Introduction
At VPN Lawyers, we are committed to providing you with high-quality legal services that meet your individual needs. To achieve this, we may need to collect personal information related to your matter. We prioritize your comfort in providing this information and assure you that any personal data you share with us is handled with the utmost confidentiality and privacy.
What is Personal Information?
Personal information is any data that identifies you or could reasonably be used to ascertain your identity. This information enables us to offer effective legal services, fully understand your situation, and provide appropriate advice. Examples of personal information include:
Your name
Date of birth
Address
Gender
Workplace
How Do We Collect Your Personal Information?
We collect personal information from you throughout our professional relationship. We strive to gather this information directly from you. If we need to obtain it from external sources, we will seek your consent beforehand.
Whenever possible, we prefer to obtain your written consent to collect or disclose your personal information. In some cases, your consent may be implied when we are authorized to act on your behalf, such as during negotiations in conveyancing, litigation, or commercial disputes.
Regardless of how we obtain your personal information, VPN Lawyers is committed to handling it in accordance with the Privacy Policy outlined below.
VPN Lawyers’ Privacy Policy
Disclosure of Personal Information
There may be occasions when we need to disclose some of your personal information. Unless we have your consent, we will not disclose any personal information to parties outside our firm. Your consent to disclose this information may be necessary for pursuing your legal matter and can be either express or implied through your interactions with us.
We are committed to keeping your personal information confidential and within the scope of our client retainer agreement. If we need to disclose your information to external parties, we will endeavor to obtain your consent beforehand. Examples of such disclosures include:
- Sharing information with insurance companies to ensure policy accuracy
- Providing documents to court recipients as required in legal proceedings
- Briefing barristers acting on your behalf
- Engaging experts who may provide reports relevant to your matter
- Communicating with government authorities pertinent to your case
- Complying with legal obligations, such as responding to a subpoena
We may periodically confirm your personal information with you to ensure our records are accurate and up-to-date. It is crucial that the details we hold are correct throughout our relationship.
Security of Your Personal Information
VPN Lawyers prides itself on maintaining the confidentiality and security of your personal information. We implement all necessary and reasonable measures to protect your data from misuse, loss, unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure. Our security measures include:
Employing internal and external premises security
Requiring all employees, agents, and associates to sign confidentiality agreements
Utilizing advanced computer security technology and regular maintenance to prevent security breaches
Restricting access to your personal information to authorized personnel only
Implementing robust firewall protection
Please note that there may be times when we need to transfer your personal information between our offices. We will only do so if necessary and will take all required precautions to keep your information secure during transit. We use reputable courier services to ensure the safe delivery of sensitive information.
Upon termination of our client retainer agreement with you, we will retain your records in our archives for a period of seven years, after which all information will be securely destroyed.
Accessing Your Personal Information
You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you at any time. Please provide us with reasonable notice so we can make the information available to you. VPN Lawyers reserves the right to charge a fee to cover the costs of retrieving your information, but we will ensure these costs are reasonable and process your request promptly. Upon accessing your information, we may ask you to sign a document confirming your access.
Please note that you can only access your own personal information. We will not disclose any personal data related to other individuals.
VPN Lawyers reserves the right to deny access to personal information if providing access would result in a conflict of interest or compromise legal proceedings. Disclosure of sensitive information will only be made with your direct consent, especially when required to establish or defend a legal claim or when mandated by law.
Online Accessibility
As mentioned, we have advanced online security measures in place. Our computer systems are regularly audited to prevent security breaches. However, please be aware that email communication may not always be secure. We recommend using secure methods when disclosing personal information electronically.
Use of Personal Information for Marketing
From time to time, VPN Lawyers may use your personal information, such as contact details, to inform you about other services we offer that may be of interest to you. If you prefer not to receive such communications, please notify our office, and we will respect your request.
We assure you that we will not disclose your personal information to parties outside of our firm for purposes unrelated to advancing your legal matter or unless required by law.
Confidentiality Assurance
We remind you that solicitor-client confidentiality persists regardless of any legal requirement to produce information. Any information you provide to us is confidential, and we are committed to handling it professionally and with discretion.
Changes to Our Privacy Policy
VPN Lawyers continually monitors policy and regulatory changes to ensure compliance with current laws and industry practices. Consequently, our Privacy Policy may change from time to time. Any updates will be published on our website.
Complaints and Inquiries
If you have any complaints or questions about our Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal information, please contact our office either by phone or in writing at the address provided on our website.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner by calling 1300 363 992 or writing to:
Director of Complaints
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5288
Sydney NSW 2001
Contact Us
Phone: 0470574889
Level 4/301
New Hampshire road Sunshine
Victoria 3020
info@vpnlawyers.com.au
For any inquiries regarding our Privacy Policy or your personal information, please feel free to contact our office.
