Attorney Client Privilege For Consultants In Georgia
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The attorney-client privilege maintains the confidentiality of certain communications, made between attorneys and their clients, for the purpose of seeking or providing legal advice. The privilege protects communications made orally or in writing, in person or over the telephone, in letters or in emails.
The privilege extends only to communications that the client intends to be confidential. Communications made in non-private settings, or in the presence of third persons unnecessary to accomplish the purpose for which the attorney was consulted, are not confidential and therefore are not protected by the privilege.
Crime or Fraud Exception. If a client seeks advice from an attorney to assist with the furtherance of a crime or fraud or the post-commission concealment of the crime or fraud, then the communication is not privileged.
Rule 3: Label the top of the communication or the subject line of an email: "Privileged and Confidential: Attorney-Client Privileged Communication." This notice should be prominent and easily viewable as soon as someone receives the communication.
They may also include documents that a client prepares at the express direction of a lawyer. Privileged documents and communications can take many forms. They could be words spoken aloud, emails, a Word document, a spreadsheet, or an audio file. But there are many situations in which the privilege does not apply.
Attorney-client privilege extends to intended documents that weren't delivered. For example, if you mail your attorney relevant documents that get lost in the mail, the contents are still covered under attorney-client privilege.
The attorney-client privilege applies to communications “to whom disclosure is reasonably necessary for the transmission of the information or the accomplishment of the purpose for which the lawyer is consulted.” Cal. Evid. Code § 952. This includes communications to an expert consultant.
Since engagement agreements may not be protected by attorney-client privilege, an attorney must be careful not to be overly detailed in the description of the scope of services.
No matter how the attorney-client privilege is articulated, there are four basic elements necessary to establish its existence: (1) a communication; (2) made between privileged persons; (3) in confidence; (4) for the purpose of seeking, obtaining or providing legal assistance to the client.