Privacy Policy
We take your privacy very seriously. It is therefore important that you read this Privacy Notice carefully as it contains important information on who we are and how and why we collect, store, use and share your personal data. It also explains your rights in relation to your personal data and how to contact us or the supervisory authorities in the event that you have a complaint.
When we use your personal data we are regulated under current data protection regulation. As the responsible controller, our use of your personal data is subject to your instructions, the current data protection regulation and our professional duty of confidentiality.
Data controller
Williamsons Solicitors Limited is the data controller in respect of all the personal data collected on or in relation to this website.
Our data protection registration number is Z2486456
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our treatment of your personal information, please write to us:
Email: neil.waterhouse@williamsons.co.uk
Post: Mr Neil Waterhouse, Operations Director, Williamsons Solicitors Limited, 45 Lowgate, Hull HU1 1EN
PERSONAL DATA
Information we collect
a) We may collect, store and use the following kinds of personal information:
b) Your name, address, telephone number, email address and mobile phone number
c) Information to enable us to check and verify your identity, e.g. your date of birth or passport details for the purposes of the current anti-money laundering and other
d) Information relating to the matter in which you are seeking our advice or representation
e) Your financial details so far as relevant to your instructions, e.g. the source of your funds if you are instructing on a purchase transaction
f) information about your computer and about your visits to and use of this website (including your IP address, geographical location, browser type and version, operating system type and version, referral source, length of visit, page views, website navigation paths and service usage).
g) information relating to any transactions carried out between you and us on or in relation to this website, including information relating to any purchases you make of our services.
h) information that you provide to us for the purpose of contacting us.
i) information that you send to us in order to obtain a quotation for services.
j) information that you provide to us for the purpose of subscribing to our website email notifications and/or newsletter.
k) information that you provide to us for the purpose of using our web-based and other services.
l) any other information that you choose to send to us.
How we use your personal information
Personal information submitted to us via this website will be used for the purposes specified in this privacy policy or in relevant parts of the website.
We may use your personal information to:
a) enable your use of the services available on the website.
b) supply you with services.
c) send statements and invoices to you, and collect payments from you.
d) send you general (non-marketing) commercial communications.
e) send you email notifications which you have requested.
Information disclosures
We may disclose information about you to any of our employees, officers, agents, external experts, suppliers or subcontractors insofar as reasonably necessary for the purposes as set out in this privacy policy, provided that you have given your consent for us to do so.
In addition, we may disclose your personal information:
a) to the extent that we are required to do so by law.
b) in connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings.
c) in order to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights (including providing information to others for the purposes of fraud prevention and reducing credit risk).
d) to the purchaser (or prospective purchaser) of any business or asset that we are (or are contemplating) selling.
e) to any person who we reasonably believe may apply to a court or other competent authority for disclosure of that personal information where, in our reasonable opinion, such court or authority would be reasonably likely to order disclosure of that personal information.
f) We may also disclose and exchange information with law enforcement agencies and regulatory bodies to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations.
We only allow our service providers to handle your personal data if we are satisfied that they take appropriate measures to protect your personal data.
International data transfers
Information that we collect may be stored and processed in and transferred between any of the countries in which we operate in order to enable us to use the information in accordance with this privacy policy.
Information which you provide may be transferred to countries which do not have data protection laws equivalent to those in force in the European Economic Area.
Where we are regulated by rules set by the Law Society, Solicitors Regulation Authority or any other governing body we will store your data in compliance of those rules.
You expressly agree to such transfers of personal information.
Security of your personal information
We will take reasonable technical and organisational precautions to prevent the loss, misuse or alteration of your personal information.
We follow security guidelines set by the government standard Cyber Essentials scheme to ensure we take accepted measures to protect your personal information.
We will store all the personal information you provide on our secure (password- and firewall- protected) servers.
Data transmission over the internet is inherently insecure, and we cannot guarantee the security of data sent over the internet.
