Fact · Voice privacy and security
Cornell's legal encyclopedia says that if a third party is present during a privileged communication, confidentiality may be compromised unless the third party is essential to the attorney-client relationship.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“if a third party is present during the privileged communication, the confidentiality may be compromised unless that third party is essential to the attorney-client relationship”
Attorney-client privilege, Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School (Wex), 2026, Exceptions.
Open the original- What it measures
- Whether a cloud transcription vendor counts as such a third party is a legal question that depends on contract and jurisdiction.
- What it does not show
- General statement of the rule, not a ruling about dictation software.
Source
Cited on
- Speech to Text Privacy: Where Your Voice GoesTopic
- Legal Dictation Software for Lawyers and Law FirmsGuide
- Legal Transcription: The Job, Formats and PayGuide
- Dictation for Lawyers: Privilege and ConfidentialityGuide
- Does using cloud dictation waive attorney-client privilege?Question
- How does legal dictation work between a lawyer and an assistant?Question
- Attorney-client privilegeGlossary