At Walker McDonald, we are obliged to take your privacy very seriously. You should read this privacy notice carefully as it contains information about us and the personal information that you and others provide to us, what we do with this information, and who this may be shared with. This document is being provided to you in line with our obligations under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which provides enhanced accountability and transparency obligations on organisations when using your information. As a result, you will have greater control over your personal information, including the right to object to processing of your personal information where that processing is carried out for our purposes.
If you have any questions about how we use your information, please contact our Data Protection Officer as per the details below.
1. Who we are
Data Controller – Walker McDonald, 2-6 Edward Street, Portadown County Armagh BT62 3LX
Data Protection Officer: Mr Joseph R. McDonald
Throughout this document “we” “us” “our” and “ours” refer to Walker McDonald solicitors.
Your information is held by Walker McDonald solicitors.
Our conditions of engagement should be read in conjunction with this document.
2. The Information We collect about you
We will hold:-
- Data (e.g. facts or statistics collected together) to identify you, including your name, contact information, Date of Birth, photograph
- Your financial details/financial circumstances
- Your marital status and information about your family
- Names and addresses of business and family contacts
- Information you have provided to us by corresponding with us by phone, e-mail or otherwise, it includes information you provide when you make an enquiry, request a quotation, make a payment and engage us to provide services during the course of any legal matter on your behalf
- Information about you provided by others including other advisors retained on your behalf
- Information which you have consented implicitly or explicitly to us using
- Other personal information such as any criminal convictions or disqualifications
- Deeds, Wills and other legal documents of record
- Special categories of personal information
- Medical records
- Court Orders
We may use your information, even though you are not our client. (e.g. you may be a beneficiary, guarantor, director or representative of a client of ours).
It is important that the personal information we hold about you is accurate and up to date. Please keep us informed if your personal information changes.
3. When we collect your information
We collect information that you provide to us and information provided to us by third parties.
4. How we use your information
We will only use your personal information when the law allows us to do so. We collect, use and share, your data where:-
- you have agreed or explicitly consented to the use of your data in a specific way (such consent can be withdrawn at any time)
- use is necessary to fulfil our conditions of engagement or perform any contract of services we have entered into with you
- it is necessary to comply with a legal obligation
- required to protect your vital interests in exceptional circumstances
- there is a need, for our legitimate interests (which you may object to)
We will only use your personal information for the purposes for which we collected it. If we require it for another purpose, we will advise you of the new purpose.
If you choose not to provide personal information requested, we may not be in a position to provide you with the service you have requested.
5. Who we share your information with
When providing our services to you, it may be necessary to share your information with:-
- other advisors retained by you or Walker McDonald on your behalf
- your authorised representatives/your partner
- third parties with whom we need to share your information with to progress your case, and apply our terms of engagement (e.g. Counsel, expert witnesses, legal services agency, Ombudsman) and those you have asked us to share your information with.
- service providers who provide us with support services
- statutory and regulatory bodies including The Law Society of Northern Ireland (including central and local government) and law enforcement/authorities/bodies (including HMRC)
6. How long we hold your personal data
Walker McDonald’s policy is to hold your personal information only for the length of time required to fulfil the specific purpose for which it was collected. This is set out in regulations which we are obliged to comply with. Personal information which is no longer to be retained will be securely and effectively destroyed and permanently erased from our IT systems. In some circumstances, we may redact your personal information so that it no longer permits your identification. In this case, we may retain such information for a longer period.
7. Using companies to process your information outside the European Economic Area (EEA)
In some cases, it may be necessary to transfer personal information about you to other organisations outside the EEA. This will be carefully managed to protect your privacy rights.
Information provided by you will be securely stored. Unfortunately information transmitted via the internet is not completely secure. Any transmission is at your own risk. We have in place, procedures to deal with suspected data breaches and will notify the Information Commissioners Office and you, when legally required to do so.
8. Confidentiality
Information that you provide may be regarded as confidential and we will protect this in accordance with our legal obligations.
9. Your rights, including the right to object
From 25th May 2018, you have enhanced rights in relation to how we use your information, including the right, without undue delay, to:-
- find out if we use your information, access your information and receive copies of your information
- have inaccurate/incomplete information corrected and updated
- object to particular use of your personal data for our legitimate interests
- in certain circumstances, have your information deleted or our use of your data restricted
- withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
- ask questions about the processing of your personal information
- to transfer your personal information from us to another person or business
If you wish to exercise any of your data rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer Mr Joseph R. McDonald. We may charge you an administration fee.
If we are unable to deal with your request fully within a calendar month (due to the complexity or number of requests) we may extend this period by a further two calendar months and shall explain the reason why. If you make your request electronically, we will try to provide you with the relevant information electronically.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal information, you have the right to complain to the Data Protection Commission or another supervisory authority.
10. How to contact us and/or our Data Protection Officer
If you have questions about how we use your information, you can reach our Data Protection Officer Mr Joseph R. McDonald at Walker McDonald, Solicitors, 2-6 Edward Street, Portadown, County Armagh BT62 3LX by mail; by contacting 028 38 331086 or via e-mail at lawyers@walkermcdonald.com
11. Updates
We will update our Data Privacy Notice from time to time. Any updates will be made available and, where appropriate, notified to you by e-mail or letter.
