3. how is the attorney–client privilege different from the duty of confidentiality?

by Iliana Bashirian 8 min read

This means that confidentiality is a duty while privilege is an exemption from a duty. By contrast, privilege only applies to some very specific interactions. Privilege only applies to any communications between the attorney and the client that is given for the purpose of getting legal representation.

The attorney-client privilege is, strictly speaking, a rule of evidence. It prevents lawyers from testifying about, and from being forced to testify about, their clients' statements. ... The duty of confidentiality prevents lawyers from even informally discussing information related to their clients' cases with others.

Full Answer

What is the difference between attorney client privilege and confidentiality?

Apr 05, 2018 · While there is no dispute that both attorney – client privilege and attorney – client confidentiality “concern information that the lawyer must keep private,” its applications greatly differ. While attorney – client confidentiality is broad in scope, attorney – client privilege is limited to evidentiary matters, and only met when four elements are met.

What is attorney-client privilege and why is it important?

Sep 18, 2015 · While the attorney-client privilege only protects the information a client shares with his lawyer in confidence, the duty of confidentiality covers all information that is brought to light later on even by other sources.

What types of communications are covered by the attorney-client privilege?

Apr 29, 2020 · 4.3/5 (191 Views . 20 Votes) This means that confidentiality is a duty while privilege is an exemption from a duty. By contrast, privilege only applies to some very specific interactions. Privilege only applies to any communications between the attorney and the client that is given for the purpose of getting legal representation.

What is the legal professional privilege?

Mar 20, 2019 · The attorney-client privilege comes from the discovery rules, not the ethics rules, and concerns when client information can be turned over to the opposing party during the discovery phase, or other phases of litigation. The ethics rule on confidentiality prohibits the

What's the difference between attorney-client privilege and confidentiality?

Attorney-client privilege protects lawyers from being compelled to disclose your information to others. ... Confidentiality rules provide that attorneys are prohibited from disclosing any information for privacy reasons, unless it is generally known to others.Jan 6, 2017

What is the difference between confidentiality and privilege?

Confidentiality refers to the professional norm that information offered by or pertaining to clients will not be shared with third parties. Privilege refers to the disclosure of confidential information in court or during other legal proceedings.

What is the difference between confidentiality and legal professional privilege?

LPP applies to communications, not documents (but may exist in documents that disclose communications). LPP can apply even if the communication was not sent. It is about the purpose at the time of creation. Confidentiality is pivotal to privilege – was the document truly confidential, and did it remain so?Jul 1, 2021

What is the difference between the duty of confidentiality and the accountant client privilege?

The main difference between attorney-client privilege and attorney-client confidentiality is that the former is an evidentiary principle while the latter is an ethical principle. ... Additionally, there may be a number of instances where attorney-client communication is exempt from privilege protections.

What is the relationship between duty of confidentiality and attorney-client privilege?

The duty of confidentiality prevents lawyers from even informally discussing information related to their clients' cases with others. They must keep private almost all information related to representation of the client, even if that information didn't come from the client.

How do lawyers explain confidentiality to clients?

In order for a communication to be protected under the attorney-client privilege, the following five elements must be met:The person claiming the privilege must be a client, or had sought to be a client at the time of communication.The person receiving the communication must be acting as the person's lawyer.More items...

What is the difference between client privilege and legal advice privilege?

It protects legal advice given by a lawyer to his or her client (advice privilege) and communications pertaining to actual or contemplated litigation or court proceedings (litigation privilege). It is called "client legal privilege" because the privilege belongs to the client, not the lawyer.

Is there attorney-client privilege in Australia?

In broad terms, in Australia, legal professional privilege protects confidential privileged communications from disclosure under compulsion of court or statute. The privilege attaching to a communication does not belong to the lawyer. Instead, it belongs to the client.Jul 3, 2019

What is meant by legal professional privilege?

Legal professional privilege protects confidential communications and confidential documents between a lawyer and a client made for the dominant purpose of the lawyer providing legal advice or professional legal services to the client, or for use in current or anticipated litigation.

Is there privilege between accountant and client?

While there is no accountant-client privilege under the common law, some communications between an accountant and a client may be privileged under the attorney-client privilege if the accountant is acting as an agent of the attorney. ... An accountant is often retained with respect to the services provided by our firm.

Is accountant-client privilege a thing?

Accountant–client privilege is a confidentiality privilege, or more precisely, a group of privileges, available in American federal and state law. ... Under English common law, on which American law is based, there was generally no accountant–client privilege.

What is the meaning of accountant-client privilege?

Accountant Client Privilege is the protection afforded to a client from an accountant's unauthorized disclosure of materials submitted to or prepared by the accountant. ... Generally, the evidentiary and non-evidentiary versions of the accountant-client privilege are creations of Federal or state statute.

What is the attorney-client privilege?

The Attorney-Client Privilege: The attorney-client privilege protects communications between clients and lawyers from compelled disclosure. This means that a lawyer cannot be compelled in court to reveal information that his client has made known to him (the lawyer) in confidence.

What is the duty of confidentiality?

The Duty of Confidentiality: The duty of confidentiality has a wider scope with regards to protected information. While the attorney-client privilege only protects the information a client shares with his lawyer in confidence, the duty of confidentiality covers all information that is brought to light later on even by other sources.

Who is Jeff Tomczak?

