§ 2A:84A-22 — Marital privilege - confidential communications.

22. Marital privilege--Confidential communications. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this section, no person shall disclose any communication made in confidence between such person and his or her spouse or civil union partner. (2) There is no privilege: (a) if both spouses or partners consent to the disclosure; (b) if the communication is relevant to an issue in an action between the spouses or partners; (c) in a criminal action or proceeding in which either spouse or partner consents to the disclosure; (d) in a criminal action or proceeding coming within section 17 of P.L.1960, c.52 (C.2A:84A-17); or (e) in a criminal action or proceeding if the communication relates to an ongoing or future crime or fraud in which the spouses or partners were or are joint participants at the time of the communication. (3) When a spouse or partner is incapacitated or deceased, consent to the disclosure may be given for such spouse or partner by the guardian, executor, or administrator. The requirement for consent shall not terminate with divorce, dissolution of civil union or separation. A communication between spouses or partners while living separate and apart under a divorce from bed and board or legal separation from a partner in a civil union shall not be a privileged communication. L.1960, c.52, s.22; amended 1992, c.142, s.2; 2013, c.103, s.17; 2015, c.138, s.2.