Can lawyers say chat about they're cases?

Inevitably there's going to be chat at home about "how was your day, dear?" But you learn to keep it to general details and especially not to mention the name of the client. And the spouse will understand that. It's rather like the confidentiality you have with your doctor. And like a doctor, it would be a breach of professional ethics to reveal anything private and could lead to being kicked out of the profession.

I happen to be British and spent over 10 years working in the National Audit Office checking government accounts. I had to sign the Official Secrets Act so I know I can't tell anyone anything I found out at work. Then when I moved around and the particular part of government I was checking on was income tax, that obviously means looking at the tax returns of individual people, and the Inland Revenue (as it was called then) insisted on me signing their confidentiality agreement as well.

It has to be. If your lawyer is going to do their best for you, they need to know everything relevant to the case and it's no good to you if you can't feel you can open up about all that happened. They know that as well as I do as an accountant - if I'm doing your tax, I know it's wrong to tell anyone else about what you earn, and I know what I can say socially and what I can't say. With a lawyer, it could be especially painful to tell your lawyer things if it's a sex case but the same thing applies - they need to know all about it and they know not to "tell tales out of school".

So if you need a lawyer, please don't feel they will blab. They know their job is at risk if they do, and they can't help you properly if they don't know all the facts.

The relationship between a client a lawyer is one of 'utmost good faith' and includes the obligation on the lawyer to maintain confidentiality. It is similar to the relationship you may have with a healthcare professional. They are not at liberty to talk about anything that would infringe your confidentiality.

They may disclose general aspects of their work to their partner but they would never disclose identifiable details.

A person who is bound by an obligation of confidentiality could be removed from their professional body if they were found to have 'leaked' confidential information. In the case of a lawyer or a healthcare professional, that would mean they could no longer work in that field.

Some people are bound by their contract of employment or even by statutory law to keep their work secret. This is likely to apply to anyone in the security services or related fields and can extend to those who provide services to any such organisation. It is a criminal offence to breach the Official Secrets Act so not everyone can talk freely about their work.

It can limit conversation unless you know the person well enough to know of other shared interests.

Generally they do not. They are bound by ethical guidelines, and I know lawyers who have been involved in sensitive cases- without a word. If it were found that they did, they would be in serious trouble.

Their, not they're.

Sure.