Rule 2:501 Privileged Communications

Some information shared between people is considered "privileged," meaning it can be kept private and does not have to be shared in court. Common examples include conversations between a lawyer and client, a doctor and patient, or a husband and wife.

Virginia courts decide what counts as privileged based on common law, which is a body of legal rules built up over many years through court decisions. Judges look at past cases and use common sense to figure out whether certain communications should be protected from being used as evidence.

There are limits to this protection. If the U.S. Constitution, Virginia's Constitution, or a specific law says that certain information must be shared, then the privilege does not apply. The rule is flexible enough to change over time as courts gain new experience with different situations.