Privileged

Definition
Privilege is an exception or immunity to certain requirements that other individuals are bound by. In the common law application, things or people that are privileged are exempt from the requirement to testify or produce documents in certain situations.

Application
Privilege is a right given to the speaker, as a matter of public policy, to encourage complete disclosure in specific relationships. Privilege belongs to the speaker alone, and not to the attorney. As such only the client may waive this right. Ex. a client may testify to privileged information as between himself and his attorney but they attorney may not, save with the consent of his/her client. Privilege is created with the creation of below listed relationships and can extend in most cases beyond the life of the speaker.

Exceptions
Within the law privileged communications may be disclosed if doing so will save a life, prevent the complete financial ruin of an individual or in defense of a malpractice suit by said client. In the case of a doctor or psychotherapist if there is information that indicates the patient poses a danger to the life or another, they are obligated to inform authorities, before such an act can take place.

Types of Privileged relationships
1) Lawyer Client 2)  Doctor Patient 3) Wife and Husband 4)  Clergy and Communicant 5) Psychotherapist and Patient