01823 351122 [email protected]

Privacy

Our policy

Taunton Solicitors is committed to ensuring the privacy and security of your personal data. The following Privacy Policy sets out the personal data that we collect about you as a user of our services, including how and why we process your personal data, who we share it with, and your rights and choices when it comes to your personal data.

In this Privacy Policy, when we refer to “personal data”, we mean information which could directly identify you (for example, your name or national insurance number) and information which could indirectly identify you, meaning that it could identify you when combined with other information which we hold about you (for example, your gender or date of birth). “Process” or “processing” means just about any conceivable use of personal data, including recording, storing, viewing or disclosing personal data.

Taunton Solicitors is the data controller of your personal data (referred to in this Policy as “Taunton Solicitors” or “we”).

If you have any questions about your personal data which are not answered by this Policy, please contact our Data Protection Officer:

Data Protection Officer 
Taunton Solicitors, 2 Tangier Central, Taunton. TA1 4AP

[email protected]

How we collect your personal data

Information provided by you

We collect your personal data to give you the best possible experience as a user of our services. In general, we collect information from you when you interact with us to request a quote or open up a matter, visit our website, enter a service contract, complete a survey or contact us with an enquiry or complaint. This covers all channels of communication with us, including by post, over the telephone, email, via our website and in person.

We may collect all or any of the following information from you when you request a quote or when we create a new file for you:

  • Your full legal name
  • Other names known by now or previously
  • Contact address
  • Business address (if applicable) and company number
  • Full details of Directors / business partners (if applicable)
  • Email address
  • Telephone number
  • Relevant details to allow us to service the contract you have entered into regarding your matter
  • The names and contact details of individuals authorised to access your account
  • Previous address history
  • Your date of birth
  • Bank account or payment details
  • Anti Money Laundering compliance may require us to collect from you additional data
  • Country of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Nationality
  • Occupation
  • National insurance number
  • Passport details & /or Driving licence &/or another form of photo ID
  • Utilities (Gas/Electric/Water) MPAN number as evidence of home address  – E.g.: local authority bill / bank / Work & pension
  • Further identification documents as necessary depending upon the nature of your instructions, we may also require and process
  • Details of your health or medical conditions
  • Other information provided to us as part of you application or in connection with the service being provided.

Should your circumstances change, we may also ask for the following to allow us to service your matter:

  • Your new address should you move home
  • Banking details, should you decide you would like to set up a standing order or Direct debit with us
  • Documentation relating to a change of name, such as a marriage certificate, decree absolute , change of name deed or deed poll
  • Documentation to help us close or transfer a matter in the case of bereavement, such as death certificates.

We will also hold, obtain or request the following information if you contact us with an enquiry or complaint:

  • Any information that you disclose to us as part of your enquiry or complaint
  • Necessary information to resolve your complaint, which could include:
    • Legal documentation
    • Tenancy agreements or Contracts
    • Copies of cheques or bank statements

If you enter one of our surveys, we will collect the following:

  • Your contact details
  • Any information that you disclose to us in your responses

If you visit our website www.tauntonsolicitors.com:

  • Some pages on our website use cookies, which are small files placed on your internet browser when you visit our website. We use cookies in order to tell us how you are using our site, which in turn allows us to continually improve how the site works, looks and delivers information to users. We also use cookies to offer our website users a more tailored experience in the future, by understanding and remembering your particular browsing preferences.
  • Where we use cookies on our website, you may block these at any time. To do so, you can activate the setting on your browser that allows you to refuse the setting of all or some cookies. However, if you use your browser settings to block all cookies (including essential cookies), you may not be able to access all or parts of our website or to use all the functionality provided through our website.
  • For more information on the cookies we use, the purposes for which we use them, the details we collect and how you can manage your preferences, please see our Cookie Policy at www.tauntonsolcitors.com/our-cookie-policy. By continuing to use our website you are agreeing to our use of cookies as described in our Cookie Policy.

Information collected from other sources

We may obtain your personal data when you interact with us through third parties, such as Estate Agents and other introducers. They would inform you that they are passing your data on to Taunton Solicitors.

Credit reference agencies:

  • During the conduct of your transaction, it may be necessary for us to carry out a credit check: your credit score would be provided to us by third party credit reference agencies.

ID Checks:

  • We carry out ID checks using a third party supplier and your details are submitted to allow a full Anti Money Laundering check to be carried.

Bank verification Check:

  • We also carry out bank verification checks when we are required to transfer money to you, making sure we are sending to funds a valid account.


