what is the difference between the duty of confidentiality and the attorney-client privilege

by Nicola Kautzer 7 min read

The duty of confidentiality is much broader than the attorney-client privilege. As explained above, the duty of confidentiality applies to ALL information the attorney has about the client; it is not limited to conversations between the attorney and the client.

The duty of confidentiality is much broader than the attorney-client privilege. As explained above, the duty of confidentiality applies to ALL information the attorney has about the client; it is not limited to conversations between the attorney and the client.

Full Answer

Does a client waive privilege when suing his lawyer?

The duty of confidentiality is much broader than the attorney-client privilege. As explained above, the duty of confidentiality applies to ALL information the attorney has about the client; it is not limited to conversations between the attorney and the client.

What is the difference between confidentiality and privilege?

Sep 18, 2015 · 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.

Do I still have attorney client confidentiality?

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. The difference between an evidentiary and an ethical principle matters in a number of ways. First, attorney-client privilege tends to be much narrower in scope compared with attorney-client confidentiality.

How not to waive the attorney client privilege?

Jan 29, 2022 · The difference? very simply put, attorney client privilege stems from rules of evidence, whereas confidentiality stems from rules of ethics. but that’s not all. starting with confidentiality, every state has rules of professional conduct that apply to lawyers who are licensed in that state. these are ethical requirements that we must abide by. 4.3 5 (129 views . …

How the duty of confidentiality differs from the attorney-client privilege?

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 client confidentiality and attorney-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.

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 information is covered by the duty of confidentiality?

The confidentiality rule, for example, applies not only to matters communicated in confidence by the client but also to all information relating to the representation, whatever its source. A lawyer may not disclose such information except as authorized or required by the Rules of Professional Conduct or other law.

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 privilege information in law?

Privilege is a legal right which allows persons to resist compulsory disclosure of documents and information. The fact that a document is sensitive or confidential is not a bar to disclosure, although privileged documents must be confidential.

What does subject to legal privilege mean?

Legal advice privilege covers confidential communications between a client and its lawyers, whereby legal advice is given or sought. Privilege attaches to all material forming the lawyer-client communications, even if those documents do not expressly seek or convey legal advice.

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.

When can lawyers breach confidentiality?

When can a solicitor breach confidentiality? A solicitor cannot be under a duty of confidentiality if the client is trying to use them or the firm to commit fraud or other crimes. A client cannot make a solicitor the confidant of a crime and expect them to close up their lips upon any secret they dare to disclose.Jan 7, 2021

Can a lawyer claim 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.

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.

What is attorney-client privilege?

While attorney-client privilege differs by state, in general, it refers only to communication between an attorney and his or her client. In many cases, attorney-client privilege only protects such communication if that communication pertains to the litigation at hand and it also does not protect communication that is available from ...

What is the duty of confidentiality?

Confidentiality requires the attorney to not only not reveal information that has been shared with him or her by the client but also prevents that attorney from using such confidential information in a way that may be disadvantageous to the client. Furthermore, the duty of confidentiality pertains to most information that may be used against ...

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, ...

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Lawyers often misunderstand the differences between the Ethical Duty of Confidentiality [Rule 1.6 of the VA or ABA Rules of Prof. Conduct] and the "Attorney-Client Privilege." There are some similarities but first and foremost the scope of information protected under the ACP is much more narrow than information protected under Rule 1.6.

The Ethical Duty of Confidentiality and the Attorney-Client Privilege

Lawyers often misunderstand the differences between the Ethical Duty of Confidentiality [Rule 1.6 of the VA or ABA Rules of Prof. Conduct] and the "Attorney-Client Privilege." There are some similarities but first and foremost the scope of information protected under the ACP is much more narrow than information protected under Rule 1.6.

What is attorney client privilege?

The attorney-client privilege, on the other hand, is governed by an evidentiary rule protecting your communications with your client from disclosure during litigation or another proceeding. It is owned by the client, can be waived by the client, and if waived, can negatively affect your client in that proceeding or others.

What is the work product doctrine?

The work-product doctrine protects material created by or for an attorney for the purposes of litigation. This can include, for example, data that you ask your client to pull for you for the purposes of advancing your defense in litigation. Importantly, this is a doctrine, not a privilege—it can be overcome by a showing of substantial need from the opposing side. Thus, the best advice here is to tread carefully: don’t avoid the creation of materials because of the potential of disclosure, but be aware that this risk is always present.

Similarities Between Attorney-Client Privilege and Confidentiality

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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 un
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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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Confidentiality

  • To better understand what’s required of you as a lawyer, let’s start by looking closer at the duty of confidentiality, which is governed by your state bar’s rules of professional conduct. For our purposes, we’ll look at Rule 1.6 of the ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, which states: The rule prohibits a lawyer from sharing anyinformation learned about their client–whether learn…
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Attorney-Client Privilege

  • While the nitty-gritty details and application of the attorney-client privilege vary from state to state (and even court to court), generally, the privilege requires: 1. a confidential communication 2. between a lawyer and their client 3. made for the purpose of seeking, obtaining, or providing legal advice
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Work Product Doctrine

  • One final note: the other “privilege” that will pop up early and often in your legal career is the work-product doctrine. The work-product doctrine protects material created by or for an attorney for the purposes of litigation. This can include, for example, data that you ask your client to pull for you for the purposes of advancing your defense in litigation. Importantly, this is a doctrine, not a privi…
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Trust Is The Hallmark of The Client-Lawyer Relationship

  • There are numerous other nuances to the attorney-client privilege that you will encounter throughout your legal career. But as comment 2 to Model Rule 1.6 notes, “trust that is the hallmark of the client-lawyer relationship.” It is this trust that is the reason for the existence of both the duty of confidentiality and the attorney-client privilege, for, without such trust, the open sharing of inf…
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