Privacy Policy & Further Information

Privacy

This privacy policy sets out how RITS Solicitors uses and protects any information that you give RITS Solicitors when you use this website.

RITS Solicitors is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

RITS Solicitors may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes.

Controller

Other than in accordance with any contract you have with RITS Solicitors, RITS Solicitors is the controller and responsible for your personal data (collectively referred to as “RITS”, “we”, “us” or “our” in this privacy notice).

We have appointed a data privacy manager who is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this privacy notice. If you have any questions about this privacy notice, including any requests to exercise your legal rights to such personal data, please contact the data privacy manager using the details set out below, under the heading Controlling Your Personal Data.

What are your rights?

As a data subject, you have the following rights under the GDPR, which this Policy and our use of personal data have been designed to uphold:

-The right to be informed about our collection and use of personal data;

-The right of access to the personal data we hold about you;

-The right to rectification if any personal data we hold about you is inaccurate or incomplete;

-The right to be forgotten – i.e. the right to ask us to delete any personal data we hold about you;

-The right to restrict (i.e. prevent) the processing of your personal data;

-The right to data portability (obtaining a copy of your personal data to re-use with another service or organisation);

-The right to object to us using your personal data for particular purposes; and

-Rights with respect to automated decision making and profiling.

If you have any cause for complaint about our use of your personal data, please contact us using the details provided below under the heading Complaints Procedure and we will do our best to solve the problem for you. If we are unable to help, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the UK’s supervisory authority, the Information Commissioner’s Office.

What we collect?

We may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you which we have grouped together, such as:

Identity Data

This includes first name, maiden name, last name, username or similar identifier, marital status, title, date of birth, gender, job title.

Contact Data

This includes billing address, delivery address, email address and telephone numbers.

Financial Data

This includes bank account and payment card details.

Transaction Data

This includes details about payments to and from you and other details of services you have purchased from us.

Technical Data

This includes internet protocol (IP) address, your login data, browser type and version, time zone setting and location, browser plug-in types and versions, operating system and platform and other technology on the devices you use to access this website.

Profile Data

This includes your username and password, purchases or orders made by you, your interests, preferences, feedback and survey responses.

Usage Data

This includes information about how you use our website, products and services.

Aggregated Data

We also collect, use and share aggregated data such as statistical or demographic data for any Aggregated Data may be derived from your personal data but is not considered personal data in law as this data does not directly or indirectly reveal your identity. For example, we may aggregate your Usage Data to calculate the percentage of users accessing a specific website feature. However, if we combine or connect Aggregated Data with your personal data so that it can directly or indirectly identify you, we treat the combined data as personal data which will be used in accordance with this privacy notice.

Special Categories

We only Special Categories of Personal Data about you (this includes details about your race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about your health and genetic and biometric data) including any criminal convictions and offences if it's connection to your matter.

What happens if you fail to provide personal data?

Where we need to collect personal data by law, or under the terms of a contract we have with you and you fail to provide that data when requested, we may not be able to perform the contract we have or are trying to enter into with you (for example, to provide you with goods or services). In this case, we may have to cancel a product or service you have with us but we will notify you if this is the case at the time.

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons:

-Internal record keeping;

-To register you as a new client;

To manage our relationship with you which will include:

*Notifying you about changes to our terms or privacy policy

*Asking you to leave a review or take a survey

We may use the information to improve and provide our services;

We may periodically send promotional emails about changes in the law, invitations to seminars or ideas which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided;

From time to time, we may also use your information to contact you for market research purposes. We may contact you by email, phone, fax or mail.

To administer and protect our business and this website (including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, system maintenance, support, reporting and hosting of data);

To use data analytics to improve our website, products/services, marketing, customer relationships and experiences; and

To deliver relevant website content and advertisements to you and measure or understand the effectiveness of the advertising we serve to you.

How we use your personal data

We will only use your personal data when the law allows us to. Most commonly, we will use your personal data in the following circumstances:

Perform the contract

Where we need to perform the contract we are about to enter into or have entered into with you, which means processing your data where it is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party or to take steps at your request before entering into such a contract.

Legitimate interest

Where it is necessary for our legitimate interests or those of a third party (the interest of our business in conducting and managing our business to enable us to give you the best service and the best and most secure experience) and your interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests. We make sure we consider and balance any potential impact on you (both positive and negative) and your rights before we process your personal data for our legitimate interests. We do not use your personal data for activities where our interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless we have your consent or are otherwise required or permitted to by law). You can obtain further information about how we assess our legitimate interests against any potential impact on you in respect of specific activities by contacting us using the details provided below.

Legal or regulatory obligation

Where we need to comply with a legal or regulatory obligation, which means processing your personal data where it is necessary for compliance with a legal or regulatory obligation that we are subject to.

Consent

Generally we do not rely on consent as a legal basis for processing your personal data other than in relation to sending third party direct marketing communications to you via email or text message. You have the right to withdraw consent to marketing at any time by contacting us.

How is your personal data collected?

