Introduction

This policy outlines in general terms how Fletcher Law Pty Ltd ACN 148 175 651 trading as Fletcher Law (uswe or our) collects, stores, uses and discloses your personal information. By using our website or our services you accept this policy.

We may amend this policy as our business requirements or the law changes. Any changes to this policy will be updated on our website.

1.  Personal Information We Collect

1.1.        The types of personal information that we collect about you will depend on our relationship with you, the circumstances of collection and the type of services you request from us. The personal information may include:

(a)          your name, gender, date of birth;

(b)          your contact details including, but not limited to, your email address, postal / delivery address and telephone / mobile number;

(c)          information about individuals we collect in the course of acting for clients;

(d)          payment details provided in connection with the purchase of our services; and

(e)          information relating to your use of our website and e-newsletter.

1.2.        We may also collect ‘sensitive information’, such as information about an individual’s membership of a profession or association.

2.  How We Collect Personal Information

We will generally collect personal information:

2.1.        from you directly when you provide your details to us; and

2.2.        from you indirectly through electronic communications, forms, face-to-face meetings, interviews, business cards, telephone conversations.

3.  How We Use Your Personal Information

3.1.        We may use your personal information for the following purposes:

(a)          to conduct our business;

(b)          to provide and market our services;

(c)          to distribute our newsletters and other communications either ourselves or with the assistance of third party service providers;

(d)          to communicate with you to provide or promote our services;

(e)          to maintain records;

(f)           to comply with our legal obligations;

(g)          to assist us to manage and enhance our services; and

(h)          for any other use that you authorise in writing.

3.2.        The provision of personal information is optional. However, if you do not provide us with certain types of personal information, we may not be able to provide you with our services.

3.3.        If you engage our services as legal practitioners our rights and obligations with respect to your personal information will be subject to the provisions of the Legal Profession Act 2008 (Act) and the Legal Profession Conduct Rules 2010 (Rules), and to the extent which there is any conflict between the terms of this Privacy Policy and that Act or those Rules, the Act and Rules shall prevail.

4.  Disclosure of Personal Information

4.1.        We may disclose your personal information to suppliers and third parties that perform services for us in connection with our website and in connection with the provision of our services, including third parties who:

(a)          provide information technology services such as data storage, website hosting, software and system development, maintenance and support, and information processing, analysis and reporting;

(b)          assist us in providing delivery of services to you;

(c)          assist us in processing payments;

(d)          provide marketing services; and

(e)          provide services in the course of investigating a complaint or a security incident.

4.2.        We may also disclose your personal information:

(a)          to comply with our legal obligations;

(b)          to comply with judicial proceedings or a court order;

(c)          to Courts, tribunals and regulating authorities;

(d)          to establish, exercise or defend a legal or equitable claim; or

(e)          for the purposes of a confidential alternative dispute resolution.

5.  How We Use Cookies

5.1.        Cookies are small pieces of data stored in the web browser on your computer. Our website may store cookies on your web browser.

5.2.        The main reasons we store cookies are to:

(a)          improve your website browsing experience;

(b)          gather statistics on website usage; and

(c)          enable us to present customised and appropriate messages to you.

5.3.        You can set up most web browsers so you are notified when a cookie is received, so you can then either accept or reject it. You can also check the cookies stored by your web browser and remove any that you do not want.

5.4.        If you disable the use of cookies on your web browser or remove or reject specific cookies from our website or linked sites, you may not be able to gain access to all of the content and facilities of our website or linked sites.

6.  How We Hold And Keep Your Personal Information Secure

6.1.        We hold your personal information in a combination of hard copy and electronic files. We may use third party information system providers who may store or have access to your personal information.

6.2.        We may combine personal information we receive about you with other information we hold about you. This includes information received from third parties.

6.3.        We will take reasonable steps to protect the security of personal information. Where we no longer require your personal information we will take reasonable steps to destroy it.

7.  Disclosure of Personal Information Overseas

In the course of providing our services, we may disclose your personal information to third parties located overseas who assist us. In particular, we may disclose your personal information to:

7.1.        other companies or individuals who assist us in providing services or who perform functions on their behalf (such as third party service providers, specialist consultants and barristers);

7.2.        courts, tribunals and regulatory authorities;

7.3.        anyone else to whom you authorise us to disclose it; and

7.4.        anyone else where authorised to receive such information by law.

8.  Access to and Correction of Personal Information About You

8.1.        If you would like to request access to, or correction of, the personal information we hold about you, please contact us using the contact details in the section of our website titled “Contact”.

8.2.        We will provide you with access to the information we hold about you, including for the purpose of correcting or updating that information, unless there is an exception which applies under the Australian Privacy Principles. Your request to provide access to this information will be dealt with within a reasonable time.

8.3.        If we refuse to provide you with access to, or correct, the information, we will, to the extent required by law, notify you of our reasons for the refusal and how you may complain about the refusal.

9.  Opting Out of Promotion and Marketing

9.1.        You can opt out of our e-newsletter via the “unsubscribe” function.

9.2.       If you do not want to receive other communications from us please let us know by using the contact details in the section of our website titled “Contact”.

10.  Terms of Use

Use of our website and services is subject to our terms of use and this policy should be read in conjunction with the terms of use. In the event of a conflict or disagreement between this policy and the terms of use, the terms of use will prevail.

11.  Privacy Complaints and Further Information

If you have a concern about your privacy or you have any query on how your personal information is collected or used please contact us using the contact details in the section of our website titled “Contact”. We will respond to your query or complaint within a reasonable time. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.