Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notice Introduction
Tebbitts & Co is a small niche law firm in the UK offering a broad range of legal services to small and medium-sized businesses and private individuals.
As an essential part of our business, we collect, manage, share and store client and non- client data to carry out certain legal procedures. This Data Protection Policy aims to give you information on how Tebbitts & Co collects and processes personal data as a result of you being our client or visiting this site.
The Privacy Notice also provides you with information about how you can have control over the use of your data and your legal rights.
Information we may collect from you
We seek to collect information about you so that we can:
- Administer our relationship with you, provide services and respond to your enquiries
- Deliver requested information to you about our services
- Ensure the billing of any procured services
- Enable us to meet our legal and other regulatory obligations
- Audit usage of our websites.
The information that we need for these purposes may include “personal data”. This includes names, home addresses, email addresses, telephone and other contact numbers and information. We collect this in a number of different ways. For example, you may provide this data to us directly online or over the telephone, or when corresponding with us by letter.
We do not collect any special categories of personal data about you, nor do we collect any information about criminal convictions and offences.
How we use the information
We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your data (a) where it is necessary for our legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests, and (b) where we need to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation.
We do not rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data other than in relation to sending direct marketing communications to you via email. You have the right to withdraw consent to marketing at any time by contacting us.
We use the data collected from you for the specific purposes listed in the table below. Please note that this table also explains:
- The legal basis for processing your data, linked to each processing purpose; and
- In what circumstances your data will be shared with a third party organisation.
Your Legal Rights
Under the terms of data protection legislation, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:
Request access
You have the right to ask us for a copy of any personal data that we hold about you. This is known as a “Subject Access Request”. Except in exceptional circumstances (which we would discuss and agree with you in advance), you can obtain this information at no cost. We will send you a copy of the information within 30 days of your request.
Request correction
If any of the information that we hold about you is inaccurate, you can either:
- Contact us on 01270 211567
- Email info@tebbitts.co.uk
Request erasure
You can ask that we erase all personal information that we hold about you. Where it is appropriate that we comply, your request will be fully actioned within 30 days. For further information, please contact 01270 211567 or email info@tebbitts.co.uk
Request data transfer
If you would like to move, copy or transfer the electronic personal data that we hold about you to another organisation, please contact Max Tebbitts max@tebbitts.co.uk
Rights related to automated decision-making
If you would like to object to automated decision making without any individual involvement, and to the profiling of your data, please contact please contact us on info@tebbitts.co.uk
What we might need from you
We may need to request specific information from you to help us confirm your identity and ensure your right to access your personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. We may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up our response.
Time limit to respond and fee
You will not have to pay a fee to access your personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, we may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, we may refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances.
How long will we retain information for?
Tebbitts & Co Solicitors will typically retain information for a period of seven years. This is due to regulatory reasons and to ensure our business records are adequate as required by our insurers to protect our clients and non-clients.
To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data we consider the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of your personal data, the purposes for which we process your personal data, and the applicable contractual and regulatory requirements.
Overseas transfers
None of the information that we collect process or store as a result of this website is transferred outside of the European Economic Area (EEA). This includes information that is exchanged with any third party organisation as described above.
Data privacy and security
Tebbitts & Co Solicitors, have put in place appropriate security measures to prevent your personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, we limit access to your personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business and need to know. They will only process your personal data on our instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.We have put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where we are legally required to do so.
Contact details
Our full details are:
Full name of legal entity: Max Tebbitts Solicitors Ltd t/a Tebbitts & Co Solicitors Email address: max@tebbitts.co.uk
Telephone number: 01270 211567
Alternatively, you have the right to lodge a concern with the Information Commissioner’s Office who may be contacted at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF or https://ico.org.uk.
Updated 22/5/2021
Our complaints policy
We are committed to providing a high quality legal service to all our clients. When something goes wrong, we need you to tell us about it. This will help us to improve our standards.
If you have a complaint, please contact our Complaints Director, Max Tebbitts with the details at Tebbitts & Co, 8 Chantry Court, Forge Street, Crewe, Cheshire, CW1 2DL. We hope that we will be able to go through your concerns and resolve your complaint at this early stage.
What will happen next?
- We will send you a letter acknowledging receipt of your complaint within three days of receiving it, enclosing a copy of this procedure.
- We will then investigate your complaint.
- We will send you a written reply to your complaint, within 21 days of sending you the acknowledgement letter.
What if I am not satisfied with the outcome?
If you are unhappy with the outcome of our complaints handling procedure, please first let us know and we will review the matter.
If you are still unhappy you can ask the Legal Ombudsman to look into your complaint. You can contact the Legal Ombudsman:
- by post at PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton, WV1 9WJ
- by telephone: 0300 555 0333, or
- by email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
- website: https://www.legalombudsman.org.uk/
You must usually refer your complaint within six months of our final written response to your complaint and within six years of the act or omission about which you are complaining occurring (or within three years of you becoming aware of it). Further details are available on the website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk.
The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge.
If we have to change any of the timescales above, we will let you know and explain why.
If your complaint is about a breach of Solicitor Regulation Authority (SRA) Principles, please write directly to the SRA. The SRA’s contact details are The Cube, 199 Wharfside Street, Birmingham, B1 1RN, telephone 0370 606 2555 or email contactcentre@sra.org.uk