We use different methods to collect data from and about you including through:

*Direct interactions

*You may give us your Identity, Contact and Financial Data by filling in forms or by corresponding with us by post, phone, email or otherwise. This includes personal data you provide when you:

*Apply for our services;

*Fill out a new enquiry form on our website;

*Subscribe to our service or publications;

*Request marketing to be sent to you; or

*Give us some feedback.

Automated technologies or interactions

As you interact with our website, we may automatically collect Technical Data about your equipment, browsing actions and patterns. We collect this personal data by using cookies, server logs and other similar technologies.

Third parties or publicly available sources

We may receive personal data about you from various third parties and public sources as set out below:

Technical Data from analytics providers such as Google based outside the EU.

How and where we store your data?

We will keep your personal data for as long as we need to in order to use it as described above, and/or for as long as we have your permission to keep it.

Your data will only be stored in the UK.

In some circumstances we may anonymise your personal data (so that it can no longer be associated with you) for research or statistical purposes in which case we may use this information indefinitely without further notice to you.

Opting out

You can ask us or third parties to stop sending you marketing messages at any time by contacting us at any time.

Where you opt out of receiving these marketing messages, this will not apply to personal data provided to us as a result of a service purchase, warranty registration, service experience or other transactions.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use cookies

A cookie is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer’s hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to enable you to visit other websites of interest easily. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your personal information

We will never sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties.

You may request details of personal information which we hold about you under the Data Protection Regulation. If you want a copy of the information held on you please write to RITS Solicitors, 20 Eastleigh Avenue HA2 0UF.

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.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete or you do not wish to receive our marketing material, blogs or newsletters please write to the email: clientservices@ritssolicitors.co.uk as soon as possible with details of the change you require.

Time Limit to respond

We try to respond to all legitimate requests within one month. Occasionally it may take us longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, we will notify you and keep you updated.

Complaints Procedure

If you are dissatisfied with any aspect of service, you should raise your dissatisfaction with Thalatha Wickramasinghe in writing immediately. Any complaint will be dealt with as promptly and as comprehensively as follows. You will receive a preliminary response to your complaint within 28 days of receipt of the complaint or if this is not possible you will be provided with reasons. RITS will work with you to try to agree a satisfactory conclusion. You will not be charged for the cost of complaint handling.

Legal Ombudsman and assessment of the bill

If you are not satisfied with the way in which we handled your complaint you may be able to make a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman and / or apply to the court of an assessment of the bill under Part III of the Solicitors Act 1974.  Normally, you will need to bring a complaint to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of receiving a final written response from us about your complaint.

Before accepting a complaint for investigation, the Legal Ombudsman will check that you have tried to resolve your complaint with us first. If you have, then you must take your complaint to the Legal Ombudsman:

* Within six months of receiving a final response to your complaint

and

* No more than six years from the date of act/omission; or

*No more than three years from when you should reasonably have known there was cause for complaint

The address of the Legal Ombudsman is: 

PO Box 6806, Wolverhampton WV1 9WJ. http://www.legalombudsman.org.uk.

Telephone – 0300 555 0333. E-mail – enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk

Governing law and jurisdiction: English law governs these terms of engagement and any dispute arising out of the terms will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English courts.

Solicitors Regulation Authority

The Solicitors Regulation Authority can help if you are concerned about our behaviour .This could be for things like dishonesty, taking or losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic.

Visit their website to see how you can raise your concerns with the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

www.sra.org.uk

Fee structure

You will be advised of the method of calculating fees. Fees are usually calculated by either:

Hourly rates charged in units of 6 minutes to the nearest unit; or

Fixed fee basis; or

Combination of hourly rates and fixed fees.

Fees are based on the amount of time taken to complete the work required. RITS will charge a premium if, for example, members of staff work outside normal working hours, or if your matter involves a complex or unusual aspect. Unless we have agreed a fixed fee in advance of undertaking the work the hourly basis of charging applies.  If any fixed fee work runs outside the scope of the work referred to in the particular fixed fee arrangement we will notify you and discuss. An estimate of costs is not a fixed fee and the hourly basis does apply when an estimate has been given.

Termination of the engagement

You can terminate your instructions to us in writing at any time.  Upon receipt of notice we will issue an invoice in respect of any unbilled time costs or disbursements.

RITS can decide to stop acting for you at any time upon notice. We do not have to assign any reason. Typical reasons why RITS may decide to stop acting for you include any of the following:

Failure to settle RITS invoices in whole or part;

Failure to make a payment on account when requested;

Failure to provide clear instructions or accurate information to RITS;

Failure to follow RITS instructions;

A conflict of interest arises;

Failure to supply adequate evidence of identity;

RITS determine that trust and confidence in you has broken down; and/or

Where to continue to act would be a breach of our professional guidelines as determined by RITS.

Conduct

Solicitors are under a professional and legal obligation to keep the affairs of clients confidential. This obligation, however, is subject to a statutory exception permitting disclosure to the Serious and Organised Crime Agency and other governmental bodies. Where a solicitor knows or suspects that a transaction on behalf of a client involves money laundering, the solicitor may be required to make a disclosure.  If, while we are acting for you, it becomes necessary to make a disclosure, we may not be able to inform you that a disclosure has been made or of the reasons for it.