I’m a Lawyer and This is Exactly What To Do if You Think Someone is Lying to Your Face – And It All Starts in the First 10 Seconds
A top attorney has revealed the three tricks he uses in the courtroom to catch someone out in a lie that anyone can use if they think a family member or friend is telling a fib.
Jefferson Fisher, from the US, is a trial attorney and shared his tips for how he handles lies under oath – and to tell if his kids have really brushed their teeth.
The dad said to stay silent for 10 seconds after someone has given a dishonest answer, repeat the lie back to them and give them a chance to ‘self-correct’.
When Jefferson hears something he thinks or knows is a lie, he first ‘responds with nothing’ and stays silent for 10 to 15 seconds.
‘I look off as if I’m processing it but 99.9 per cent of the time, they can’t stand the silence, it scares them, it tells them I’m not buying it,’ he said.
‘Here’s what they do – without me saying anything, they will slowly begin to walk back to retract their lie.’
Secondly, Jefferson recommends repeating their lie back to them.
‘For example, ‘So you didn’t see the red car?’. I’m giving them the choice – do you want to walk off the ledge or do you want to come back?’ he said.
‘The answer I get is ‘No, but I could be wrong’ and when they say I could be wrong it’s them coming on back.’
Lastly, Jefferson allows the person to ‘self-correct’.
‘I’ll say something like, ‘If you didn’t see that red car, it’s okay’. In other words, that lie you just gave, it didn’t pan out for you so let’s try again,’ he explained.
‘Nine times out of ten what they said at the very beginning is not at all what I get at the very end.’
Jefferson posted the tips in a video posted across his social media accounts and racked up more than 3.5 million views.
‘Works for parenting generally,’ one mum laughed.
‘Completely relate to real life. And believe me, your tips can be used on a daily basis,’ another added.
‘Omg I needed this like three hours ago at work,’ said a third.
