Our Commitment to Maintaining Privacy and Confidentiality
At Hartleys Lawyers (42 099 816 012), we are committed to maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of our client’s personal information.
In this document, the words ‘we’, ‘our’ and ‘us’ are used to refer to Hartleys Lawyers. ‘You’ and ‘your’ refer to you as the person whose personal information Hartleys Lawyers may collect and maintain.
Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
Hartleys Lawyers collects, uses and discloses personal information relating to various individuals in the course of providing our clients with legal advice, marketing our services and running our business. As a legal practice, protecting the confidentiality and privacy of information is fundamental to our professional relationships.
When we refer to personal information, this may include but is not limited to your name, address, and contact details.
The personal information we hold about you may include sensitive information, this may include but is not limited to criminal history and health information about an individual.
Hartleys Lawyers may use personal information collected from you for the purpose of providing you with direct marketing material and information e.g. mailing lists. However if you wish to cease receiving such information you may let us know either by email or mail and your request will be actioned as soon as possible.
Hartleys Lawyers respects the importance of your privacy and acknowledges that when you provide your personal information, you do so, on the provision that unless you give us permission, we will only collect, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
Purpose for Collection, Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
Hartleys Lawyers uses and discloses personal information it collects for the primary purposes of providing legal services to clients.
Hartleys Lawyers uses and discloses personal information it collects for the secondary purposes of meeting our internal professional and business requirements, such as, marketing, data use and collection for internal purposes, storage and security of the information and debt collection.
Your personal information is stored in a manner that reasonably protects it from misuse and loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These records are generally retained for 7 years.
When your personal information is no longer needed for the purpose for which it was obtained, we will take reasonable steps to destroy or permanently de-identify your personal information. However, most of the personal information is or will be stored in client files which will be kept by us for a minimum of seven years.
Hartleys Lawyers will not be liable for any loss, corruption, delay or loss of confidentiality arising from any data or information transmitted electronically if it has followed appropriate virus checking and privacy procedures.
Disclosure of Personal Information Overseas
On some occasions we may also need to disclose your personal information (which might include sensitive information) to overseas third parties whom we have engaged to assist in connection with a particular matter, or service providers which are located outside Australia.
Prior to disclosing your personal information to any overseas recipients, we will take reasonable steps to ensure the overseas third parties use the personal information for the purpose intended and does not breach the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).
You may access the personal information we hold about you and to update and/or correct it, subject to certain exceptions. If you wish to access your personal information, please contact us in writing.
Hartleys Lawyers will not charge any fee for your access request, but may charge an administrative fee for providing a copy of your personal information. In order to protect your personal information we may require photo identification from you before releasing the requested information.
In the event that Hartleys Lawyers refuses you access to your personal information, we will provide you with an explanation for that refusal.
Our privacy policy may change from time to time and is publicly available on our website. The amended privacy policy will be published on our website and will apply whether or not Hartleys Lawyers has given you specific notice of any change.
This version of this privacy policy is dated June 2020.
If you have any queries or complaints about our privacy policy please contact us, using the contact details below:-
Attention: Privacy Officer
Address: 461 Ballarat Road (PO Box 227)
Sunshine VIC 3020
Phone: (03) 9364 7400
Email: reception@hartleyslawyers.melbourne
Hartleys Lawyers will respond to your query or complaint within a reasonable period of time. Should you be dissatisfied with our response you may refer your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.