Privacy Notice
Effective 25 May 2018
We respect your trust in us to use, store and share your information. In this notice, we explain how we collect personal information about you, how we use it and how you can interact with us about it. We will try to keep this notice as simple as possible.
1. Who we are
In this notice, ‘we’, ‘us’ and ‘our’ refers to Kearney Sefton/Franklin Solicitors.
2. Data Protection Office
Our Data Protection Officer oversees how we collect, use, share and protect your information to ensure your rights are fulfilled. You can contact our Data Protection Officer by writing to the Data Protection Officer at Kearney Sefton/Franklin Solicitors, Franklin House, 12 Brunswick Street, Belfast, BT2 7GE.
Our approach to Data Protection is built around four key principles. They are at the heart of everything we do relating to personal data.
Transparency: we take a human approach to how we process personal data by being open, honest and transparent.
Enablement: we enable connections and efficient use of personal data to empower productivity and growth.
Security: we use the most secure of methods to look after the personal data you have entrusted to us.
Responsibility: we accept the responsibility that comes with processing personal data.
3. How we collect information about you
We collect personal information from you, for example when you ask us for a quote for services, instruct us in relation to a specific matter or request advice.
When you instruct us to act on your behalf, and during the time we act for you, we may carry out information searches and verify your identity, we do this by sending and receiving information about you to and from third parties. We use this information to supplement the personal data we already hold about you in order to better inform, personalise and improve our service, and to validate the personal data you provide. We and these agencies may keep records of our searches whether or not the service goes ahead. All of the agencies we use must keep your information secure as well. We retain the right to audit these agencies on their implementation of securing your data.
4. How we keep your information safe
We are committed to protecting your information with security measures and have appropriate technical and organisational measures in place to make sure that happens. We keep our computers, files and buildings secure.
5. How long we keep your information
To meet our legal and regulatory obligations, we hold your information while you are a client and for a period of time after that. We do not hold it for longer than necessary.
6. Meeting our legal and regulatory obligations
To use your information lawfully, we rely on one or more of the following legal bases:
: performance of a contract;
: legal obligation;
: protecting the vital interest of you or others;
: Public interest;
: legitimate interest; and
: your consent.
To meet our regulatory and legal obligations, we collect some of your personal information, verify it, keep it up to date through regular checks, and delete it once we no longer have to keep it. We may also gather information about you from third parties to help us meet our obligations. If you do not provide the information we need, or help us keep it up to date, we may not be able to provide you with our services.
7. Consent
Sometimes we need your consent to use your personal information. With direct marketing for example, we need your consent to make you aware of services which may be of interest to you. We may do this by phone, post, email, text or through other digital media.
You can decide how much direct marketing you want to accept when you apply for new services. If we ever contact you to get your feedback on ways to improve our services, you have the choice to opt out.
When we use sensitive personal information about you, such as medical data, we ask for your consent. Before you give your consent, we tell you what information we collect and what we use it for. You can remove your consent at any time by contacting us.
8. How we use your information
We use information about you to:
: communicate with you
: provide relevant services;
: identify ways we can improve our services;
: maintain and monitor our services;
: protect both our interests from fraudulent or malicious activity;
: meet our legal and regulatory obligations; and
: decide and recommend how our services might be suitable for you.
To provide our services under the terms and conditions we agree between us, we need to collect and use personal information about you. If you do not provide this personal information, we may not be able to provide you with our services.
We analyse the information that we collect on you and how we interact with you and our position in the market place. Examples of how we use this information includes helping protect you and others from financial crime, offer you services and personalising your experience.
9. Your information and third parties
Sometimes we need to share your information with third parties but we will only disclose your personal information in certain circumstances.
For example:
- To courts, Government Agencies or other third parties pursuant to Clause 6 above;
- To analyse information;
- To research your experiences dealing with us;
- To trace information;
- To protect both our interests; and
- To other people where you have furnished your consent.
The personal information we have collected from you may be shared with fraud prevention agencies who will use it to prevent fraud and money-laundering and to verify your identity. If fraud is detected, you could be refused certain services.
We expect these third parties to have the same level of information protection that we have.
We also have to share information with third parties to meet any applicable law or regulation or lawful request. When we believe we have been given false or misleading information, or we suspect criminal activity we must record this and tell law enforcement agencies, which may be either in or outside the UK.
10. Your personal information rights
We can help you with:
Accessing your personal information: You can ask us for a copy of the personal information we hold. You can ask us about how we collect, share and use your personal information.
Updating and correcting your personal details.
Removing consent: You can change your mind wherever you give us your consent, such as for direct marketing, or using your sensitive information, such as medical data.
Restricting and objecting: You may have the right to restrict or object to us using your personal information.
Deleting your information (your right to be forgotten): You may ask us to delete your personal information.
Moving your information (your right to Portability): Where possible we can share a digital copy of your information directly with you or another organisation.
When you contact us to ask about your information, we may ask you to identify yourself. This is to help protect your information.
We will not charge you when you contact us to ask about your information.
11. Making a complaint
If you have a complaint about the use of your personal information, please let a member of staff know, giving them the opportunity to put things right as quickly as possible. If you wish to make a complaint you may do so in person, by telephone, in writing and by email. Please be assured that all complaints received will be fully investigated. You can register a complaint through our Website, by phone, by email or in person at our offices. We ask that you supply as much information as possible to help our staff resolve your complaint quickly.
You can also contact the Information Commissioner’s Office at www.ico.org.uk
12. Updates to this notice
We will make changes to this notice from time to time, particularly when we change how we use your information and change our technology.
You can always find an up-to-date version of this notice on our website at www.kearneysefton.co.uk