We take privacy and confidentiality seriously.
We are bound as lawyers by the NSW Professional Conduct and Practice Rules 2013 (Solicitor’s Rules) and in particular, Rule 9 that deals with Confidentiality. Extracted below is a copy of that Rule. We will be bound and will comply with those rules and any legislation including principles that may be derived from the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and in accepted good practice.
The type of Information we will collect
The type of information we will collect will include personal information regarding a client or potential client as well as suppliers of services to us, consultants we may retain, employees or even applicants for employment.
The information we collect is necessary for us to be able to conduct your matter.
We may inevitably collect your personal information about you, which in some cases may include sensitive information about your association with a trade organisation (example – a trade union), your ethnic origin, political or religious views, criminal records or health information depending upon the nature of the matter to which we are required to advise and/or act. This sort of information is necessary in determining whether we act for you, the legal service and advice we provide, the proper management of our business and in marketing our legal services.
When obtaining the information we will use all reasonable measures to securely store your personal information whether in our computer system or paper copies as we require or deem necessary.
Once your matter is completed, we are required by law to keep your file for a period of 7 years from the date of closure of the file unless we are advised otherwise. In some cases we will retain documents such as a Will until such time as that will comes into effect or is changed by a client, in which case we will retain the new Will.
The way we obtain information
We will obtain information from you in different ways, whether by telephone, face to face, email or by other contact sheets.
In providing the legal services to you, we will inevitably have to provide information we have collected to outside professionals for example, doctors, accountants, financial advisors, other legal advisors and other parties to your matter in the proper conduct of your matter.
Compulsory Disclosure of Information
There will be times where we will be required by law to disclose information, for example, through a court order or to comply with Australian law, including registration of securities. There are other times we may be required to disclose information again by law, to Centrelink, the Australian Taxation Office or other bodies in respect of anti-laundering or anti-terrorism.
Times we may use your information
We advise that some of the information obtained, both in the initial enquiry and during the course of the matter, may from time to time be used to provide you with other information about the legal services we offer. You are entitled and may at any time during the course of your matter or thereafter decide not to receive any marketing, newsletters or other information we may provide by simply opting out from any email or other correspondence you may be receiving.
Concerns about our policy
If you have any concerns or queries about our policy we will look into the matter promptly. Please direct any queries you may have to your lawyer handling the matter so those concerns can be dealt with.