Privacy Policy

AST Hampsons LLP is committed to ensuring the privacy of our clients and website visitors is protected. We understand the importance you place on the privacy and security of information which personally identifies you. Whether you are a visitor or a regular user, we take your privacy seriously. This policy explains how we use the information we collect about you.

We ask you for personal data only when it is needed to provide services you have enquired about, or asked us to provide, or to respond to your requests for information. You do not need to provide us with personal data to browse our site.

By using the Site and not advising AST Hampsons to the contrary, you agree to AST Hampsons using the data in the way set out in this Privacy Policy

AST Hampsons is entered in the Information Commissioner’s Register of Data Controllers with registration number ZA205319.

We make every effort to ensure a safe, secure form to email submission process but we must advise you that you are using such form to email submission processes at your own risk.

This privacy policy (together with our terms of use) sets out the basis on which any personal data we collect from you, or that you provide to us, will be processed by us. Please read the following carefully to understand our views and practices regarding your personal data and how we will treat it. By visiting https://www.asthampsons.co.uk you are accepting and consenting to the practices described in this policy.  This policy applies to information we collect about people who use our services and our website.

For the purpose of data protection legislation (which includes the Data Protection Act 1998, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and any other subsequent data protection legislation in force from time to time)), the data controller is AST Hampsons 128 Yorkshire Street
Rochdale OL16 1LA.

 

Information we collect about you

When you use our website

Like most websites, there is certain information that is automatically tracked by the internet service provider, including the website you just came from, which URL you go to next, the browser you are using and any searches you have done. This information is used for internal purposes to monitor activity on the website only and is kept in a form which does not identify individuals. With or without cookies, our website keeps track of usage data, such as the source address that the page request is coming from (i.e. your IP address, domain name), date and time of the page request, the referring website (if any) and other parameters in the URL (e.g. search criteria). We use this data to better understand how our website is used. This information is stored in log files and is used for aggregated and statistical reporting but is not attributed to you as an individual

We also collect information from you through our website when:

  • you provide details by using our online “conveyancing calculator”; and
  • you have completed any “looking for advice” forms
  • you complete any “contact us” forms or claim forms.

The information collected may include; your name and job title, data of birth, contact information including email address, transaction price and other information relevant to your enquiry.

When you become a client by any other method

We will need to collect information in order to provide our service to you. 

The information collected may include; name and job title, Data of birth, contact information including email address, national insurance number, other information relevant to your matter (which may include sensitive category data.

Telephone Calls

We reserve the right to monitor and or record telephone calls subject to and in accordance with law. All recordings belong to us and any records so kept shall be conclusive proof of instructions given or alleged to have been given in the event of a dispute. Any information or any such recordings are subject to disclosure under the data protection legislation

How will we use the information we collect?

  • The information you provide to us will be used for the following reasons:
  • to manage our relationship with you and our clients
  • to provide you with the best service possible
  • to improve our services
  • provide information relating to us if you indicate that you want to receive marketing material or similar communications
  • provide aggregate information and statistics for the purposes of monitoring website usage in order to help AST Hampsons develop their Website and services. These statistics will not include information that can be used to identify any individual

How long do we keep your data?

We will retain records after our business relationship has ended in accordance with our Data Retention Policy, which can be accessed on our website.  This is usually for a period of 15 years, after this time your data will be securely deleted.

Where data is processed solely for marketing purposes, any information we use for this purpose will be kept until you notify us that you no longer wish to receive this information.

Sensitive Personal Data

It may benefit you to notify us of any health condition or disability you have so that we are aware of these conditions and how they affect you.  This will allow us to take any reasonable steps to accommodate specific needs or requirements you have when providing our services to you.  This type of information is known under the law as ‘special category information’ (or ‘sensitive personal data’).  We may also need you to provide us with this type data in order to provide our service to you.  We will only share this type of data where it is necessary to progress your legal matter or with your specific consent.

When do we share your information?

We reserve the right to pass any or all of your personal information to the police or any other relevant body for the purposes of crime protection or prevention or for any purpose associated with your misuse, or suspected misuse of the website or in relation to any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings. We may also disclose any or all of your personal information to our auditors for audit purposes from time to time or other organisations with whom we are jointly organising an event such as a legal seminar.

