Privacy Policy

As solicitors, we have strict professional obligations to:

• Keep client information confidential
• Act in your best interests
• Comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• Maintain appropriate records

This means we may need to collect and process personal data as part of providing legal services.

Information You Provide
‍We may collect:

• Name and contact details
• Identification documents (for compliance checks)
• Details of your legal matter
• Financial information (e.g. income, assets, liabilities)

Special Category (Sensitive) Data
Due to the nature of family law, we may process:

• Information about children and family relationships
• Health or welfare information
• Information relating to safeguarding issues

We only process this information where necessary and lawful.
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Compliance Data (AML)
‍To comply with anti-money laundering regulations, we may also collect:

• Proof of identity and address
• Source of funds / source of wealth information

Contact form enquiries

When you contact us through our website, we collect your name, phone number, email address and the content of your message. We use this to respond to your enquiry and, if you choose to instruct us, to open a matter for you.

Our lawful basis is taking steps at your request before entering into a contract with you, and our legitimate interests in responding to people who contact us.

Please do not include sensitive details about your situation in the contact form. We will discuss these with you securely once we are in touch.

If you do not go on to instruct us, we keep enquiry details for 6 years and then delete them. If you instruct us, your enquiry becomes part of your client file and is kept as set out in our Data Retention section.

Website service providers

We use the following providers to run our website:

• Webflow, Inc. hosts our website and processes contact form submissions.
• Cloudflare, Inc. provides spam and bot protection (Turnstile) on our contact form. It checks information about your browser and device to confirm you are not an automated program.
• Google LLC provides website analytics (Google Analytics), but only if you consent. See the Cookies section.

International transfers

These providers are based in the United States, so your data may be processed outside the UK. Where this happens, we rely on appropriate safeguards. These are the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework or, where it does not apply, the International Data Transfer Agreement or Addendum approved by the ICO.

We use your personal data to:

• Provide legal advice and representation
• Communicate with you about your matter
• Comply with court procedures and legal obligations
• Carry out identity verification and fraud prevention checks
• Manage billing and accounts
• Meet SRA and other regulatory requirements

We process personal data under the following lawful bases:

• Contract – where processing is necessary to provide legal services
• Legal obligation – including compliance with SRA rules and AML regulations
• Legitimate interests – managing our practice and improving services
• Consent – where required

For special category data, processing is typically necessary for:

• Establishing, exercising, or defending legal claims
• Provision of legal advice

We are under a strict duty to keep your information confidential. However, we may disclose your data where:

• You have given consent
• Disclosure is required by law or court order
• It is necessary for your legal matter (e.g. to courts, barristers, experts)
• Required by regulators such as the SRA

We may share your data with:

• Courts and tribunals
• Barristers and expert witnesses
• Other legal professionals
• Identity verification providers
• IT service providers and case management systems
• Regulators (including the SRA)
• Website hosting, security and analytics providers (see Our Website and Enquiries)

All third parties are required to respect confidentiality and data protection laws.

In accordance with SRA guidance and legal requirements:

• Client files are typically retained for at least 6 years after the conclusion of a matter
• Some files may be retained longer depending on risk, legal requirements, or the nature of the case

After this period, data is securely deleted or anonymised.

We take appropriate technical and organisational measures, including:

• Secure case management systems
• Encrypted communication where appropriate
• Access controls and staff training
• Confidentiality obligations for all employees

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

• Access your personal data
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request erasure (where applicable)
• Restrict or object to processing
• Request transfer of your data
• Withdraw consent (where applicable)

Important: Some rights may be limited where data is required for legal proceedings or regulatory obligations. To exercise your rights, contact advice@usherfamilylaw.co.uk.

Cookies are small files stored on your device when you visit a website.

‍Essential: We use technology needed for our website to work securely, including spam protection on our contact form. This does not require your consent.

Analytics (only with your consent): If you accept analytics cookies, we use Google Analytics to understand how visitors use our website, for example which pages are visited and how people find us. This helps us improve the site. The information is collected in a way that does not directly identify you.

Analytics cookies are not set unless you choose "Accept" on our cookie banner. You can change your choice at any time using the Cookie settings link at the bottom of every page.

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, please contact us first.

You also have the right to complain to:
‍Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO)
https://www.ico.org.uk 

As a regulated law firm, you may also raise concerns with:
‍Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA)‍
https://www.sra.org.uk