Honestly, words matter, and it is very critical that you stop using three not okay words! Michael Kesten of KestenMedia is a communications expert that examines how the words you use can hurt you in trial. He says that trail lawyers need to drop the following three words from their vocabulary:
Honestly
How many times have you defended a deposition when your client says “honestly” or “to tell the truth?” Because your client is under oath, the presumption is that they are telling the truth. However, by using “honestly,” the impression is given that everything said before that is not entirely true. Likewise, if you utter these words in trial, your credibility is at risk because a jury will wonder why you have stressed that this time you are being honest. Stop using that word!
Very
“Very” is an empty qualifier. It adds nothing to what you are saying other than “it’s bigger than not very.” Use concrete examples of what you are trying to convey rather than this vague phrase. For example instead of “it was a very bad crash,” say “the crash twisted the front bumper, caused the windshield to shatter, and left radiator fluid all over the road.” It is better to paint a picture with your words than to just say “very.”
Okay
It is not Okay to use “Okay” after a witness has answered your question. Why? Because when you utter that phrase, you are tacitly agreeing with something that may not be true. In fact, it may be an outright lie, but you have told the jury that it’s okay. The better tactic is to move on to your next question without any acknowledgement of the answer.
In addition to these three words, there are many more words and phrases that could be dropped from your vocabulary to make you a better trial lawyer.