Privacy Policy

Our Approach

Wakefield Lawyers (ABN 86 521 953 654) (“we”, “our” “us”), is committed to protecting your privacy.  This policy describes the way in which we collect, use, store, disclose and handle Personal Information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (‘Privacy Act’), as outlined in this document. This Privacy Policy does not replace or limit the requirements of the Privacy Act.

Our client confidentiality obligations are not addressed in this Policy.  For information regarding these obligations, please refer to the Engagement Letter provided to you upon engaging with us.

Please note that we reserve the right to vary this policy from time to time, without notice. The most recent version of our Privacy Policy can always be accessed here on our website.

‘Personal information’ is defined in the Privacy Act to mean any information or opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable, whether the information or opinion is true or not and whether the information or opinion is recorded in a material form or not.

To use our website, you do not need to disclose your details to us.  This website does not collect personal information about people who visit the website unless personal information is voluntarily provided, such as subscribing to a newsletter, making an online booking, or other publication.

However, we may use programs such as Google analytics to monitor website traffic which may record details about the IP addresses of parties who visit this website.   This information is used for internal analytical purposes and is not passed on to third parties.  All information provided to Wakefield Lawyers is treated in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

What information do we collect?

In operating our business we may collect personal information (including sensitive information). The type of information we collect about you will depend on the nature of our relationship.  We will collect personal information by lawful and fair means. Typically we collect the following information:

• your name, date of birth, occupation, address, email, account details;
• communications between us and third parties;
• documentation containing personal information;
• if you are a job applicant we may also hold information about your education and personal history;
• if you attend seminars we may hold information about your dietary requirements;
• any other information we may need to identify you or provide our services;
• information about your dealings with us or our clients.

Personal information may be provided by you directly or by another party to a matter, a regulator or other advisor or generally in the course of acting for you.

To the extent that it is relevant to the work we are undertaking for you, we may also collect and hold personal information about you that is sensitive information under the Privacy Act. For example, we may collect health information about an individual, membership of a professional or trade association, membership of a trade union, religious beliefs or affiliations or criminal records.

Wakefield Lawyers only collects personal information that is reasonably necessary or directly related to our functions and activities, collected either directly or via your use of our services.  The information may be provided by you, clients or authorised representatives. Some third parties may provide information such as accountants, business advisors and counterparties.

If you do not provide us with personal information when requested, it may affect our ability to meet our obligations to our clients.

Use and disclosure of your personal information

We use your information for the purpose for which it was collected, and any ancillary purpose including to:

• provide our services to you or to our clients;
• market services to you or our clients;
• administer and operate online subscription services;
• build and manage client relationships;
• market research;
• contract out services to third parties;
• recruitment;
• conduct our business of a legal services provider;
• provide you with legal updates;
• manage insurance;
• send you publications and invite you to seminars and functions we consider may be relevant;
• fulfil any other purpose that you have consented to in the course of your engagement of us and any other purpose permitted by law.

At any time you can withdraw your consent to receive marketing and legal updates by contacting our Privacy Officer (details below).

The disclosure of your personal information will occur in accordance with the purpose for which it was collected but also:

• subject to our professional obligations, to any person where necessary or desirable in connection with our provision of legal services, such as to the client, regulatory authorities, or any employees or contractors of Wakefield Lawyers;
• as required by law subject to our professional obligations, as permitted under the Australian Privacy Principles and/or with your consent if required.

Although unlikely, we may use and disclose your personal information in jurisdictions other than the one in which it was collected.

Direct marketing

If you are a client or have otherwise expressed interest and provided us with your contact details, we may send emails to you with information about legal developments (such as publications, alerts and newsletters) and marketing our services (such as seminar invitations).

We may use an email management system, such as MailChimp to automate the management and dispatch of these emails. The system operates by inserting tracking codes in the emails that we send to you. The tracking code allows us to collect personal information about you, such as whether you received and opened an email, and whether you clicked through to any links to our website. The personal information that the email management system collects and holds about you is used by us to:

• ensure that you only receive correspondence that you have informed us that you wish to receive;
• insert your personal information into our communications with you;
• determine whether the information that we send to you is suitable for your interests, information needs and profile;
• ensure that the email address that you have provided us is still operational;
• determine whether emails that we send to you are received by you;
• update a request that you make to us to unsubscribe from a publication that we send to you;
• review the effectiveness and relevance of our emails to you by collecting other statistical information.

If you do not wish for us to send you those types of emails, contact our Privacy Officer at the details below.

You will be able to unsubscribe from these emails by clicking unsubscribe at the bottom of the email.

Keeping your information secure

We will take reasonable steps to protect all Personal Information which we hold from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.  We take reasonable steps to hold information securely in electronic or physical form.

We hold personal information in hardcopy files and in electronic form, and take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

We may store hardcopy files in our offices and cupboards within an access-controlled premises.  We may also store your information as electronic records which are held within a cloud storage facility, under password secured accounts.  These accounts are accessible by Wakefield  Lawyers employees and contractors, but note that from time to time they may be accessible by third parties engaged by Wakefield Lawyers for IT maintenance and support of the cloud storage facility.  Wakefield Lawyers ensures that such parties are bound by a non-disclosure agreement or clause and under an obligation of confidence.

Access, correction and complaints

You may request access at any time to personal information we hold about you. We may charge you a fee where access is provided. We may refuse to provide access if the Privacy Legislation allows us to do so, in which case we will provide reasons for our decision as required by law.

You may also submit a written complaint about how we handle your personal information to our Privacy Officer. If you are not satisfied with our handling of your complaint or we have not replied to you within a reasonable period of time, then you are entitled to make a complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

Privacy Officer

All requests for access/corrections to your personal data and any complaint should be directed to our Privacy Officer.  You can contact our Privacy Officer by mail (PO Box 329 Warragul  VIC), by email (reception@wvblawyers.com.au) or by phone (03 5623 5166).

‍

‍