PRIVACY POLICY
Keats Family Law takes privacy seriously and we are committed to protecting it. We therefore respect your privacy and will look after your personal data.
This Policy sets out when and why we collect personal information about you, how this information is used, when it may be disclosed to others and how it is kept secure.
Please note that if you instruct us, we may enter into a separate agreement that will govern the processing of all information and data collected by us in connection with the service, including data collected through our website. Such agreement will take precedence over any conflicting provision in this Privacy Policy.
Who are we?
Keats Family Law Ltd (trading as Keats Family Law) is the ‘Data Controller’ under the General Data Protection Regulation (the GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
How do we collect your information?
Directly- When you give us your identity and contact details by contacting us, filling in forms or by corresponding with us by post, phone, email or otherwise. This includes when you make an enquiry about our services; when you instruct us or when you provide us with feedback.
Through automated technologies or interactions- When you use our website, we may automatically collect technical data about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns. We collect this data using cookies and other similar technologies including through Google Analytics. We do not collect personally identifiable information from our website unless you choose to fill out a form or you email us directly.
Our use of Google Analytics requires us to pass your IP address only to Google to enable them to prepare site usage reports for us.
Our website may contain links to and from other websites run by third parties which may also use cookies to which we have no control. This Policy applies only to our website. We recommend you read the privacy notices on the other websites you visit. Please note we cannot be responsible for the privacy policies and practices of other sites even if you access them using links from our website.
You can enable or disable cookies by modifying the settings in your browser. You can find out how to do this at: www.allaboutcookies.org. Please note that deleting or blocking cookies on a website may mean the website is not fully accessible or that it may not function properly.
What information do we collect?
We will only collect information from you that is relevant to the matter we are dealing with, in particular we may collect information from you which is defined as ‘personal data’.
Personal data means any information relating to an identified or identifiable person. It can include obvious data like your name, title, or prefix but also identification numbers, online identifiers and/or one or more factors specific to the physical, physiological, genetic, mental, economic, cultural, or social identity of that person.
We may also collect information from you which is defined as ‘special category data’. Special category data includes data revealing race or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs or other beliefs of a similar nature beliefs or trade union membership and genetic data, biometric data, data concerning physical or mental health, data concerning criminal convictions or data concerning a person’s sex life or sexual orientation.
We may therefore collect personal data from you including but not limited to your name, address, telephone number, date of birth, email address, identification documents, National Insurance number, children’s details if applicable, your relationship to a person, geographical or location details, bank account details, employment details, educational qualifications, or any information you provide concerning your health where relevant and/or any special category data you provide.
By providing personal information to us via the forms on this website, via our social media sites or by email, in writing, on the phone or in person you agree to us contacting you with regard to the information provided. We may therefore obtain personal data from you on a contractual basis when you provide such to us.
How do we use your information?
We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. The most common purposes used are as follows:
- It is necessary where we are providing legal services to you and for the performance of the contract we are about to enter or have entered with you.
- It is necessary for us to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.
It is in our legitimate interests to do so. For example, to assist us with operating our business more effectively, this includes that we undertake business research and analysis, manage, and monitor the use of our website and/or we may monitor or record calls for quality or training purposes. - Where you have given your consent. This can be withdrawn at any time by giving notice to our Data Protection Officer, Gemma Keats.
Generally, we do not rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data. In the limited circumstances where we may rely on consent, we will specifically obtain this at the time we collect the data.
What is our legal basis for processing your information?
We primarily process data to fulfil contractual obligations in the supply of legal services including advising and acting on behalf of clients or relating to our other contractual functions, powers and duties.
Who will we share your information with?
Under our Code of Conduct there are very strict rules about who we can share your information with, this will normally be limited to other people who will assist with your matter. This may include barristers, pension advisors, mortgage brokers, estate agents, private detectives or process servers, medical and other experts, counsellors, mediators, and the Court.
We may also share your personal information with third parties but only to the extent necessary to run our business, provide a service to you, comply with the law, enforce our legal rights or because you have provided consent. This may include:
- Third party agents/suppliers or contractors, in connection with the processing of your personal information for the purposes described in this Policy. This may include, but is not limited to, website hosting, IT, and communications service providers.
- Third parties relevant to the services that we provide.
- To the extent required by law, regulation, or Court Order, for example, if we are under a duty to disclose your personal information in order to comply with any legal obligation.
- Where it is reasonably necessary for the establishment, exercise, or defence of a legal or equitable claim, or for the purposes of a confidential alternative dispute resolution process.
Covid-19 Contact Tracing (NHS Test and Trace) Service in England
As you will be aware, the Government’s advice is that participation in the Covid-19 contact tracing programme is an important part of its measures to curb the spread of Covid-19 in the UK.
A situation may therefore arise, for the purpose of contact tracing, where we may be asked to provide the NHS Test and Trace service with your name, telephone numbers, date of visit, arrival time and where possible departure time and details of any relevant contact between you and any member of our staff, or visitors to our premises.
We will collect and process this data using legitimate interest as our lawful basis for processing the above data. In this case, the collection of client data is for a contact tracing scheme (namely NHS Test and Trace in England). For the purposes of the NHS Test and Trace in England Scheme, we are required to hold the above personal data for 21 days. However, records which are made and kept also for other business purposes will not be disposed after the 21-day period and will be kept in accordance with our usual retention policies as detailed below.
We will not otherwise pass on your personal data to third parties without first obtaining your consent except where it is required to be disclosed by law.
Where we share information, we take reasonable steps to keep it secure, use it fairly and ensure that data protection safeguards are in place.
Do we transfer your information outside of Europe?
We may from time to time transfer your personal information to a country outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). Normally this will be necessary for the performance of your contract with us or for the exercise or defence of legal claims on your behalf.
If we do transfer your personal data outside the EEA it will be because you have consented or because we have a legal reason to do so. In doing so, we will take steps to ensure that appropriate security measures are taken with the aim of ensuring that your privacy rights continue to be protected as outlined in this Policy.
How long do we keep your information for?
We will only keep your personal data for as long as we need it to complete the purpose for which we collected it in the first place. Where information is obtained for provision of legal services, this will be retained throughout the period of instruction and after for a period of 7 years from the date of formal closure as required by law and by the regulations that apply to us.
What are your rights in respect of the personal data we process?
The GPDR provides for the following rights in relation to your personal data:
- Right to be informed.
- Right of access.
- Right to rectification.
- Right to erasure.
- Right to restriction of processing.
- Right to data portability.
- Right to object.
- Rights concerning automated decision making and profiling (we do not, however, use this).
What happens if we change this policy?
This Privacy Policy may change from time to time in line with legislation or industry developments. We will not explicitly inform our clients or website users of these changes. Instead, we recommend that you check this page occasionally for any policy changes.
What should you do if you have any questions or wish to exercise your rights?
If you have any questions about this Policy or have a wish to exercise any of the above rights please contact our Data Protection Officer, Gemma Keats by email to gemma@keatsfamilylaw.co.uk.
What should you do if you have any concerns of a complaint?
If you have any concerns about this Policy or have a complaint about how we are using your data, please contact our Data Protection Officer, Gemma Keats as above so that we may investigate your complaint.
If your complaint remains unresolved you also have the right to contact the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). Details can be found at www.ico.org.uk/concerns/ or via their helpline 0303 123 1113 during their normal opening hours of Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.
By using this website, you agree that you have read the above and you agree to the contents contained within this Privacy Policy.
Last reviewed 27 March 2024