Call Us On: 01295 251234

Aplins' Privacy Notice

We are committed to protecting and respecting the privacy of our clients, contacts and our website users. This privacy notice sets out how we obtain, keep and protect the personal data we hold about you, how to contact us or the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) if you have a complaint and also to explain your rights in relation to the information we hold. We are data controllers and processors for the purposes of data protection laws.

How we collect and use your personal information

  1. Information given to us by you
    The information you give to us or we obtain from you may include:
    • your name and title;
    • your contact information, such as your postal and email addresses and telephone number;
    • financial information, for example, your bank account details;
    • personal information provided to us by or on your behalf or generated by us in the course or providing services to you.
    • special category data which may include such details as your health, race, or religious beliefs;
    • personal data you provide to us via our website;
    • identification and background information provided by you or collected as part of our new matter opening process;
    • photographic identification and proof of address documents (to meet anti-money laundering requirements);
    • any other personal information which you may provide to us in the context of our work for you as a client or in the course of operating our business.
  2. Third party sources of information
    When you become a client, we may also need to request and process additional data from a variety of third parties to enable us to provide the legal service required. These could include:
    • other professionals such as accountants, surveyors or estate agents;
    • banks, building societies or other lenders;
    • agencies such as HM Land Registry or Companies House;
    • other parties involved in your case, or their solicitors.
  3. How we use your personal information
    We have a legitimate interest to use and process your personal data to, for example,
    • comply with our contractual obligation to clients to carry out the legal services agreed;
    • verify your identity for anti-money laundering purposes, to include using a third party electronic verification provider;
    • for administration or accounting purposes;
    • respond to any enquiry you may submit to us;
    • carry out conflict checks;
    • comply with any other professional, statutory and regulatory obligations;
    • establish the source of funding in a transaction;
    • invite you to a hospitality event.
    We process data whilst providing our services.
  4. How is your personal information shared?
    We may share your information with third parties in the course of providing legal services to you, or where we are subject to a legal or regulatory requirement to do so. These third parties may include:
    • the other parties involved in your matter, or the solicitors acting for them;
    • barristers, accountants or other experts assisting with your matter;
    • a court, if we act for you in a litigated dispute;
    • government bodies such as HM Revenue & Customs or HM Land Registry;
    • insurance brokers or providers;
    • a bank, building society or other lender involved in a transaction;
    • the Solicitors Regulation Authority, the Legal Ombudsman and our professional indemnity insurers;
    • external auditors or lenders who may carry out independent checks.
    We will not share your personal information with third parties for marketing purposes.
  5. How long will we keep your personal information?
    We will retain your personal information for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, including for the purpose of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirement.

Your rights

Under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), you have certain rights in relation to your personal information that we hold about you. These include the right to request:-

  • access to your personal information that we hold, known as a subject access request;
  • rectification of your personal information where it is out of date or incorrect;
  • erasure of your personal information, known as the right to be forgotten;
  • that we do not process your personal information.

All such requests should be directed to Philip Waters, whose details are set out at the end of this Notice.

Keeping your personal information secure

We have put in place appropriate security measures to ensure we use our best endeavours to prevent your personal information from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in any unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal information to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who need to know. They will only process your personal information on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality. We have procedures in place to deal with any suspected personal information breach and will notify you and our regulators.

Who to contact

If you have a query or complaint about how we process your data, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights under data protection law, please contact Mr Philip Waters, Aplin Stockton Fairfax, 36 West Bar, Banbury, Oxon. OX16 9RU, Tel: 01295 251234

If you wish to make a complaint about how we are processing your personal information, or you are not satisfied that we have handled your complaint satisfactorily, you can raise the matter direct by contacting the ICO at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF Tel: 0303 123 1113 or 01625 545745

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