How we respect your privacy

In this Privacy Policy the terms, ‘we’ or ‘us’ means Mason Baggott & Garton Solicitors.

Your privacy is important to us and we are committed to keeping your information secure and managing it in accordance with our legal responsibilities under applicable data protection laws. We are registered with the UK Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) as a data controller under registration number Z5478654.

Please read this Privacy Statement carefully as it contains important information to help you understand how and why we process any personal information that you give to us.

What Information We Collect:

We process personal information which you give us:

  • As a client to provide you with legal services.
  • Whilst servicing your account through via digital mediums, in writing or over the phone.
  • If you request information or assistance from us.

What personal information we process:

This includes:

  • Personal details such as your date of birth, address, National Insurance Number, telephone number and email address.
  • Identity information such as your passport, driving licence, utility bills or national identity card.
  • Credit history and records relating to you, your partner or anyone else you are financially linked with (we obtain this information from credit reference and fraud prevent agencies).
  • Family, lifestyle, financial and social circumstances.
  • Financial details such as your income and information about your bank accounts.
  • Employment/self-employment details.

Special Categories of Personal Data:

Special categories of personal data include information about an individual’s health and other categories of personal information which are closely protected.

We do not generally process such information unless it is relevant to the legal service you have asked us to provide you with.  We will process sensitive information where it is necessary to deliver the agreed products and services to you.  Where possible we shall seek to minimise the collection and use of such special categories of personal data

How we use your Information

We use your information to:

  • Provide legal services to you.
  • Provide and service your relationship with us.
  • Comply with legal obligations for the prevention of financial crime and money laundering.

We will process your information in order to meet our contractual obligations to you, where we have a legitimate interest to do so, where we are permitted by law or to comply with applicable laws and regulation.

PURPOSE LEGAL BASIS
Providing a service and internal processing
To assess your needs and provide you with suitable products and services.  To service and administer your matter including billing. ·         Contractual obligation to provide you with, or a proposal including a costs estimate

·         Where special categories of personal data are processed, these are necessary to assess your needs
To verify the identity of our clients ·         To comply with legal obligations to prevent money laundering
To confirm, update and improve our client records ·         To comply with legal obligations in the Data Protection legislation
To provide you with any information on the services that you have requested ·         To meet our contractual obligation to provide information on the services you have requested
Relationship Management
To manage and develop our relationship with you ·         Legitimate interest to service your matter and improve our service to you
Training and development
For training purposes and to improve our service to you ·         Legitimate interests to improve our services and develop our employees
Complying with Legal Obligations
To prevent, investigate and prosecute crime, fraud and money laundering ·         To comply with legal obligations for prevention of financial crime and money laundering
For auditing purposes ·         To comply with our legitimate interest to conduct audits
If we are obliged to disclose information by reason of any law, regulation or court order ·         To comply with legal obligations
·
Other
To transfer information to any entity which may acquire rights in us ·         Legitimate interests for commercial interests
For any other purpose to which you agree. ·         With your consent

How we retain your personal information:

We will retain your personal information in accordance with applicable laws.  We will take reasonable steps to destroy or anonymise personal information we no longer need for the purposes we have set out above.

Our retention periods vary depending on the type of matter we are dealing with for you. We must retain all types of data, for a minimum of 6 years after the end of our business relationship with you or the end of your matter which ever comes later.

For other matters our professional body recommends we retain all the relevant data for longer periods. For example, on files relating to the making of Wills we are required to retain the full file until 21 years after the death of the person making the Will; for files relating to arrangements for children until the youngest is 18. This enables us to access relevant information in the event of any queries or further proceedings and benefits you as our client.

Experience has shown that in other matters it can be beneficial to our clients to keep the files for a longer period than 6 years. If you sell your property and questions are raised by the buyer if we still have your sale file that can assist.

We retain your normal personal data and details of the type of transaction we have undertaken for you indefinitely. This enables us to ensure that if you instruct us again, we can provide you with the most appropriate services and advice. It also ensures that we do not accept instructions from someone who has been on the other side of your case in the future, so as to protect the confidentiality of the information you have given us.

Unless you instruct us otherwise, we will use our professional judgement to decide based on your case how long your data should be retained for. If you wish to discuss with us and agree a time limit please speak to the fee earner dealing with your case.

How we share your information:

Where necessary or required we share information with:

  • Regulatory authorities to comply with our legal obligations.
  • Credit reference agencies to check your identity in accordance with our legal obligations.
  • Property Search Companies to identify any issues that might influence your decision to buy or sell a property.
  • Insurers for the purpose of providing you with appropriate financial cover for an identified insurable risk, or in connection with any claim made by you against us.
  • Property Agents, Brokers, Lenders, other Solicitors involved in your transaction representing other parties in your matter to enable them and us to fulfil our obligations to you.
  • Other Government Departments such as HMRC, Companies House, Probate Registry, Court of Protection or HM Land Registry to fulfil your and our legal obligations.
  • Experts and Barristers required to work on your matter.
  • Our Auditors and external assessment bodies to achieve and maintain any Regulatory or Quality Assurance Standards and accreditations which meet our legal obligations and enable us to provide quality legal services to you.

Information Security:

We invest appropriate resources to protect your personal information, from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. However, no internet-based site can be 100% secure and we cannot be held responsible for unauthorised or unintended access that is beyond our control.

Updates:

We will keep this Privacy Policy under review and make updates from time to time. Minor changes to this Privacy Statement will be made when appropriate.  Any major changes will be communicated to you.

Cookies:

Our online services use cookies, a small text file originating from us and stored by your computer. The cookie file helps identify you and any particular interests or preferences you express, making your future Website visits more efficient, but it does not store any personal information. Save for the use of cookies, we do not automatically log data or collect data. You can set your computer browser to reject cookies but this may preclude your use of certain parts of our Website.

Your Rights:

You have the right to request copies of your personal information.  If you think any of the personal information we hold about you is inaccurate, you may also request it is corrected or erased. You also have a right, in certain circumstances, to object to our processing of your personal information, to require us to stop processing your personal information and/or to withdraw your agreement to processing based on ‘consent’, but this does not apply where we have other legal justifications to continue processing your data or an overriding legitimate interest.

In relation to all of these rights, please write to us at the address below.

Complaints Process:

If you have a complaint about how we have handled your personal information you may contact us using the details below and we will investigate your complaint. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office – (www.ico.org.uk ).

Contact Us:

Our Data Protection Manager is Mr Richard Mason, Director.

You can contact us by writing to us at:

Mason Baggott & Garton

13-19 Wells Street

Scunthorpe

DN15 6HNB

Telephone queries can be made to Richard Mason or the Practice Manager.

Access requests should be emailed to askus@lawlincs.co.uk.