Privacy Policy

This privacy policy details the basis of which any personal data we collect from you or is provided to us by you or a third party, will be processed by us.

This privacy policy also applies to those who visit, use or send information to the website domain www.lawsons-solicitors.co.uk (“website”) or via email or other electronic means to us and relates to how we use and process data.

Please note that the person responsible and nominated for data protection at Lawsons Solicitors is Mr Peter Anthony Lawson (Data Protection Officer) whose contact details are peter@lawsons-solicitors.co.uk or Lawsons Solicitors, 2nd Floor, Central Buildings, 13 The Bull Ring, Wakefield, WF1 1HB. Mr Peter Anthony Lawson is Lawsons Solicitors’ Compliance Officer for Legal Practice (COLP) and the Principal.

We are a “data controller”. This means that we are responsible for deciding how we hold and use data about you. We are required under data protection legislation to inform you of the information set out in this privacy policy.

Lawson Solicitors is registered with the Information Commissioners Office as a Data Controller.

We will let you know, by posting on our website or otherwise, if we make any changes to this policy from time to time.

“Personal data” means any information relating to you or another person, known as the ‘data subject’; it may include name, address, email address, phone number, financial information, personal description, photograph etc and similar information. It may also include other categories of personal data such as racial or ethnic origin, religious or other beliefs, trade union membership or data and information concerning health and wellbeing.

We may process personal data which you provide in connection with the legal and other services which we provide to you about yourself and other data subjects, e.g. individuals whose details are included in any information or documents provided by you to us. We may obtain information about you and other data subjects from third parties including Estate Agents, other Solicitors, Doctors, Consultants, Experts, etc.

You may give information to us by filling in forms on our website or by corresponding or communicating with us by telephone, email, post, fax or similar and also in person.

How we use your personal data

Lawsons Solicitors will only process personal data, in accordance with applicable law, for the following purposes:

providing the legal and other services to you;
responding to your queries, requests and other correspondence and/or communications from yourself or third parties;
enabling third parties to carry out certain functions on our and/or your behalf in order for us to provide the legal and other services to you. This may include barristers, estate agents, the Land Registry, your mortgage advisor, Courts, government bodies/departments, search providers, insurance providers, doctors, consultants, experts, other Solicitors and other third parties who we need to instruct to assist you with your matter;
to allow us carry out identity verification;
ensuring our security and preventing or detecting fraud;
administering our business, including complaints resolution, data analysis, research, statistical and survey purposes;
developing and improving our legal and other services to you;
complying with applicable law, including responding to a lawful request from a court or regulatory body such as the Legal Ombudsman (should you complain), the Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Information Commissioner.

The legal basis for our processing of personal data for the purposes described above includes:

to fulfil a contract that we have in place with you or other data subjects;
with your consent;
processing necessary for our or a third party’s legitimate interests;
processing necessary for compliance with a legal obligation to which we are subject.

Disclosure of personal data

There are circumstances where we may wish to disclose or are compelled to disclose your personal data to third parties, for example:

our suppliers and service providers to facilitate the provision of the legal and other services to you and/or to protect the security or integrity of our business;
public authorities to carry out acts which are necessary in connection with the legal and other services to you;
successor or partner legal entities, on a temporary or permanent basis, for the purposes of a joint venture, collaboration, financing, sale, merger, reorganisation, change of legal form, dissolution or similar event relating to the Business. In the case of a merger or sale, your personal data will be permanently transferred to a successor company;
public authorities where we are required by law to do so; and
any other third party where you have provided your consent.

Where we store your personal data

We will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that your data is treated securely and in accordance with this privacy policy.

Our Retention of your personal data

Your personal data will be retained for as long as is reasonably necessary for the purposes listed above or as required by the law.

The Security of your personal data

We will implement technical and organisational security measures in order to prevent unauthorised access to your personal data.

However, please note that the transmission of information via the internet is never completely secure. Whilst we do our best to keep our own systems secure, we do not have full control over all processes involved in, for example, your use of our website or sending confidential materials to us via email and we cannot therefore guarantee the security of your information transmitted to us on the internet or by email.

Your rights

You have numerous rights in relation to your personal data. For further information about your data protection rights please visit the ICO website https://ico.org.uk/

You have the right to make a subject access request (SAR) whereby you can request in writing for copies of your personal data. Subject access requests can be made by post to Mr Peter Lawson, Lawsons Solicitors, 2nd Floor, Central Buildings, 13 The Bull Ring, Wakefield, WF1 1HB

You have a Right to withdraw consent. You may at any time withdraw your consent to the processing of your personal data carried out by us.

You have a Right to object to processing, or you can request we restrict processing your personal data

You have a Right to erasure. You may request that we erase your personal data. We will comply, unless there is a lawful reason for not doing so. For example, there may be an overriding legitimate ground for keeping your personal data, such as, our archiving/file retention obligations that we have to comply with.

You have a Right to data portability, further information can be found on the ICO website https://ico.org.uk/

You have a Right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority, further information can be found on the ICO website https://ico.org.uk/