PRIVACY POLICY

This privacy policy outlines how Reed and Co Solicitors Ltd (“we,” “us,” or “our”) uses and protects any personal information that you provide to us when using our website or engaging with our services. We are committed to ensuring that your privacy is respected and protected, particularly in line with the highest professional and regulatory standards.

Commitment to Confidentiality and Legal Professional Privilege

As a regulated law firm, Reed and Co Solicitors Ltd adheres to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations, which impose strict duties of confidentiality and uphold legal professional privilege. This means that any personal data relating to your legal matters will be treated with the highest levels of confidentiality and will be protected in accordance with these obligations, as well as data protection laws.

• Client Data: Any data we collect in the course of providing legal services to clients is subject to legal professional privilege. This data is handled with an even higher standard of confidentiality than is required by general data protection law. It is our policy to ensure that all personal data relevant to legal matters is securely stored and used solely for the purpose of providing legal services.
• Non-Client Data: Data we collect from non-clients, such as website visitors, prospective clients, or those engaging with our services for marketing purposes, is handled in accordance with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and UK data protection laws, but does not carry the same level of confidentiality and privilege as Client Data.

Data Controller

For the purposes of data protection law, Reed and Co Solicitors Ltd is the Data Controller responsible for the personal data processed through this website.

If you have any questions about how your personal data is handled, or if you wish to exercise any of your rights under data protection law, please contact us using the details provided below.

• Reed & Co Solicitors Ltd is registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO).
• ICO Registration Number: ZA852423
• Registered Address: Office 12 Maghull Business Centre, 1 Liverpool Road North, Maghull, England, L31 2HB

You can verify our registration on the ICO website:
https://ico.org.uk/ESDWebPages/Entry/ZA852423

What We Collect

We may collect the following information through interactions on our website, including but not limited to:

• Name
• Contact details (email address, phone number)
• Demographic information (postcode, preferences, and interests)
• Other information relevant to non-client data such as customer surveys, newsletters, and offers.

For clients or those inquiring about legal matters, we may also collect sensitive personal data, such as health information, financial details, or legal history, which will be treated with the utmost confidentiality and in accordance with legal professional privilege.

How We Use Your Information

We collect and process this data for the following reasons:

• To provide legal services and legal advice (where applicable)
• To improve our services and website functionality
• For administrative purposes, including record-keeping and compliance with legal obligations
• To respond to queries and provide customer support
• For marketing purposes (only with your explicit consent, where applicable)

We ensure that all client data is handled with strict confidentiality, subject to legal professional privilege and SRA regulations, and is used only for the purpose of delivering our legal services.

Client Data: Adherence to SRA Standards

As a regulated law firm, Reed and Co Solicitors Ltd adheres to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) Standards and Regulations, which impose higher standards than general data protection laws. Any personal data related to legal matters is treated in compliance with the duty of confidentiality and legal professional privilege, which protect the confidentiality of communications between solicitors and their clients. This extends to any communications or documents we handle during the course of providing legal services.

In particular, all data collected in the course of providing legal services is:

• Protected by legal professional privilege: Any communication that is protected by privilege cannot be disclosed without the client’s consent, except in limited circumstances.
• Subject to SRA regulatory requirements: We follow the SRA’s guidelines to ensure that client data is handled in the most secure manner possible.

Data Use for Marketing and Surveys

While we strive to maintain transparency in our business activities, any data we use for marketing purposes or surveys will be handled separately from client data.

• Marketing Consent: We will only use your data for marketing purposes (including offers, newsletters, or surveys) if we have received your explicit consent. We respect your rights to opt out of such communications at any time.
• Separation from Legal Services: Marketing activities will be clearly separated from legal service provision. We understand the importance of maintaining client trust and professional integrity, so we ensure that any promotional activities are not conducted through our primary website where clients interact for legal services.

Cookies

A cookie is a small file that asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. The file helps analyse web traffic and improves your experience on our website by remembering preferences and collecting statistical data.

We use traffic log cookies to:

• Monitor which pages are being used
• Improve our website’s user experience
• Tailor the content to better suit your needs

Cookies are never used to access any personal information that you have not provided explicitly, nor will they be used to track you for marketing purposes without your consent.

Links to Other Websites

Our website may contain links to other websites of interest. However, please note that once you use these links to leave our site, we do not have control over the content or privacy practices of those websites. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information you provide while visiting such sites.

We encourage you to exercise caution and review the privacy policies of any third-party websites before providing them with your personal information.

Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access any personal data we hold about you
• Correct any inaccuracies in your personal data
• Request the deletion of your personal data
• Object to or restrict the processing of your personal data in certain circumstances

If you would like to exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details provided on our website.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

Reed and Co Solicitors Ltd reserves the right to update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by updating this page. This policy is effective as of 25/04/2023.