This relationship is fiduciary in nature and therefore demands utmost fidelity. Lawyers must know when and how to withdraw from representing a client to avoid potential ethical violations in these untenable situations.This module discusses what creates an attorney-client relationship. It also defines the attorney's duties of competent representation and diligent advocacy. This article provides a primer on how to end the attorney-client relationship ethically. In my experience, patent attorneys refuse to read any "information" from a prospective client prior to forming a relationship. The California attorney-client privilege under Evidence Code § 954 ensures that any private communication between you and your attorney remains confidential. Each state has its own rules of ethics for attorneys, known as the rules of professional conduct. Lawyers who still mail things to their clients as FYI or a CC are living in the dark ages of law and are costing their clients a lot more than they should. This opinion is based on existing California ethics law.