accountant's lien

accountant's lien (plural accountant's liens)

1. (law) The right of an accountant to retain a client's papers until the accountant's fees have been paid.
   • 1994, Michael Gillooly, chapter 5, in Securities over Personalty, →ISBN, page 140:

     A recent decision from New South Wales suggests, however, that in the absence of some contractual prohibition the benefit of a possessory lien (in this case, an accountant's lien over his client's papers) may be assigned to a third party, along with the debt.