You are responsible for keeping any password and user details confidential. We will not ask you for a password.
How long will your personal data be kept by us
We will keep your personal data after your matter has been concluded. We will do so for one of the following purposes:
a) to respond to any questions, complaints or claims made by you or on your behalf;
b) to show that we treated you fairly;
c) to enable us to carry out conflicts of interests checks
d) to keep records required by law, including compliance with the anti-money laundering legislation.
We will not retain your data for longer than necessary for the purposes set out in this Notice. Different retention periods will apply for different types of personal data due to the legal and statutory duties under which we are obliged to operate.
The current periods we will hold your personal data for are as follows: –
Conveyancing ( Acting for Purchaser) – 13 Years
Conveyancing (Acting for the Vendor on sale of the whole title) – 7 Years
Conveyancing (Acting for the Vendor who retains part of the Title) – 13 Years
Company Formation or Similar Matters – 13 Years
Common law – 7 Years
Probate and Administration where the whole estate is wound up and distributed – 13 Years
Matrimonial matters where no continuing obligations exists or from determination of such obligations – 7 Years
Financial Services Act Record – 3 years – Subject to the provisions of the Financial Services Act 1986
Other Matters (At Discretion) – 7 Years
All incoming calls to Williamsons are logged; date, time name of caller, telephone number & whom the caller spoke to. – 1 Year
Computer held data
In relation to computer held data we will hold that data as a minimum for the same retention period as for paper files however at a client’s request after those dates have passed we will anonymise all data held so that access to their personal data is not possible.”
Policy amendments
We may update this privacy policy from time-to-time by posting a new version on our website. You should check this page occasionally to ensure you are happy with any changes.
Your rights
Right of Access
You may instruct us to provide you with any personal information we hold about you. Provision of such information will be subject to:
(a) the supply of appropriate evidence of your identity (for this purpose, we will usually accept a passport (or photocopy of your passport certified by a solicitor) or bank statement plus an original copy of a utility bill showing your current address).
The company may refuse a subject access request or raise a fee for processing the request if the request is manifestly unfounded or excessive.
We may withhold such personal information to the extent permitted by law.
Right to Rectification
Where you identify that incorrect information is held you may instruct us to amend that information.
Right to Erasure
Individuals have a right to have personal data erased and to prevent processing in specific circumstances:
a)Where the personal data is no longer necessary in relation to the purpose for which it was originally collected/processed.
b) When the individual withdraws consent.
c) When the individual objects to the processing and there is no overriding legitimate interest for continuing the processing.
d) The personal data was unlawfully processed (i.e. otherwise in breach of the GDPR).
e) The personal data has to be erased in order to comply with a legal obligation.
There are specific circumstances where the company can refuse to erase personal data;
a) to exercise the right of freedom of expression and information;
b) to comply with a legal obligation or for the performance of a public interest task or exercise of official authority;
c) for public health purposes in the public interest;
d) archiving purposes in the public interest, scientific research historical research or statistical purposes; or
e) the exercise or defence of legal claims.
Generally Williamsons Solicitors Limited will not process a request to erase information where there is an ongoing legal obligation on the company to retain the information, for example for taxation and social security purposes. Please see our Data Retention Policy for specific periods times that we are oblige to keep your personal data.
Right to Data Portability
The right to data portability allows individuals to obtain and reuse their personal data for their own purposes across different services. It allows them to move, copy or transfer personal data easily from one IT environment to another in a safe and secure way, without hindrance to usability.
The right to data portability only applies:
a) to personal data an individual has provided to a controller;
b) where the processing is based on the individual’s consent or for the performance of a contract;
c) when processing is carried out by automated means.
Right to Object
Individuals have the right to object to:
a) processing based on legitimate interests or the performance of a task in the public interest/exercise of official authority (including profiling);
b) direct marketing (including profiling);
c) processing for purposes of scientific/historical research and statistics.
