What you tell your lawyer is confidential

CONFIDENTIALITY OF INFORMATION BETWEEN A LAWYER AND A CLIENT IS FOR LIFE

A friend once told me that on an episode of Breaking Bad, someone mentioned that what you tell your lawyer is confidential and forever - is this true? - she asked.

YES !

All communications between a solicitor and his/her client are privileged (confidential) - there are only rare circumstances in which the information can be revealed - likely as a result of a Court Order. Even if you meet with a lawyer for a consultation only, the information you provide in that meeting is confidential and cannot be shared by the lawyer with anyone.

Here is another thing you may be interested to hear: this privilege applies to that lawyer forever. This means that even if a particular lawyer is no longer your lawyer (ie: you parted ways for some reason), that lawyer can never reveal the information you provided, unless specifically authorized by you to do so.

BUT here is a scenario you might consider: you bring your best friend into a meeting with your lawyer and she/he hears what you and your lawyer talk about. Two months later, that "best friend" is no longer your friend at all - you had a falling out and are no longer speaking. In this scenario, the lawyer is still bound by privilege but neither he/she, nor you, will have any no control over what your former best friend may tell the world about your case - you "diluted" the privilege when you brought your friend into the meeting in the first place. An important consideration.