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Law vocabulary · Legal Professions

Attorney-client privilege

Meaning in law, with examples

nounCommon term

In law, attorney-client privilege means: The rule that confidential communications between a lawyer and client made for legal advice are protected, so the client cannot normally be forced to reveal them.

In Turkish: avukat-müvekkil gizliliği, avukatlık sırrı, meslek sırrı

How it is used

The US name. In England the equivalent is 'legal professional privilege', divided into 'legal advice privilege' and 'litigation privilege'. Protected documents are 'privileged', clients may 'waive privilege', and emails are often marked 'Privileged & Confidential'. Advice from in-house lawyers is not protected in every system.

Example sentences

  1. These emails are protected by attorney-client privilege and do not have to be produced.

  2. Forwarding the advice to a third party may waive attorney-client privilege.

Common collocations

  • protected by attorney-client privilege
  • waive privilege
  • legal professional privilege
  • privileged and confidential
  • clientA person or organisation that receives advice or services from a lawyer or law firm and pays for them.
  • attorneyA lawyer, especially in the United States, who is licensed to advise clients and represent them in court; more generally, a person allowed to act for someone else.
  • legal adviceGuidance from a qualified lawyer about what the law means for a particular person's situation and what options they have.
  • disclosureThe stage of an English civil case in which each party must reveal relevant documents and let the other side inspect them; more generally, the act of revealing information.
  • discoveryIn US litigation, the pre-trial stage in which each side must give the other relevant documents and information, answer written questions and attend depositions.

More terms: Legal Professions

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This page explains English vocabulary for learners. It is not legal advice.