Data Protection Policy

Data Protection Policy

Purely Probate Ltd is issuing this data protection policy in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) to explain how we will use and process any personal information which we collect in the course of our work for our clients.

What information do we collect?

We will collect personal information when you engage us to provide legal advice to you. This information will normally be names and former names, addresses, e-mails, telephone numbers and dates of birth of people such as you and the beneficiaries named in a Will.

We may ask for copies of utility bills and identification for you and any beneficiaries.

Purely Probate Ltd rarely needs to collect sensitive ‘special category’ personal data such as information relating to health, politics or religion, but in the event that such special category data is required for our work we shall obtain your express consent to collect, hold and process this information.

Basis of processing

The primary legal basis under the GDPR for the processing of personal data by Purely Probate Ltd is so we can perform the contract that we have with you. The information that we collect from you is necessary for us to be able to carry out the services you require from us effectively, and so we can fulfil our legal and regulatory obligations as a solicitor’s firm.

Sharing of information

For the purpose of delivering our legal services to you we may need to send personal information to third parties.

For example, we may process it with:

All matters

  • The agent which carries out identity checks on our behalf (Creditsafe UK)
  • Marketing consultant (First One On)
  • IT support company (PC Comms)
  • Productivity software and cloud sever (Microsoft (Office 365))
  • Cognito (Accounts package provider)
  • The land registry (for example where we carry out property and bankruptcy searches)
  • Our auditors (Old Mill) who spot check our client files
  • Firms of solicitors to whom we refer matters such as contested probates or conveyancing who may ask us to forward our ID check

Probate:

  • Our bank (Lloyds) where we may open a designated client account on your behalf. We will enter beneficiaries bank account details on the bank’s secure site in order to pay legacies. We will delete the details as soon as we are confident there will be no further payments to that beneficiary
  • Agent used for the transfer of foreign currency (World First)
  • Conveyancing lawyer, if a property is being sold from the estate and they wish us to confirm a beneficiary’s identity or to transfer proceeds of sale to us
  • The probate registry
  • HMRC

Lasting Powers of Attorney:

  • The Office of the Public Guardian

We may also be required by law to supply personal information to fulfil our legal obligations, for example in respect of the prevention of money-laundering, tax evasion or other financial crime.

We will not share personal information for marketing purposes with any other sole trader, firm or company. If we wish to supply information to another law firm as a merging or successor practice, this will only be done with the express consent of you, and in accordance with our professional obligation of client confidentiality.

How long do we keep personal information?

We will retain personal data securely after we have completed our contract for legal services to comply with regulatory requirements to retain such data for specified minimum periods, and in case we are required to defend any future claim against us. We may therefore retain personal data for a minimum of six years.

Further communications and marketing

After completing our contracted legal work for you, we would occasionally like to contact you by e-mail (with your consent) or by post when, in accordance with the GDPR, there is a legitimate interest

  • in keeping you informed in respect of legal matters or developments which we believe will be of assistance to you, or
  • in updating you as to the legal work of Purely Probate Ltd

We may write to Will clients after 3 years to find out if they want to change a Will.

You have a right to stop us from contacting you for marketing or other purposes. If you no longer wish to be contacted, or you wish to express a preference as to the method of contact, please inform us by e-mail or post using our contact details below.

Your right to access the personal information we hold

You have the right to request a copy of the information that we hold about you. If you would like a copy of some or all of your personal information, please e-mail or write to us using our contact details below and we will respond to this access request within one month.

We have an obligation to ensure that your personal information is accurate and up to date. Please ask us to correct or remove any information that you think is inaccurate.

Deletion of personal information

You have the right to request deletion of your personal data and we will comply with this request, subject to our regulatory and legal obligations

How to make a complaint

To exercise all relevant rights, queries or complaints please in the first instance contact Judith Derbyshire jd@purelyprobate.co.uk

If this does not resolve your complaint to your satisfaction, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioners Office on 03031231113 or via email https://ico.org.uk/global/contact-us/email/ or at the Information Commissioner’s Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF, England.

 

Purely Probate Ltd – May 2018

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