This privilege is codified in California law via Evidence Code 954, which gives your attorney the right to refuse to divulge the contents of your conversation, gives you the right to require confidentiality from your attorney, and with few exceptions, makes any breach of that confidence inadmissible in court.
Communications between a client and lawyer are confidential when they aren't intended to be disclosed to a third party except in furtherance of rendering legal services or those reasonably necessary to transmit communications. The attorney-client privilege applies only to attorneys, their staff, and the client.
Imminent death or harm. Your attorney can't be held to attorney-client privilege if they believe that keeping your confidence would result in death or significant physical harm to someone.
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.
Former Employees Can Have Privileged Communications With Their Former Employer's Lawyer, but Cannot Waive Its 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.
Although the precise definition of attorney–client privilege varies among state and federal courts, there are four basic elements to establish attorney–client privilege: (i) a communication; (ii) made between counsel and client; (iii) in confidence; (iv) for the purpose of seeking, obtaining or providing legal ...
There are two main exceptions to this rule: When you seek the lawyer's assistance in carrying out or planning a crime or a fraud. If the lawyer reasonably believes that disclosure of confidential attorney-client communication is necessary to prevent death or substantial bodily harm.
Employers Can File Many Kinds of Lawsuits Against Employees for Breach of Contract. In some circumstances, a relationship between an employee and employer is based on a contract. If an employment contract was the basis of the relationship between you and your employee, you can sue them for breaching the contract terms.
Thus, a lawyer related to another lawyer, e.g., as parent, child, sibling or spouse, ordinarily may not represent a client in a matter where that lawyer is representing another party, unless each client gives informed consent.