Privacy Policy

6. Special-Category and Criminal-Offence Information

We may need to process medical and other special-category information to assess, prepare, pursue or defend a legal claim.

In addition to an ordinary lawful basis, we will rely on an appropriate condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR. This will usually be that processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims. Where appropriate, we may rely on explicit consent or another condition permitted by law.

Where we process criminal-offence information, we will do so in accordance with Article 10 of the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, including where processing is necessary for legal claims, judicial proceedings, regulatory compliance or the prevention or detection of unlawful acts.

7. Motor Finance Claims and Soft Credit Searches

If you make an enquiry about a mis-sold motor finance claim, we may, with your authority, share relevant personal information with Valid8 IP Ltd.

Valid8 IP Ltd may conduct a soft credit search with one or more credit-reference agencies to help identify your motor finance agreements or verify relevant information. A soft credit search does not affect your credit score.

Information used may include your name, date of birth, current and previous addresses and other information required to locate or verify your credit agreements.

Valid8 IP Ltd may share information with credit-reference agencies including Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Further information is available in:

• Valid8 IP Ltd’s Privacy Policy; and
• the relevant Credit Reference Agency Information Notices.

Valid8 IP Ltd and the credit-reference agencies may act as independent data controllers for some processing and may use your information in accordance with their own privacy notices.

8. Who We May Share Personal Information With

Where necessary and lawful, we may share personal information with:

• solicitors, barristers and other legal professionals;
• medical experts, engineers, surveyors and other professional experts;
• GPs, hospitals and other healthcare providers;
• courts, tribunals and dispute-resolution bodies;
• defendants, claimants, insurers, lenders and their representatives;
• the Ministry of Defence, its solicitors, representatives and claims administrators;
• HM Revenue & Customs, the Department for Work and Pensions and other public authorities;
• after-the-event insurers, litigation funders and legal-expenses insurers;
• Valid8 IP Ltd, credit-reference agencies and identity-verification providers;
• accountants, auditors, compliance advisers and professional-indemnity insurers;
• the Solicitors Regulation Authority, Information Commissioner’s Office, Legal Ombudsman and other regulators;
• law-enforcement agencies where disclosure is required or permitted by law;
• IT, cloud-storage, email, telephone, case-management, electronic-signature, website-hosting and cybersecurity providers;
• printing, document-management, archiving and secure-destruction providers; and
• a successor practice or purchaser where our business, or part of it, is transferred, subject to appropriate confidentiality safeguards.

We only share information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

Some recipients process information on our instructions as data processors. Others, such as courts, medical experts, regulators, credit-reference agencies and opposing parties, may be independent data controllers and will be responsible for their own use of the information.

We may be legally prevented from telling you about certain disclosures, including in connection with anti-money laundering investigations.

9. If You Do Not Provide Personal Information

You are not always legally required to provide personal information. However, we may need particular information to:

• verify your identity;
• comply with anti-money laundering and professional obligations;
• assess whether we can act for you;
• investigate and progress your claim; or
• enter into or perform our contract with you.

If you do not provide information that we reasonably require, we may be unable to accept your instructions, continue acting for you or progress your matter effectively.

10. Data Security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, loss or destruction.

These measures may include:

• access controls and authentication;
• encryption and secure communication methods;
• secure cloud and case-management systems;
• data backup and recovery arrangements;
• cybersecurity protections;
• confidentiality requirements;
• staff training; and
• supplier due diligence and contractual safeguards.

Access to personal information is limited to people who reasonably need it for their work and who are subject to appropriate confidentiality obligations.

11. How Long We Keep Personal Information

We only retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, including legal, regulatory, professional, insurance and accounting requirements.

Client matter files are generally retained for at least six years after the matter closes. We may retain a file for longer where necessary because of:

• applicable limitation periods;
• the age or vulnerability of a client;
• an ongoing, anticipated or related legal claim;
• professional-indemnity requirements;
• an undertaking or court order;
• a complaint or regulatory investigation; or
• another legal or professional obligation.

