In line with the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) we need to inform you of what data we collect from you and how we use and treat your data.

The data we collect may include but is not limited to:-

• Basic details about you such as full name, address, date of birth
• Identification documents

You have a right of access under data protection law to the personal data that we hold about you. We seek to keep that personal data correct and up to date. You should let us know if you believe the information we hold about you needs to be corrected or updated.

 We use the information you provide primarily for the provision of legal services to you and for related purposes including:

• updating and enhancing client records
• analysis to help us manage our practice
• statutory returns
• legal and regulatory compliance

Our use of that information is subject to your instructions, data protection law and our duty of confidentiality.

Please note that our work for you may require us to pass on such information to third parties such as expert witnesses and other professional advisers, including sometimes advisers appointed by another party to your matter. We may also give such information to others who perform services for us such as applying for searches. Our practice may be audited or checked by our accountants or our regulator, or by other organisations such as Lexcel (The Law Society’s Legal Practice Accreditation Service). We do not normally copy such information to anyone outside the European Economic Area, however we may do so however when the particular circumstances of your matter so require. All such third parties are required to maintain confidentiality in relation to your files.

We have appointed the following person as our representative for the purposes of the Data Protection Act:  Charles Foster Rutter

Data Protection in Respect of Money Laundering Checks

We may receive personal data from you for the purposes of our money laundering checks, such as a copy of your passport or driving licence. These will be processed only for the purposes of preventing money laundering and terrorist financing, or as otherwise permitted by law or with your express consent.

You consent to us retaining such data for longer than the five year statutory period, unless you tell us otherwise.

 Data Protection – Your Obligations

If you send us personal data about anyone other than yourself you will ensure you have any appropriate consents and notices in place to enable you to transfer that personal data to us, and so that we may use it for the purposes for which you provide it to us.

 Your Rights in Respect of Your Data Are

• Access Rights: You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Right to request rectification: We take reasonable steps to keep your information accurate, but you can also ask us to change any information we hold about you to keep it accurate, complete and current.
• Right to request erasure: You have the right to ask us to delete the personal information we hold on you; however, please note that there may be circumstances where you ask us to erase your personal data but we are legally entitled to retain it.
• Portability: You have the right to request that we send the personal data you provided to us to another data controller (a data controller determines the purposes and means of processing personal data) in a commonly used electronic format, where technically feasible.
• Right to request restriction: You can request that we restrict our processing of your personal information.
• Right to raise an objection to our processing: Where our processing of your information is performed on the basis of “legitimate business interest”, then you can request we stop.
• Right to complain: If you are dissatisfied with our use or management of your personal information then you should contact the Data Protection Officer Charles Rutter of St Audreys Wincanton Somerset BA9 9DR on 01963 32224 or by email to Charles@rutterandrutter.com If you remain dissatisfied you should contact the information Commissioners Office (ICO) and you can contact them via their website ww.ico.org.uk

 Our Retention Policy

We will only keep your personal data for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was first gained. Personal data will be retained for the purposes detailed in this privacy policy and where we have a legal basis for doing so.

We will regularly review our records to ensure that we do not retain your personal data for longer than is necessary, unless there is a legal reason for extended retention.