Privacy Policy for Blair Toner
Our Privacy Policy tells you what will happen to any personal data that you provide to us as a result of using this website or if you become a client of ours.
This Privacy Policy is intended to help you better understand how we collect, use and store your information – whether you are a client or simply visiting this website.
By using any of our services, you are agreeing to the terms of this Privacy Policy, and, as applicable, our Terms and Conditions.
Personal Data You Provide
Your privacy is important to us.
By providing personal information such as your name and e-mail address via the forms on this website, via telephone or email, you agree to us contacting you with regard to the information provided.
Some forms on our website also include a check box asking you for permission to add you to our mailing list. This is an opt-in mailing list and your personal information will be used solely by us (and all such emails include a link for opt-out). This includes participants of the courses on the Thinkific Platform (online courses).
How We Use Your Personal Data
We use the data you provide to:
- Communicate with you.
- Monitor our website and its performance.
- Advise you / conduct your legal matter – if you become a client / utilise our services.
- To operate our business more effectively.
Our “Lawful Reasons” For Processing Your Personal Data
The “General Data Protection Regulation” (GDPR) is the primary piece of legislation defining your rights over our processing of your personal information. The GDPR requires us to declare which of six “lawful reasons” we are relying on when we are processing your personal data:
Performance of a contract – We would not be able to advise / represent clients effectively without processing personal data.
Legal Obligation – There are many examples as we provide legal services, one being an order for disclosure by a court / tribunal.
Legitimate Interest – This includes our business interests, such as to adhere to our contracts and run out business effectively and profitably. Also, to ensure our business is protected (such as from complaints / claims).
Consent – Although we believe consent is provided, this is not the main lawful reason we rely on.
How Long We Keep Personal Data
This can vary.
If you are a prospective client, but do not take up our services, the data will be kept for a shorter period, which may vary depending on the limitation period of your potential legal matter, for employment matters these are shorter, and data may only be kept for 12 months.
For clients, data is usually stored for at least 6 years. We ensure data is held securely, and where possible only electronically (which we regard as more secure) with any unnecessary hard copies being destroyed within 12 months of your legal matter ending.
Transfer / Sharing of Personal Data
From time to time we may pass personal data such as your name and email address to other services that we use to manage your matter / communicate with you.
However, your personal data will remain in the EU or countries considered by the EU to have equivalent policies such as Jersey, Guersey, Switzerland, New Zealand and Cananda.
Companies based in the USA that have certified with the EU-US Privacy Shield programme are also considered to be permitted destinations by the EU (this includes popular US products like Gmail, Box and MailChimp).
It may also be necessary to share your personal data, particularly if we act for you as a client. Examples being, sending your data to the other parties in litigation, the court / tribunal, contractors / sub-contractors and our regulators.
Questions or Complaints
Legal rights regarding privacy are the remit of the Information Commissioners Office (ICO) and you will find more information about how to complain here.
However, in the first instance please contact us with any questions / complaints and we shall address it.
Whilst we will take all reasonable steps to protect and secure your personal data, we cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any messages transmitted between you and us via email as these are potentially accessible by others. We will not be liable to you or anyone else for any loss relating to any email message sent by you to us or by us to you.
For this reason, we encourage clients to use a secure portal which we provide access to, which is a more secure way to communicate than email.
Your Rights
The GDPR provides 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.
Changes In Our Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time in order to reflect, for example, changes to our privacy practices or for any other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. If we make material changes to this Privacy Policy, we will give you notice of such changes by posting the revised policy on this website. By continuing to use this Website after these changes have been posted, you agree to the revised policy.