Anti-money laundering records are normally retained for the period required by applicable legislation following the end of the business relationship or completion of the relevant transaction.

Enquiry, website, marketing, financial and administrative records are retained in accordance with our retention schedule and for no longer than reasonably necessary. We may retain limited suppression-list information to ensure that a marketing opt-out continues to be respected.

Information will be securely deleted, destroyed or anonymised when it is no longer required.

12. Marketing Communications

We may send information about our services where:

• you have consented to receive it; or
• the communication is otherwise permitted by data protection and electronic-marketing law.

We will not use sensitive medical or case information to market unrelated services.

You may opt out at any time by:

• using the unsubscribe option in a marketing email;
• following the opt-out instructions in a text message; or
• contacting info@hollins-woodsolicitors.com.

Opting out of marketing will not prevent us from sending communications required to administer your enquiry or legal matter.

13. Cookies and Website Tracking

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to operate securely and effectively.

Strictly necessary cookies may be used where required for the website to function. Analytics, functionality and advertising cookies will only be used where permitted by law and, where required, after you have provided consent.

You can accept, reject or manage non-essential cookies through our cookie-consent tool. Please see our separate Cookie Policy for details of the cookies and third-party services used.

14. Automated Decision-Making

We may use electronic systems or pre-set criteria to help administer enquiries or carry out preliminary eligibility checks. However, a member of our team will review relevant information where a decision could materially affect whether or how we act for you.

We do not currently make decisions about clients or prospective clients that are based solely on automated processing and which have legal or similarly significant effects.

If this changes, we will provide appropriate information about the processing and the safeguards available to you.

15. Your Information Rights

Depending on the circumstances and the lawful basis used, you may have the right to:

• be informed about how your information is used;
• request access to your personal information;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• request deletion of your information;
• ask us to restrict how information is used;
• receive certain information in a portable format;
• object to particular uses of your information;
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent; and
• receive safeguards in relation to significant decisions based solely on automated processing.

These rights are not absolute. Data protection legislation, legal professional privilege, duties owed to other people and our legal or regulatory obligations may limit what we can provide or what action we can take.

Your right to object

You have the right to object at any time to the use of your personal information for direct marketing.

You may also object to processing based on legitimate interests. If you do so, we will stop that processing unless we can demonstrate compelling legitimate grounds for continuing or the processing is required for legal claims.

To exercise your rights, contact:

Safwan Patel, Data Protection Contact

Email: spatel@hollins-woodsolicitors.com

Address: Hollins Wood Solicitors Ltd, Surestore, Orlando Street, Bolton, BL2 1DU

We may ask for information to verify your identity and, where a request is made on behalf of another person, evidence of authority.

We will normally respond within one month of receiving a valid request and any information reasonably required to verify identity.

Withdrawing consent will not affect processing already undertaken before withdrawal or processing carried out under another lawful basis.

16. Data Protection Complaints

If you are concerned about how we have collected, used, shared or protected your personal information, please contact our Data Protection Contact:

Email: spatel@hollins-woodsolicitors.com

Telephone: 01204 324214

Post: Hollins Wood Solicitors Ltd, Surestore, Orlando Street, Bolton, BL2 1DU

We will acknowledge a data protection complaint within 30 days. We will investigate it without undue delay, keep you informed where appropriate and explain the outcome.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office at any time:

Information Commissioner’s Office

Wycliffe House

Water Lane

Wilmslow

Cheshire

SK9 5AF

Telephone: 0303 123 1113

Website: www.ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint

We would appreciate the opportunity to address your concerns first, but contacting us does not affect your right to complain to the ICO.

Complaints about the service we have provided should be made under our separate Complaints Procedure. The Solicitors Regulation Authority deals with professional-conduct and regulatory matters.

17. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our services, practices, technology or legal and regulatory requirements.

The latest version will be published on our website and will show the date it was last updated. Where a change materially affects how we use your personal information, we will take reasonable steps to bring it to your attention