Jeff Tomczak is an experienced personal injury attorney in Joliet, IL. at The Tomczak Law Group. As the founder of the firm and a lawyer by profession, he has years of experience in handling the most serious and high-profile personal injury, accident and criminal cases since the last 25 years. He is dedicated in his work of representing victims and strives for availing significant compensation for his clients.

How does attorney-client confidentiality work?

Because attorney-client confidentiality and attorney-client privilege both have the ultimate goal of protecting clients’ information, there are some similarities between the two regarding how information can be disclosed and when it can be disclosed. Generally, both attorney-client confidentiality and privilege must be maintained until the client gives permission for the information to be disclosed. In addition, the information will still be confidential after representation ends. In other words, attorneys are still under a duty to keep your personal information private, even if representation has ended.

What is attorney client privilege?

Attorney-client privilege protects lawyers from being compelled to disclose your information to others. Many times, law enforcement officers, insurance companies, or judges try to ask attorneys for information that is disclosed to assist them in other cases or investigations. The privilege protects the client and the attorney in these instances.

Why is it important to keep your personal information confidential?

Having your personal information kept confidential protects your right to privacy and ensures that attorneys are not only obtaining the most relevant information but ...

What to do if you have been injured in West Virginia?

If you have been injured in an accident or incident in West Virginia, contact an attorney at Colombo Law for legal assistance. Colombo Law assists clients located in and around West Virginia including in Morgantown, Fairmont, Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Kingwood, Grafton, Weston, Philippi, Buckhannon, Elkins, Parkersburg, as well as Monongalia, Marian, Harrison, Preston, Taylor, and Lewis county. If you are unsure of whether you have a personal injury claim or how to proceed with obtaining monetary compensation, let one of our attorneys take the stress away from you. Contact one of our attorneys today.

What is work product in litigation?

It also prevents disclosure of any work-related information that an attorney creates in the course of litigation. Work- related information, also known as work product, may include notes taken during meetings or mental impressions or strategies that attorneys have documented and planned to use at trial. Attorney client confidentiality is ...

Can an attorney disclose confidential information?

Confidentiality rules provide that attorneys are prohibited from disclosing any information for privacy reasons, unless it is generally known to others. If information is known by a majority of individuals, it may lose confidentiality under the rules.

Do attorneys have to keep client information confidential?

Generally, both attorney-client confidentiality and privilege must be maintained until the client gives permission for the information to be disclosed. In addition, the information will still be confidential after representation ends. In other words, attorneys are still under a duty to keep your personal information private, ...

Similarities Between Attorney-Client Privilege and Confidentiality

Key Differences Between Attorney Client Privilege and Confidentiality

  • While attorney-client confidentiality and attorney client privilege both protect your information that is shared with your lawyer, they serve different purposes. 1. Attorney-client privilege protects lawyers from being compelled to disclose your information to others. Many times, law enforcement officers, insurance companies, or judges try to ask attorneys for information that i…
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Contact Colombo Law Today

  • If you have been injured in an accident or incident in West Virginia, contact an attorney at Colombo Law for legal assistance. Colombo Law assists clients located in and around West Virginia including in Morgantown, Fairmont, Clarksburg, Bridgeport, Kingwood, Grafton, Weston, Philippi, Buckhannon, Elkins, Parkersburg, as well as Monongalia, Marian, Harrison, Preston, Tayl…
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What Is Attorney-Client Privilege?

  • Attorney-client privilege refers to a legal privilege that works to keep confidential communications between an attorney and his or her client secret. This is the name given to the common law concept of legal professional privilege in the United States. The privilege is a client’s right to refuse to disclose, and to prevent others from disclosing confidential communications b…
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Purpose of Attorney-Client Privilege

  • The purpose of the attorney-client privilege is to promote open and frank communications between clients and their lawyers. To represent a client effectively, lawyers must have access to all relevant information concerning the representation. If a client knows that certain information will be kept secret, he or she may be more willing to divulge that information to the lawyer. The p…
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What’s Covered Under Attorney Client Privilege?

  • The attorney-client privilege in the United States is often defined by reference to the 5 Cs: (1) a Communication (2) made in Confidence (3) between a Client (4) and Counsel (5) for the purpose of seeking or providing legal Counsel or advice. 1. All types of communications or exchanges between a client and attorney may be covered by the attorney-client privilege. This may include …
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Attorney Client Privilege Exceptions

  • Some of the most common exceptions to the privilege include: 1. Death of a client. The privilege may be breached upon the death of a testator-client if litigation ensues between the decedent’s heirs, legatees or other parties claiming under the deceased client. 2. Fiduciary Duty . A corporation’s right to assert the attorney-client privilege is not absolute. An exception to the privi…
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Examples of Attorney-Client Privilege

  • Following are some examples of attorney-client privilege. 1. A client is seeking advice from a lawyer for a business transactionand discloses confidential information about their business operations. 2. A client disclosing information to his or her attorney about a past crime that he or she committed, and the communication was done in private. 3. A client disclosing to the attorne…
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What Happens When Attorney-Client Privilege Is Broken?

  • Specific sanctions may be imposed on an attorney who reveals confidential communications, but where there is the mere potential for disclosure, disqualification motions are common. These motions typically claim that a lawyer or firm should be disqualified due to the fact that the lawyer or a member of his firm had previously represented the party desiring disqualification. While dis…
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