Privacy Policy

We may be required to obtain many of your personal details to carry out the work you instruct us to do. As these are important information about you, it is important for you to understand why we need to collect information and how we will use it, who we will share such information with and how we keep your personal information secure.

This policy is designed to explain all this to you. You should read this policy carefully. 

Purpose of the Privacy policy

This policy explains the standard that you can expect from Wick & Co solicitors, when we request or hold personal information or personal data about you. It also explains 

• How we will handle your date

• Who we will share it with and when

• How you can get access to a copy of the personal data we hold on you.

• It further explains what you can do if you feel the standards have not been met.

Conditions for Processing Date

The main reason why we require your data is to provide you with the legal service we have agreed with you. As the agreement is a contract between us to provide a service, the law allows us to process your data.

If you are eligible for legal aid, we may also obtain financial information from you as required by the Legal Aid agency.

What type of personal information we may collect and hold

The information we would require is dependent on the case you have asked us to do for you and the service we provide to achieve this.

We can obtain information from you. This will include general information about you such as: name, address, gender, date of birth, contact details, finical information etc.

We may also need sensitive information from you depending on your case. We will ask for this type of information only if it is required to process your case. This could include sensitive personal data, racial or ethnic origin, religion, political opinion, philosophical views, health information, sexual orientation, biometric and generic data. 

How we will get personal information:

We will obtain information from you. 

We will obtain information from those who hold authority to give information about you.

Sometimes we may need to obtain information from a number of sources. These can include but not limited to:

• Medical information from doctors, hospital or counsellors

• Those who refer you to us such organisations or 3rdparties with authority

• Those who have responsivities towards you such as local authorities, social service departments or social workers

• Financial institutes such as banks and building societies.

• Third parties may provide us information such as the Home Office.

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Why we need your information

The main reason for obtaining your data is so that we could provide the service you have asked us to provide in progressing and developing your case.  This will be to carry out your legal work and represent you.

We will need your information for many things. The following are some examples but not all:

• Verify your identity

• Have correct contact details.

• Verify your source of funds.

• To obtain legal aid where you are eligible.

• Provide you with advice, progress your case with applications, representations and appeals.

• Obtain 3rdparty reports such as medical reports and expert reports required to progress and support your case 

How we protect your personal information

We appreciate that the information you provide us is confidential and personal and we take utmost care in protecting it. Both internal and external parties have agreed to protect confidentiality of all the information. We use computer safeguards and enforce secure access into our offices to keep the data safe. We have operational security and policies to protect your data from loss and destruction. 

Your information is securely stored.

Who we share it with 

We will share your information and data to progress your case. This would include but is not limited to:

• Organisations, bodies or individuals, to progress your case such as providing information to obtain reports from experts or medical professional.

• Provide required information to the Home Office in line with your application.

• Third party service providers such as barristers and legal representatives.

• Organisations such as the Legal Aid Agency, Solicitors Regulation Authority who regulate solicitors and Legal Ombudsman (if you complain about our service)

• Interpreters and translators

• Courts or Tribunals

• Any disclosure required by law or regulation

• Quality assurance auditors

Your Date protection Rights

You have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation. This gives you a right to know what information we hold on you.

You have:

• Right to Access – You have a right to access to the personal data we hold on you, in most instances free of a charge.  You can request us to modify, update or delete information.

• Right to Correct – If your data is inaccurate or incomplete you have the right to have them rectified.

• Right to Erase – You have the right to ask us to delete or remove your data from our systems. 

• Right to Restrict our use of your Data – You have the right to limit the way we used your data or restrict us from using it.  

• Right to data portability – You have the right to request us to move, copy or transfer your data that we hold.

• Right to Object – You have the right to object to us using your data. 

How long we will keep it - Storage

Your data will be kept electronically or in a manual file, as long as it is necessary to complete the lawful purpose for which it had been collected or as required by law. We will keep the data until we meet our contractual or regulatory obligations. 

Once your case is finished, your file will be stored in a secure place. We will keep it in storage only as long as we are required to do so under our contractual or regulatory obligation. The files are normally kept for 6 years. After this period it will be destroyed in a secure and approved manner. Should you require any documents from your file during this time there is an administrative fee for retrieving and providing you with copy documents.

How to complain

If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your data please contact your caseworker to discuss this. If it cannot be resolved please contact the named complaint handling person by emailing: dhira@wickandcosolicitors.com.

If you are not satisfied with our response you can complain to Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). They can be contacted on 0303 123 1113 or go online to www.ico.org.uk/concerns.

The ICO Address:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF