Advisory Opinion: 1249

Year Issued: 1988

RPC(s): RPC 1.6(d)(2)

Subject: Client confidence or secret; disclosing address and telephone number to IRS; necessity of court order

The Committee considered your inquiry regarding your ethical obligation to a client after having been requested by the Internal Revenue Service to give a client's address and telephone number to the Service. The Committee was of the opinion that such information would constitute a confidence or secret, and therefore RPC 1.6(b)(2) provides that you could only reveal such confidence or secret pursuant to a court order.

Advisory Opinions are provided for the education of the Bar and reflect the opinion of the Committee on Professional Ethics (CPE) or its predecessors. Advisory Opinions are provided pursuant to the authorization granted by the Board of Governors, but are not individually approved by the Board and do not reflect the official position of the Bar association. Laws other than the Washington State Rules of Professional Conduct may apply to the inquiry. The Committee's answer does not include or opine about any other applicable law other than the meaning of the Rules of Professional Conduct.