Objections to processing, other than for marketing purposes for non-Williamsons Solicitors Limited staff must be made in writing to the Controller and must outline the grounds for objection.
You may instruct us not to process your personal information for marketing purposes by sending an email to us. In practice, we will provide you with continuing opportunities to opt-out of the use of your personal information for marketing purposes throughout our contact with you.
Right to Restrict Processing
In certain circumstances an individual may request that processing of their personal data is restricted. This means that the information can be stored, but not used, except in restricted circumstances.
This right may be exercised in the following circumstances;
a) Where an individual contests the accuracy of the personal data, the company shall restrict the processing until the accuracy of the personal data has been verified.
b) Where an individual has objected to the processing (where it was necessary for the performance of a public interest task or purpose of legitimate interests), and the company are considering whether its legitimate grounds override those of the individual.
c) When processing is unlawful and the individual opposes erasure and requests restriction instead.
d) If the company no longer needs the personal data but the individual requires the data to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim.
Rights related to automated decision making
Williamsons Solicitors Limited does not use any automated decision making and profiling systems.
Right to make a complaint to the Information Commissioner
Individuals have the right to raise a complaint about any aspect of the way Williamsons Solicitors Limited collects, processes, stores or deals with personal data, including complaints.
Contact the Information Commissioner (ICO) on 0303 123 1113 for further information on how to make a complaint.
Website Specific
Third party websites
Where the website contains links to third party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of those third party websites.
Cookies
Our website uses cookies. Where you consent to accepting cookies, you agree to our use of cookies in accordance with the terms of this policy.
Cookies consist of small files, often including unique identifiers, that are sent by web servers to web browsers, and which may then be sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.
Cookies can be used by web servers to identity and track users as they navigate different pages on a website and to identify users returning to a website.
Cookies may be either “persistent” cookies or “session” cookies. A persistent cookie consists of a text file sent by a web server to a web browser, which will be stored by the browser and will remain valid until its set expiry date (unless deleted by the user before the expiry date). A session cookie, on the other hand, will expire at the end of the user session, when the web browser is closed.
We use both session cookies and persistent cookies on this website.
How we use cookies
Cookies do not contain any information that personally identifies you, but personal information that we store about you may be linked, by us, to the information stored in and obtained from cookies.
We may use the information we obtain from your use of our cookies for the following purposes:
a) to recognise your computer when you visit our website.
b) to track you as you navigate our website, and to enable the use of the some of the features on our website.
c) to improve the website’s usability.
d) to analyse the use of our website.
e) in the administration of this website.
f) to personalise our website for you, including targeting advertisements which may be of particular interest to you.
Third party cookies
When you use our website, you may also be sent third party cookies.
We use Analytics tools to analyse the use of this website. Analytics tools generate statistical and other information about website use by means of cookies, which are stored on users’ computers. The information generated relating to our website is used to create reports about the use of the website.
Blocking cookies
Most browsers allow you to refuse to accept cookies. For example:
a) in Internet Explorer you can refuse all cookies by clicking “Tools”, “Internet Options”, “Privacy”, and selecting “Block all cookies” using the sliding selector;
b) in Firefox you can block all cookies by clicking “Tools”, “Options”, and un-checking “Accept cookies from sites” in the “Privacy” box.
Blocking all cookies will, however, have a negative impact upon the usability of many websites. If you block cookies, you may not be able to use some of the features of this website.
Deleting cookies
You can also delete cookies already stored on your computer. The method of doing so will depend upon your web browser. Instructions are available at the following URLs.
Internet Explorer: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/278835);
Firefox: http://support.mozilla.com/en-US/kb/Deleting%20cookies
Chrome: http://support.google.com/chrome/bin/answer.py?hl=en-GB&answer=95647
Opera: http://www.opera.com/help/tutorials/security/privacy/
Safari (v3): https://support.apple.com/kb/ph21411?locale=en_GB