Privacy policy.
Website Privacy
This privacy policy sets out how we use and protect any information that you give us when you use this website. We’re committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement. We may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 04/05/2018.
Security
We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure, we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.
How we use cookies
A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.
We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system. Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us. You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.
Links to other websites
Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.
Customer Data Handling Policy
We will collect personal data in order that we can provide legal services to you pursuant to the Contract for Legal Services between us. We will hold and process personal data of many different types which will be obtained from you and may be obtained from third parties (such as other parties to litigation or transactions or their solicitors).
We will share that data with third parties so far as is necessary to comply with our duties to you under the Contract for Legal Services and our professional rules. We retain all of our paper files for ten years after which they are destroyed, with certain exceptions such as files relating to Wills. We retain Wills, deeds and other documents and items entrusted to us for safekeeping and electronic data indefinitely.
By signing our Contract for Legal Services, you contract with and pursuant to that contract, we are entitled to hold and process your data. This also amounts to you giving us consent to do so. You may withdraw that consent at any time, but unless the Contract for Legal Services is also terminated, we will retain the right to hold and process your data. If our Contract for Legal Services is terminated we will be unable to act for you further. Under the Contract with us, you are obliged to supply us with sufficient information to enable us to fulfill our duties to you.
We may be required to share data we hold with you with regulators including the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Law Society.
If you are unhappy with the way in which we have held or processed your data, you may complain to the Office of the Information Commissioner whose details appear below.
Office of the Information Commissioner
Tel: 0303 123 1113
registration@ico.org.uk
https://ico.org.uk/for-the-public/raising-concerns/
We will provide you this Privacy Notice at the outset of our work for you. The information is intended to be concise, transparent, intelligible and easily accessible and to use clear and plain language. If you do not understand anything that we have said, please use the contact details at the beginning of this note to contact us. We regularly review and, where necessary, update our privacy information. If we plan to use your personal data for any other reason, we will communicate the changes to that policy to you.
Your Individual Rights
The General Data Protection Regulations provide the following rights for individuals
The right to be informed
The right of access
The right to rectification
The right to erasure
The right to restrict processing
The right to data portability
The right to object
Rights in relation to automated decision making and profiling (we do not use such tools).
If you are in any doubt as to the rights you have as to data holding, processing and generally, please visit the website of the Information Commissioners Office at www.ico.org.uk
A printable copy of this data handling policy may be downloaded here.