I believe My spouse has contacted an attorney about divorce/ seperation. The legal bill was paid from our joint checking account . Does this allow the attoeney to disclose any information to me ?
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I believe My spouse has contacted an attorney about divorce/ seperation. The legal bill was paid from our joint checking account . Does this allow the attoeney to disclose any information to me ?
Asked on June 1, 2009 under Family Law, Ohio
Answers:
M.S., Member, Connecticut Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 14 years ago | Contributor
The general rule is that any communications between your wife and an attorney, for the purpose of obtaining legal advice, will be privileged pursuant to the attorney-client privilege and therefore remain confidential. The attorney-client privilege generally is not forfeited/waived due to the fact that some of the money that the attorney was paid with came out of a joint checking account. Therefore, if the attorney were to disclose confidential information to you, the attorney could potentially be sued by your wife for malpractice. Given your suspicions, I suggest that you consult with an experienced divorce attorney immediately. If you wife does, in fact, decide to file for divorce, it is important that you protect your interests by hiring counsel as well.
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