Privacy Notice

This privacy notice explains how we use any personal information we collect about you.

 

What information do we collect about you?

We usually collect identity, contact information, payment information, transaction information, survey information, marketing information directly from you when you fill out a form, complete a survey, engage us to provide services or advice, contact us by email, telephone, in writing or otherwise, or provide feedback to us.

We may also receive website, device and technical information from technologies such as cookies that are installed on our website. These are text files placed on your computer or device to collect standard internet log information and visitor behaviour information. We may use cookies in order to:

  • Make your online experience more efficient and enjoyable.

  • Improve our services.

  • Recognise you whenever you visit this website and distinguish you from other users of our site.

  • Obtain information about your preferences and use of our site.

  • Provide you with advertising which is tailored to your interests.

  • Carry out research and data analysis to help us to improve our content and services and to better understand our customer preferences and interests.

You can set your browser not to accept cookies and the above website tells you how to remove cookies from your browser. However in some circumstances our website may not function properly as a result. For further information visit http://www.allaboutcookies.org/

 

Information about connected individuals

We may need to gather personal information about your close family members and dependents to provide our service to you effectively. In such cases it will be your responsibility to ensure that you have consent of the people concerned to pass their information on to us. We will provide a copy of this privacy notice to them, or where appropriate, ask you to pass the privacy information to them.

 

Why we need to collect and use your personal data

The primary legal basis that we intend to use for processing of your data is for a Contract Reason being the performance of our retainer with you. The information we collect about you is essential for us to be able to carry out the services that you require from us effectively. Without collecting your personal data we would also be unable to fulfil our legal and regulatory obligations. If you do not provide us with the required personal information, we may be prevented from supplying the services to you. There are three other main reasons we will use your personal information. These are: Legitimate Interests Reason: this is where the use of your personal information is necessary for our (or a third party’s) legitimate interests, so long as that legitimate interest does not override your fundamental rights, freedoms and interests. Legal Obligation Reason: this is where we have to use your personal information in order to perform a legal obligation by which we are bound; and Consent Reason: this is where you have given us your consent to use your personal information for a specific reason or specific reasons. Where we rely on consent for a specific purpose you have the right under data protection law to withdraw your consent at any time. If you do wish to withdraw your consent then contact us using the method set out below.

 

How we may use the information about you

  • We use the information you provide primarily for the provision of legal services to you and for related purposes including updating and enhancing client records, analysis to help us manage our practice, statutory returns and legal/regulatory compliance. Our use of that information is subject to your instructions, data protection law and our duty of confidentiality.

  • Please note that our work for you may require us to pass on such information to third parties such as expert witnesses and other professional advisers, including sometimes advisers appointed by another party to your matter. We may also give such information to others who perform services for us, such as typing or photocopying. Our practice may be audited or checked by our accountants or our regulator, or by other organisations.

  • You have a right of access under data protection law to the personal data that we hold about you. We seek to keep that personal data correct and up to date. You should let us know if you believe the information we hold about you needs to be corrected or updated. The person at the firm with overall responsibility for data protection compliance is Mr. W. Harrington. The firm is registered with the Information Commissioner.  Further information regarding data protection and privacy is available from the Information Commissioner’s Office www.ico.org.uk.

  • We may receive personal data from you for the purposes of our money laundering checks, such as a copy of your passport. These will be processed only for the purposes of preventing money laundering and terrorist financing, or as otherwise permitted by law or with your express consent. You consent to us retaining such data for longer than the five year statutory period, unless you tell us otherwise.

  • If you send us personal data about anyone other than yourself you will ensure you have any appropriate consents and notices in place to enable you to transfer that personal data to us and so that we may use it for the purposes for which you provide it to us.
     

Who might we share your information with

In order to deliver our services to you effectively we may share your details with third parties such as:

  • Suppliers; such as IT support services, payment providers, administration providers, marketing agencies.

  • Government bodies and regulatory bodies such as HMRC, fraud prevention agencies, bodies responsible for regulation of money laundering and other financial crime

  • Our advisors such as lawyers, accountants, auditors, insurance companies

  • Those that we engage for professional compliance, legal services and our obligations with the Legal Aid Agency and with Recognising Excellence Ltd in complying with our quality assurance standard the Specialist Quality Mark (SQM).

  • Our Bankers

  • Credit reference agencies

  • Email platforms

  • Any organisations that propose to purchase our business and assets, in which case we may disclose your personal information to the potential purchaser.

Depending on the circumstances the organisations or people who we share your personal information with will be acting as either Data Processors or Data Controllers. Whilst we share your personal information with a data processor we will ensure that we have in place contracts that set out the responsibilities and obligations of us and them including in respect of security or personal; information.

Where it is necessary for your personal data to be forwarded to a third party we’ll use the appropriate security measures to protect your personal data in transit. These include using secure and email encryption.

 

How long do we keep your information for

During the course of our relationship with you will retain personal data which is necessary to provide services to you. We will take all reasonable steps to keep your personal data up to date throughout our professional relationship. We will only hold your personal data for as long as is necessary. How long is necessary will depend upon the purposes for which we collected the personal information and whether we are under any legal obligation to keep the personal information (such as in relation to accounting or auditing records or for tax reasons). We may also need to keep personal information in case of any legal claims.

We will keep your file of papers either physically or digitally for a period of six years. After this time they will be confidentially destroyed. You may request your papers during this period but please be aware that we will need a short period in which to recover your file and we reserve the right to charge a reasonable administration fee for this where necessary.

You can contact us (using the details at the end of this policy) to request a copy of our retention policy, which sets out how long different types of personal data will be kept for.

 

How you can access the information we hold about you

You have a right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you. If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal information please write to us using the contact details below.

We have an obligation to make sure that the personal information held about you is accurate and up to date.

Please ask us to correct or remove any information that you think is incorrect.

 

What can you do if you are unhappy with how your personal data is processed

If you are unhappy about the way that we have handled or used your personal information, you have the right to complain to the UK supervisory authority for data protection which is the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at https://ico.org.uk. We ask that you contact us first if you wish to raise a query or make a complaint so that we have the opportunity to discuss this with you and to take the steps to resolve the position. You can contact us using the details set out at the end of this policy.

 

Changes to our privacy policy

We keep our privacy policy under regular review and we’ll inform you of any changes when they occur. This privacy policy was last updated 12/02/22.

 

How to contact us

Please contact us using our contact form if you have any questions about our privacy policy or information we hold about you, alternatively you can write to us at:

Harringtons Solicitors
Gazette Buildings
168 Corporation Street
Birmingham
B4 6TF