you. Mentally prepare yourself before your meeting so you feel ready to answer numerous questions.

3. Don’t Write Anything Down

Anything you say, do, or write during your case may be held against you. It would be best to avoid writing much down. If you need to write some notes before your meeting with your attorney, then you should do so, but don’t show the notes to anybody but your attorney, and don’t keep copies. Attorney-client privilege stops your attorney from sharing anything unless they have your permission to do so.

If your attorney is the only one with access to any notes you make, then they shouldn’t be used against you. However, also be careful to avoid taking notes during meetings with your attorney, even if you believe it will help you remember what happened. Notes that are not kept specifically between you and your attorney may be used against you in a court of law.

4. Get Any Relevant Documentation in Order

If you’re dealing with a mortgage fraud case, then you know there are likely lots of files and statements that were involved when you were dealing with the mortgage in question. If you have any documentation that may help prove your innocence, then it would be best to gather it.

If you’re unsure of what documentation may help your case, then remember to ask your attorney at your first meeting. Once they give you the information you need, you should start gathering the relevant documents that you have access to for your next meeting.

5. Prepare Questions to Ask Your Attorney

Your attorney may ask you many questions, but you should also have some questions to ask them in return. You need to understand what’s going on here, so ask questions about anything you’re unsure about and anything you think is important. Ask if they believe your case is strong, discuss their experience and success rate, and make sure to find out if they’re personally handling your case.

Knowing what you should and shouldn’t do during meetings with your attorney is essential, and getting your documents in order beforehand is also important. Know what questions to ask, expect to answer a lot of questions that you feel are not relevant, and be as honest with your attorney as possible to help them help you get through your case.