Get The Attorney-client Privilege In Civil Litigation. The Attorney-client Privilege In Civil Litigation

For example, if a physician retained an attorney to determine if a joint venture was legal, the new information developed through the attorney's investigation would be privileged under the work product doctrine. The attorney's advice would be privileged under the attorney-client privilege.

(2) A client has a privilege to refuse to disclose, and to prevent any other person from disclosing, the contents of confidential communications when such other person learned of the communications because they were made in the rendition of legal services to the client.

Confidentiality can be defined in terms of a counselor's duty not to disclose information about their client, while privileged communication in a counseling context can be defined in terms of a client's privilege not to have their counselor disclose information about them in a legal setting such as a court of law.

Privileged and confidential communication is the interaction between two parties having a legally protected, private relationship. Law cannot force such parties to disclose the content of communication made between them.

The attorney-client privilege does not cover statements made by a client to their lawyer if the statements are meant to further or conceal a crime. For this exception to apply, the client must have been in the process of committing a crime or planning to commit a crime.

The privilege belongs to the client. Unless an exception applies, the client may refuse to disclose the information in a court proceeding and may prevent the lawyer from doing so. Exceptions include communications relating to the death of a client or disputes between the lawyer and client, among others.

Communications between an attorney and client, husband and wife, clergyperson and penitent, and doctor and patient are all privileged. In a few states, the privilege extends to a psychotherapist and client and to a reporter and her source.

Privileged communication is an interaction between two parties in which the law recognizes a private, protected relationship. Whatever is communicated between the two parties must remain confidential, and the law cannot force their disclosure. Even disclosure by one of the parties comes with legal limitations.