Third parties may process information on our behalf, such as our IT service providers, and will have incidental access to your information. However, they will be obliged to act only on our instructions and to keep your information secure. Independent suppliers, such as experts, Counsel, enquiry agents and costs draftsmen, who may handle your information as our client in the course of legal proceedings are required to respect and preserve as confidential your personal information. If you are a client of the firm, please see your client care letter and terms of business for further details of third parties to whom we may disclose your personal information.

The personal data that we collect from you may be transferred to, and stored at, a destination outside the European Area (EEA).  Where this is necessary we will put in place appropriate protection to make sure your personal data remains adequately protected.

How do we protect your personal data?

We take the security and protection of your personal data very seriously and have a number of technical and organisational measures in place to ensure that your data is protected at all times.

Marketing

We do not conduct direct marketing activities however from time to time we may invite you to participate in surveys. Participation is entirely optional. Any specific information you provide during the course of a survey is kept confidential and used by us in order to conduct research or improve our services. We will only publish aggregated results and if invite you complete a survey we will request your permission prior to the invitation.

Your Rights

Under data protection legislation, you have several rights regarding the use of your personal data, as follows:

The Right of Confirmation and Access

As a data subject you have the right to obtain confirmation from the data controller as to whether or not personal data concerning you is being processed.  You also have the right to obtain from us free information about your personal data stored at any time and a copy of this information.  Furthermore, you have the right to obtain information as to whether personal data is transferred to a third country or to an international organisation.  Where this is the case, you also have the right to be informed of the appropriate safeguards relating to the transfer.

Right to Rectification and Erasure (Right to be Forgotten)

You have the right to ask us to rectify inaccurate data or to complete any incomplete personal data that we hold.

You have the right to ask us to erase your personal data without delay where one of the statutory grounds applies, so long as the processing is not necessary.  If you request us to erase your personal data then this means that our business relationship will end as we cannot provide our service without processing your data. 

Right of Restriction of Processing/Right to Object

You have the right to restrict the processing of your personal data under certain circumstances, including if you have contested its accuracy and while this is being verified by us, or if you have objected to its processing and while we are considering whether we have legitimate grounds to continue to do so. You have the right to object, on grounds relating to your particular situation, at any time, to the processing of personal data concerning you.

Right of Data Portability

You also have the right for certain data you have given us to be provided to you in a structured and commonly used electronic format (for example, a Microsoft Excel file), so that you can move, copy or transfer this data easily to another data controller.  You may also request that we transmit this data directly to another organisation where it is practical for us to do so.

Automated individual decision-making, including profiling

You have the right not to be subjected to a decision based solely on automated processing, including profiling.  We do not process any personal data in this way.

Data protection for Employment and Recruitment Procedures

Details of how we process data for recruitment or employment procedures are covered separately and will be provided to applicants/employees as part of the HR process.

How to exercise your Rights

If you wish to contact us in respect of any of the Rights described above, please get in touch with our Data Protection Officer, Telephone: Anna Murzell  01706 653322email: [email protected] .We will respond to your request free of charge and usually within one month.

How to complain about the use of your data

If you wish to raise a complaint about how we have handled your personal data, including in relation to any of the rights outlined above, you can contact us on the details below at the start of this notice and we will investigate the matter for you.

If you are not satisfied with our response, or believe we are processing your data unfairly or unlawfully, you can complain to the Supervisory Authority - Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wimslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF.  You can find further information about the ICO and their complaints procedure here: https://ico.org.uk/concerns/

This notice was last updated on 22nd May 2018.  We may change this notice by updating this page to reflect changes in the law or our privacy practices.  However, we will not use your Personal Data in any new ways without your consent.  The most up to date version of the notice can be viewed on our website https://www.asthampsons.co.uk.

Consent

Other than in the above situation we will let you know when your personal information might go to third parties, and you will have the opportunity to decide not to share that information.

Changes to privacy policy

We may edit this policy from time to time. If we make any substantial changes we will notify you by posting a prominent announcement on our web pages. This website and its contents are protected by copyright. The content provided on this website is for general information only.