| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW. |
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| 4 | 4 | | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. |
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| 5 | 5 | | *hb0310* |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | HOUSE BILL 310 |
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| 8 | 8 | | N2 5lr1550 |
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| 9 | 9 | | CF SB 135 |
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| 10 | 10 | | By: Delegate Cardin |
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| 11 | 11 | | Introduced and read first time: January 10, 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Assigned to: Judiciary |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A BILL ENTITLED |
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| 15 | 15 | | |
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| 16 | 16 | | AN ACT concerning 1 |
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| 17 | 17 | | |
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| 18 | 18 | | Estates and Trusts – Fiduciaries – Attorney–Client Privilege 2 |
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| 19 | 19 | | |
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| 20 | 20 | | FOR the purpose of clarifying that a communication between an attorney and a client that 3 |
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| 21 | 21 | | acts as a fiduciary is subject to the attorney–client privilege even if fiduciary funds 4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | are used to compensate the attorney for services rendered to the client; and generally 5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | relating to fiduciaries and the attorney–client privilege. 6 |
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| 24 | 24 | | |
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| 25 | 25 | | BY adding to 7 |
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| 26 | 26 | | Article – Estates and Trusts 8 |
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| 27 | 27 | | Section 15–117 9 |
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| 28 | 28 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 10 |
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| 29 | 29 | | (2022 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 11 |
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| 30 | 30 | | |
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| 31 | 31 | | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 12 |
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| 32 | 32 | | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 13 |
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| 33 | 33 | | |
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| 34 | 34 | | Article – Estates and Trusts 14 |
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| 35 | 35 | | |
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| 36 | 36 | | 15–117. 15 |
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| 37 | 37 | | |
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| 38 | 38 | | (A) IN THIS SECTION, “FIDUCIARY” INCLUDES AN AGENT , AS DEFINED IN § 16 |
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| 39 | 39 | | 17–101 OF THIS ARTICLE. 17 |
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| 40 | 40 | | |
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| 41 | 41 | | (B) (1) UNLESS WAIVED BY THE CLIENT, A COMMUNICATION BETW EEN 18 |
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| 42 | 42 | | AN ATTORNEY AND A CL IENT THAT ACTS AS A FIDUCIARY IS SUBJECT TO THE 19 |
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| 43 | 43 | | ATTORNEY–CLIENT PRIVILEGE EVE N IF FIDUCIARY FUNDS ARE USED TO 20 |
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| 44 | 44 | | COMPENSATE THE ATTOR NEY FOR LEGAL SERVIC ES RENDERED TO THE CLIENT. 21 |
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| 45 | 45 | | |
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| 46 | 46 | | (2) THE EXISTENCE OF A FI DUCIARY RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN A 22 |
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| 47 | 47 | | FIDUCIARY AND A BENE FICIARY DOES NOT CON STITUTE OR GIVE RISE TO A WAIVER 23 2 HOUSE BILL 310 |
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| 48 | 48 | | |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | OF THE ATTORNEY –CLIENT PRIVILEGE FOR COMMUNICATIONS BETWE EN THE 1 |
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| 51 | 51 | | ATTORNEY AND THE FID UCIARY. 2 |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 3 |
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| 54 | 54 | | October 1, 2025. 4 |
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| 55 | 55 | | |
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