How we use your personal data

We will use your personal data for the purposes outlined below:

  • Where requested by you, to provide you with a quotation for any of our  services
  • To deliver our  services to you according to our contractual agreement
  • To manage your matter and validate invoices
  • To collect payments and manage payment plans if agreed
  • To contact you with  information about your matter and account, including bills and statements
  • To comply with our legal obligations, and for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims:
  • To comply with our regulatory requirements, for example those under SRA Solicitors Regulation Authority / Law Society / Legal Ombudsman.
  • To meet our data protection obligations to verify your identity, before we provide you with information relating to your account
  • To resolve any disputes relating to our service with us
  • For the detection and prevention of crime, including any investigations into potential fraudulent activity
  • To respond to requests for information from the police and government bodies, to support in criminal investigations
  • To offer a priority service for vulnerable customers, such as those with specific health or medical conditions

Where we have legitimate business interests:

  • To respond to customer enquiries and complaints
  • To manage payment schedules, credit levels and debt collection
  • To understand customer behaviour, so that we can provide you with  services that are best suited to your requirements
  • For management information reporting purposes, to help us continually improve our offering to our clients and service suppliers
  • To assess the financial vulnerability of our customers, so that we can ensure your individual circumstances can be met

Where we have your consent:

  • To provide you with information about products and services that we think you would benefit from in accordance with your marketing preferences, by post, telephone or by electronic means

Marketing:

If you are an existing client, subject to your marketing preferences, or where you have otherwise expressly consented, we may send you relevant information about products and services that we think you would benefit from. 

We will never sell your data to third parties for marketing purposes.

You can opt out or update your marketing preferences at any time by contacting us by:

Telephone: 01823 351122 
Email: [email protected]
Post: Office Manager, Taunton Solicitors, 2 Tangier Central, Taunton. TA1 4AP

ID checks and Bank Verification Checks:

  • For more information regarding how your personal data is processed by our ID check and bank verification companies, please click below on the link for a list of our Data Controllers

Call recording:

Calls are not currently recorded, but we may in the future implement a call recording system for training and monitoring purposes, and to assist us in the provision of our services to you. If we proceed with the call recording system we will retain these calls to keep a record of our contractual agreement with you, and to help us investigate any complaints or disputes.

Sharing your personal data

Third Parties

Please see below a list of the data controllers that your personal data may be shared with.

Your personal information may also be shared with any company that is connected with your matter allowing us to complete our contractual obligation to you. We may also share your personal information with third party services providers that help us to provide services to you as our client.

For example, your personal data may be shared with the following categories of third parties:

  • Estate Agents, Other Solicitors, Mortgage Brokers, Lenders, Referral Companies
  • Our Insurers
  • Others insurers, including providers of indemnity insurance
  • HMRC
  • Fraud protection and prevention services, such as the NCA fraud prevention agency, to help us to identify any potential fraudulent activity and for the prevention and detection of money laundering
  • Courts and Tribunals
  • Barristers and their chambers
  • Debt collection agencies, to help us recover any outstanding debt (either on your behalf or from you)
  • Credit reference agencies, to enable us to perform a credit check (subject to contract)
  • Payment providers, to enable you to make online payments for our products and services
  • Our regulators, in so far as is necessary for us to comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
  • Accountants
  • The police, should we be required to provide any information in order to support an investigation
  • Dispute and complaints services, should we need to resolve a complaint with you
  • IT service providers, to enable us to manage and host our IT and Case Management platforms

We will also disclose your personal data to third parties:

(a)  where it is in our legitimate interests to do so to run, grow and develop our business:

i.  if we sell or buy any business or assets, we may disclose your personal data to the prospective seller or buyer of such business or assets;

ii.  if Taunton Solicitors or substantially all of its assets are acquired by a third party, in which case personal data held by Taunton Solicitors will be one of the transferred assets;

iii.  if we are under a duty to disclose or share your personal data in order to comply with any legal obligation, any lawful request from government or law enforcement officials and as may be required to meet national security or law enforcement requirements or prevent illegal activity;

(b)  to enforce our contract with you, to respond to any claims, to protect our rights or the rights of a third party, to protect the safety of any person or to prevent any illegal activity; or

(c)  to protect the rights, property or safety of Taunton Solicitors, our employees, customers, suppliers or other persons.

Some of the companies with whom we share your data may use your data in countries which are outside of the European Economic Area. Please see the section below entitled “Where is my personal data stored?” for more detail on this aspect.

Any third parties with whom we share your personal data are limited (by law and by contract) in their ability to use your personal data for the specific purposes identified by us. We will always ensure that any third parties with whom we share your personal data are subject to privacy and security obligations consistent with this Privacy Policy and applicable laws.

Save as expressly detailed above, we will never share, sell or rent any of your personal data to any third party without notifying you and/or obtaining your consent. Where you have given your consent for us to use your personal data in a particular way, but later change your mind, you should contact us to request that we stop doing so. You can do so by:

Telephone: 01823 351122
Email: [email protected] 

Post: Office Manager, Taunton Solicitors, 2 Tangier Central, Taunton, Somerset. TA1 4AP

Where is my personal data stored?

