Under which scenario is it permissible to disclose client information to prevent imminent harm to third parties?

• A. If there is a reasonable belief that disclosure is necessary to prevent significant harm and is legally permissible.
• B. Disclose only with the client's explicit consent.
• C. Disclose information at your discretion to mitigate risk.
• D. Disclose information publicly to alert others.

Answer: (A)

When confidentiality is the default, there is a recognized exception for imminent risk of significant harm to others. The correct approach is to disclose only when you have a reasonable belief that disclosure is necessary to prevent that harm and that doing so is legally permissible. This balances protecting client confidentiality with a duty to protect potential victims, and it limits the disclosure to what is needed and to appropriate recipients (such as authorities or the person at risk).

Why the other ideas don’t fit: requiring explicit client consent in every case ignores the urgent need to act when harm could occur soon; leaving the decision to your discretion is too vague and risks either under- or over-sharing; disclosing information publicly would breach confidentiality and unnecessarily expose the client and others to risk.