Halffman v. Halffman’s Empirical Analysis

Citation profile

5 state decisions

Most-quoted passages

The sentences later courts lift from this opinion, ranked by how many decisions quote each — the parts of the opinion doing the work. These counts are smaller than the citation total above because most of the 5 citing decisions cite the case generally; a passage count includes only decisions quoting that exact language verbatim.

1. ““ ‘The controversy is between the parties themselves, and the attorney is under the same obligations to both of them. The matter communicated was not in its nature private, as between these parties, who were both present at the time, and consequently, so far as they are concerned, it cannot, in any sense be deemed the subject of a confidential communication made by one, which the duty of the attorney prohibited him from disclosing to the other. The reason of the rule has no application in such a case. The statements of parties made in the presence of each other may be proved by their attorneys as well as by other persons, because such statements are not in their nature confidential, and cannot be regarded as privileged communications.’ ””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. 16 Wash. 2d 88 - Cummings v. Sherman

2. “. “ ‘The general rule is that communications made to an attorney acting for several clients jointly are not privileged in a subsequent controversy between the clients. In a suit between them or their personal representatives, any one of them may require the attorney to disclose such communications.’ ””

   1 later decision quote this exact passage
   e.g. Billias v. Panageotou