Data and Privacy Policy - Solicitors in Leicester

This Data and Privacy Notice explains, in detail, the types of personal data we may collect about you when you interact with us. It also explains how we’ll store and handle that data and keep it safe.

We may update this Privacy Notice occasionally to reflect, for example, changes to our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Notice on this page. You are advised to review this Privacy Notice periodically for any changes.

We know there’s a lot of information here, but we want you to be fully informed about your rights and how K4 Law uses your data. We hope the following sections will answer your questions, but if not, please contact us.

Conditions for Processing Data

We are only entitled to hold and process your data where the law allows us to. The current data protection law sets out several reasons for which a law firm may collect and process your personal data. These include:

Contractual Obligations

The main purpose for holding your data is to provide you with legal services under the agreement we have with you. This agreement is a contract between us, and the law allows us to process your data for the purposes of performing a contract (or for the steps necessary to enter into a contract).

Legitimate Interests

In specific situations, we require your data to pursue our legitimate interests in a way that might reasonably be expected as part of running our business and does not materially impact your rights, freedom, or interests. This may include satisfying our external quality auditors or our Regulators.

Legal Compliance

If the law requires us to do so, we may need to collect and process your data. For example, we can pass on details of people involved in fraud or other criminal activity.

Consent

In some situations, we can collect and process your data with your consent. For example, when you tick a box to receive email newsletters. When collecting your personal data, we’ll always make clear to you which data is necessary in connection with a particular service.

When Do We Collect Your Data?

We usually collect your data when you provide it to us or when it is provided to us by others (your opponent’s solicitors, for example) during your case. You may give us your data by email, online web form, telephone, face-to-face, or post.

What Sort of Data Do We Collect?

Information you provide to us

You voluntarily give us your personal information, for instance, when you contact us via our website, provide a comment on our website, write a review, sign up to any newsletters, interact with us on social media platforms, and/or use our services.

Where we request information from you, we will collect the information set out on the relevant web pages or as explained to you over the telephone, face to face, or otherwise in writing.

Client services information

We collect your name and contact details. This may include requesting and keeping a copy of your passport/driving licence and proof of address. We may gather details of your age, ethnicity, gender, etc. We also collect and hold information about your case or legal problem.

How Do We Use Your Data?

We only use your data for the purposes of providing you with legal advice, assistance and, where appropriate, representation and for reasons directly associated with those services (i.e. providing information to barristers, courts etc. In particular:

to deliver our services
to manage our relationship and communicate with you
to provide you with advice or guidance about our services
to make and manage payments
to respond to complaints and seek to resolve them
to train our staff and measure the quality of the service we give to clients

We may use your data to notify you of our other services, but only when we have your consent to do so.

Regulatory

We also use data to communicate with our regulators or legislators and to obey laws, regulations, and codes of conduct that apply to us, as well as website enhancement and business development.

We also use data to develop our business and services. In particular:
to respond to individual experiences shared with us and for editorial content
to enhance your online experience
to conduct research and surveys
to develop and manage our services, including marketing of new or enhanced services
to research your views and experiences for research and editorial purposes, including through requests for feedback on our services
to understand your website journey, including what pages you have viewed and for how long
to administer and keep our website safe and secure for internal operations, including data analysis, testing, and statistical purposes.

See our separate Cookie Policy here.

How Do We Protect Your Data?

The data you give us may be subject to Legal Professional Privilege and is often extremely sensitive and confidential.

We will treat your data with the utmost care and take all appropriate steps to protect it.

Access to your personal data is password-protected, and sensitive data is secured by encryption.

How Long Will We Keep Your Data?

After the completion of your transaction(s), we will store your data in hard copy (paper), soft copy (electronic form) or a hybrid of the two (at K4 Law’s discretion) unless you specifically ask for your data to be destroyed, which you can request at any time.

Data held will be for a minimum of 6 years after your case or matter ends in accordance with SRA regulations.

Original and certified copies of Wills, Probate information, Property Deeds, and documents may be kept indefinitely or returned to you at your discretion or at your request.

Who Do We Share Your Personal Data With?

We sometimes share your personal data with trusted third parties. We only do this where it is necessary to provide you with legal services or to operate our legal practice effectively.

For example, we may share your data with barristers, experts, translators, costs draftsmen, process servers, secure file storage and destruction companies, auditors, and the company that securely hosts our off-site cloud storage servers. We provide only the information they need to perform their specific services.

They may only use your data for the exact purposes we specify in our contract with them.

We work closely with them to ensure that your privacy is respected and protected at all times.

Where Is Your Data Processed?

Your matter or transaction data is stored and processed within the United Kingdom (UK).

What Are Your Rights?

You have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, which includes the right to be informed of what information we hold about you. In particular, you have the right to request:

access to the personal data we hold about you – commonly referred to as a ‘data subject access request’, this is free of charge in most cases
the correction of your personal data when incorrect, out of date or incomplete
that we stop or restrict any consent-based processing of your personal data after you have withdrawn consent or object and we have no legitimate overriding interest, or once the purpose for which we hold the data has come to an end
the deletion of all your personal information in certain circumstances, for instance, if the information is no longer necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.

You also have the right to request a copy of any information about you that we hold at any time.

If we choose not to act on your request, we will explain the reasons for our refusal.

For further details on your rights, please visit the Information Commissioner’s Office at https://ico.org.uk/your-data-matters/.

Your right to withdraw consent

Whenever you have given us your consent to use your personal data, you have the right to change your mind at any time and withdraw that consent.

Where we rely on our legitimate interest

In cases where we are processing your personal data based on our legitimate interest, you can ask us to stop for reasons connected to your individual situation. We must then do so unless we believe we have a legitimate overriding reason to continue processing your personal data.

Contact details

For information on how your information is used, how we maintain the security of our information, and to exercise your rights to access information we hold on you, please contact us. Similarly, if you believe that our information is wrong or outdated, please let us know, and we will update it.

Your right to withdraw consent

Whenever you have given us your consent to use your personal data, you have the right to change your mind at any time and withdraw that consent.

Where we rely on our legitimate interest

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information you provide whilst visiting such sites, and this policy does not govern such sites. You should exercise caution and examine the privacy statement or policy applicable to the website.

The Regulator

If you feel that your data has not been handled correctly, or you are unhappy with our response to any requests you have made to us regarding the use of your personal data, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office. You can contact them by calling 0303 123 1113.

Alternatively, you can make a complaint with us by following K4 Law’s complaints process.

Or go online to www.ico.org.uk/concerns.