Privacy Policy

WEBSITE NOTICE

Sharing your personal information

Pond Marsh take your privacy seriously.  We do not use an online enquiry form and do not gather information about you in this way.  We do not sell, trade or rent personal information to others.

Security

We recognise that your personal information is valuable and we take all reasonable steps to protect information whilst it is in our care.

We have very high standards of security to protect personal information from lost, misuse, alteration or destruction.

Marketing

We do not engage in direct marketing and will not contact clients or third parties offering them other services.

If you have any questions about our privacy policy (detailed below), please contact Mr Howard Marsh on howard.marsh@pondmarsh.co.uk or call 01253 620466.

 

PRIVACY POLICY

 

Privacy Policy

Pond Marsh are a firm of solicitors providing legal services as detailed on our website.

We are a data controller.  This means we decide how your personal data is processed and for what purposes.

We have created this privacy policy because we take your privacy very seriously.  We always treat any personal details you give us as confidential.  This policy sets out who we are, what information we collect from you, how we use it and your data rights.

 

Introduction

We are committed to being transparent about how we handle your personal information, to protecting the privacy and security of your personal information and to meet our data protection obligations.  If you wish to discuss our privacy policy further, please contact Mr Marsh (e-mail: howard.marsh@pondmarsh.co.uk or telephone: (01253) 620466).

 

Data Protection Principles

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) there are six data protection principles that we must comply with.  These provide that the personal information we hold about you must be: –

  1. Processed lawfully, fairly and in a transparent manner.
  2. Collected only for legitimate purposes and not further processed in a way that is incompatible with those purposes.
  3. Adequate, relevant and limited to what is necessary in relation to those purposes.
  4. Accurate and, where necessary, kept up to date.
  5. Kept in a form which permits your identification for no longer than is necessary for those purposes.
  6. Processed in a way that ensures appropriate security of the data.

 

We are responsible for, and must be able to demonstrate, compliance with these principles.  This is called accountability.

 

What is personal data

Personal data relates to any living individual who can be identified from that data.  Identification can be by the information alone or in conjunction with any other information in the data controller’s possession or likely to come into such possession.  Personal data can be anything from a name, date of birth, address (including an internet protocol address), National Insurance number, sex, medical records and information retained by us on a file.

 

Our basis for processing your personal data

Our legal basis for collecting and storing your personal data is to provide legal advice and our right to retain that data is on the grounds of legitimate interest which is to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights in the event of any claim arising in relation to the legal advice provided.

 

How do we store your data

We store your data in files containing letters, documents, emails and ledgers.  We also store data electronically.  Paper based data is in our office and all data is stored within the European Economic Area (EEA).

 

How do we protect your data

All data is stored securely and also destroyed securely. We protect personal data from loss, misuse and unauthorised use.  We recognise that your personal data is valuable and we take all reasonable steps to protect it whilst it is in our care.

 

Destruction of data

Paper waste is destroyed on site or by a third party confidential waste company.

 

Enquiries

If you make enquiries about using our services, your personal data will only be used to give an answer to your enquiry.  The personal data that we will collect will be limited to that to enable us to answer your enquiry.

We do not share your personal data with any third party except where necessary, to answer to a query raised by you.  If we need to communicate with a third party to deal with your enquiry, we will request your consent to do so.

 

Clients

We will process your personal data for the purpose of your case for so long as we are instructed by you in relation to the matter.  The legal work undertaken by us, will be as detailed on our terms of business letter and other legal notices which details our obligations of confidentiality, your data protection rights and our need to share information with third parties as appropriate in representing your interests.

 

Communicating with third parties for clients

From time to time, we may need to share your personal data with a third party to ensure that your legal interests are appropriately represented.  You will be informed at the time when this is happening but examples of this relate to instructing barristers, cost draftsman, experts and submitting and defending claims through the court.  The third parties with whom we have dealings will be required to provide satisfactory evidence that they will ensure that your personal data is kept secure.

 

Personal data retention policy

We reserve the right to retain files and data where we have acted for you for the necessary establishment, exercise or defence of any possible legal claim against the firm.  Files will be retained for a minimum period of six years but in other cases, for example wills, may be longer.

 

What are your rights?

Under GDPR, you are entitled to access your personal data.  If you wish to make a request to access such data, please do so in writing to our Mr Marsh at howard.marsh@pondmarsh.co.uk or Pond Marsh Solicitors, 249 & 253 Church Street, Blackpool, FY1 3PB, telephone number: (01253) 620466 or contact the person dealing with your matter.

 

A request for access to your personal data means you are entitled to a copy of the data we hold on you, including your name, address, contact details, date of birth, information regarding your case but it does not mean that you are entitled to the documents that contain this data.

 

Under certain circumstances, in addition to the entitlement to access your data, you have the following rights: –

 

  1. The right to be informed: which is fulfilled by way of this privacy notice and our transparent explanation as to how we use your personal data.
  2. The right to rectification: you are entitled to have personal data rectified if it is inaccurate or incomplete;
  3. The right to erasure/right to be forgotten: you have the right to request the deletion or removal of your personal data where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing. This right only applies in the following specific circumstances:
  • Where personal data is no longer necessary in regards to the purpose for which it was originally collected;
  • Where consent is relied upon as the lawful basis for holding your data and you withdraw your consent;
  • Where you object to the processing and there is no overriding legitimate interest for continuing the processing;
  • The personal data was unlawfully processed;
  • Where you object to the processing for direct marketing purposes.

 

  1. The right to object: you have the right to object based on legitimate interests and direct marketing. This right only applies in the following circumstances:
  • An objection to stop processing personal data for direct marketing purposes is absolute;
  • You must have an objection on grounds relating to your particular situation;
  • We must stop processing your personal data unless:
    • We can demonstrate compelling legitimate interest for the processing which override your interest, rights and freedoms;
    • The processing is for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

 

  1. The right to restrict processing: you have the right to request the restriction or suppression of your data. When processing is restricted, we can store the data but not use it.  This right only applies in the following circumstances.
  • Where you contest the accuracy of the personal data – we should restrict the processing until we have verified the accuracy of that data;
  • Where you object to the processing (where it was necessary for the performance of a public interest of purpose of legitimate interests), and we consider whether our organisations legitimate grounds override your right;
  • Where processing is unlawful and you request restriction;
  • If we no longer need the personal data but you require the data to establish, exercise or defend a legal claim.

 

 

Complaints about the use of personal data

If you wish to raise a complaint about how we have handled your personal data, you can contact our Mr Howard Marsh at howard.marsh@pondmarsh.co.uk or Pond Marsh Solicitors, 249 & 253 Church Street, Blackpool, FY1 3PB, telephone number: (01253) 620466.

If you are not satisfied with our response or believe that we are not processing your personal data in accordance with the law, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AD, telephone number: (0303) 123 1113.  Information is available on their website (www.ico.org.uk) with regard to complaints.

 

Marketing

We do not engage in direct marketing and will not contact clients offering them other services.  We do not sell, trade or rent personal information to others.

 

Changes to privacy information policy

Internet and data privacy practice is continually developing.  We therefore reserve the right to revise our policy at any time and we will post updated versions of our policy.

 

You consent to the collection and use of any personal information in the matter as set out above.