Linda and Karen, both paralegals for the same attorney in a small general practice office, are riding home from work together on the bus. During their ride, they discuss a client who was in the office that day seeking to file for divorce. The client, who works in their building, is someone whom they have known for a long time, and they are shocked. What they don't know is that the client's wife is sitting in the seat behind them. The client's wife learns of the divorce and successfully hides $200,000 from a bank account so that it cannot be located and divided up as part of the property settlement. Once the divorce is final, the client says to his wife, "You must have known that I was planning to divorce you or you wouldn't have been able to hide

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Linda and Karen, by discussing the client's confidential information in a public setting, breached the rule of client confidentiality. This breach could lead to disciplinary action against the attorney, as they were acting within the scope of their employment. The client could also argue that this breach of confidentiality led to a direct financial loss, potentially supporting a malpractice lawsuit against the attorney and the paralegals. Lastly, the client could demand compensation for the loss and the termination of the paralegals for their role in the breach.

Linda and Karen, Both Paralegals for the Same Attorney in a Small