How does a voluntary disclosure affect the attorney-client privilege?

When discussing the effect of voluntary disclosure on attorney-client privilege, the key point is that the privilege is not an all-or-nothing proposition. When a client voluntarily discloses information that is otherwise protected under the attorney-client privilege, this disclosure typically waives the privilege only with respect to the information that has been shared.

This concept is grounded in the principle that the privilege is designed to protect confidential communications between a lawyer and their client. If a client chooses to disclose certain information to a third party or publicly, they effectively remove the confidentiality of that specific information. However, this does not mean that all communications between the attorney and client are waived indefinitely; only the information that is disclosed loses its protections.

The other options do not accurately reflect how attorney-client privilege operates in the context of voluntary disclosure. While some may think that a disclosure could compromise all related communications or create new obligations, the privilege remains intact for undisclosed communications unless further actions are taken to waive it. Thus, the correct understanding is that voluntary disclosure waives the privilege regarding only the specific information disclosed, safeguarding the rest of the communication.