Taunton Solicitors is based in the European Economic Area (EEA). However, we may have to share personal data with third parties located outside of the EEA, including (but not limited to) the United States, Canada and India. Your personal data may be processed by staff operating outside the EEA working for other members of third party data processors for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy.

When we do send personal data outside the EEA, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with European data protection requirements, such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). These may include:

  • Sending information to countries which have been deemed to have adequate protection by the EU
  • Entering into European Commission approved standard contractual arrangements with the third party, or in the case of US based service providers, ensuring they have signed up to the EU-US Privacy Shield (see further www.privacyshield.gov/welcome)

For more information, please contact us by:

Telephone: 01823 351122
Email: [email protected] 

Post: Office Manager, Taunton Solicitors, 2 Tangier Central, Taunton, Somerset. TA1 4AP

Security

Taunton Solicitors have implemented appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect the confidentiality of the personal data that you entrust us with. We update and test our physical, logical and procedural security controls on an ongoing basis. These include limiting access to your personal data to those who need it and training our employees about the importance of maintaining the privacy and security of your personal data.

How long do we keep this information?

We will only store your personal data for as long as is necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy or for as long as we reasonably consider necessary to establish, exercise or defend our legal rights. Your data will be retained in line with statutory and regulatory requirements. The criteria used to determine these retention periods includes:

  • Compliance with the minimum regulatory retention requirements as set by legal obligation and of our regulatory body and Insurance providers.
  • Compliance with the statutory retention periods for accounting records, as set by the HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
  • Compliance with the retention periods set by the NCA Fraud Prevention Agency
  • Where our retention periods are not governed by legislation, our retention policy is based on commercial justifications, which have been set in accordance with the principle of retaining personal data for no longer than is necessary for the purposes for which it is processed. These include:
    • For auditing purposes
    • To enable us to provide you with our products and services
    • To allow us to resolve any disputes or complaints
    • For the detection and prevention of fraud

Data subject rights

The following section sets out your rights in relation to your personal data. This includes your rights under the Data Protection Act, in addition to the enhanced rights that you will be entitled to post 25th May 2018, following the coming into force of the GDPR.

If you would like to exercise any of your data subject rights, please contact us by:

Telephone: 01823 351122
Email: [email protected]
Post: Office Manager, Taunton Solicitors, 2 Tangier Central, Taunton, Somerset. TA1 4AP

You have the following rights and choices in relation to your personal data:

1.  You have the right to request access to a copy of your personal data. You are entitled to obtain confirmation that your data is being processed appropriately and other supplementary information which largely corresponds to the information that should be provided in a Privacy Policy. Should you wish to exercise this right, please contact us with a description of the information you would like to see. We will provide our response to you without undue delay and within one month of receipt of your request. Please note, however, that in certain circumstances we are not required to provide the information requested. Where requests are manifestly unfounded or excessive, in particular because they are repetitive, we may charge a reasonable fee taking into account the administrative costs of providing the information, or refuse to provide the information. Where we refuse a request, we will explain our reasons for the refusal, and remind you of your right to complain.

Certain personal data may be exempt from such requests in certain circumstances. If an exemption applies, we will tell you this when responding to your request. We may request that you provide us with information necessary to confirm your identity before responding to any request you make.

2.  You have the right to ensure that any information we hold about you is accurate and kept up to date. Please let us know if you would like to update any inaccurate or incomplete records.

3.  You have the right to request that we erase your personal data on the following grounds:

    • Your personal data is no longer necessary in relation to the purpose for which it was collected or processed
    • If the processing is based on consent, you choose to withdraw your consent and there is no other legal ground for processing
    • You object to processing, and there are no overriding legitimate grounds to continue the processing
    • Your personal data has been processed unlawfully
    • Your personal data must be erased for compliance with a legal obligation

4.  You have the right to request the restriction of processing of your personal data under specific conditions, unless we have a lawful reason to continue, such as for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims.

5.  You have the right to request a copy of personal data you have provided to us in a structured, commonly used and readable format, so that you can transmit this to another organisation.

6.  You have the right to object to processing which is based on:

    • Legitimate interests
    • Direct marketing

Complaints

If you would like to make a complaint, please contact our Data Protection Officer:

Data Protection Officer
Telephone: 01823 351122
Email: [email protected]
Post: Office Manager, Taunton Solicitors, 2 Tangier Central, Taunton, Somerset. TA1 4AP

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office.

Changes to the Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy does not form part of any customer’s contract with us and we may amend it from time to time. Any changes we make to our Privacy Policy in the future will be posted on our website.

The practices described in this Privacy Policy are current personal data protection policies, as of 25th May 2018

Click here for a list of our data controllers