Last month, the Arizona Supreme Court clarified an important limitation on attorney-client privilege. In Gelvin v. Parker, 592 P.3d 776 (Ariz. 2026), the Court emphasized that the privilege protects confidential attorney-client communications—and including other people in those communications can put that protection at risk.
The Court held that, subject to recognized exceptions, communications involving a third party are protected only when that person’s involvement is objectively necessary to effectuate the attorney-client communication. It is not enough that the client trusts the person, wants the person involved, or even signs an agreement stating that communications should remain confidential.
At Keist Thurston Law Firm (KT Law), we take attorney-client privilege seriously. Clients, particularly in family law matters, often rely on parents, significant others, friends, financial professionals, and other trusted advisors for support. While those individuals may play an important role in a client’s life, including them in meetings, emails, or conversations with an attorney may jeopardize the privilege.
For that reason, KT Law generally keeps privileged communications between our legal team and our client. We may ask third parties to step out of meetings, avoid copying them on emails containing legal advice, or recommend that clients communicate with us separately. This is not intended to exclude a client’s support system—it is intended to protect the client and preserve the attorney-client privilege.
Our advice is simple: before bringing someone into a meeting, copying them on an attorney email, forwarding legal communications, or asking them to communicate with KT Law about your case, talk to your attorney first. Once confidentiality is lost, it may not be possible to restore the privilege later.