Privacy Policy

This privacy policy applies between you’ the user of this website and Hawker Jones solicitors (us or we). Hawker Jones Solicitors takes the privacy of your information with tremendous care. This policy applies to our use of any and all Data collected and processed by us or provided by you in relation to your use of the website.

Controller

Hawker Jones Solicitors (the firm) is the controller and responsible for your personal data.

Please read this privacy policy carefully.

Scope of this privacy policy

1. This privacy policy applies only to the actions of us and Users with respect to this Website. It does not extend to any websites that can be accessed from this Website including, but not limited to, any links we may provide to social media websites.
2. For purposes of the applicable Data Protection Laws, we are the "data controller". This means that we determine the purposes for which, and the manner in which, your Data is processed.

Personal information we collect and use

1. We collect, retain and use personal information to enable us to engage and serve you as a client, to give legal advice and conduct legal proceedings and transactions on behalf of our clients. We will collect personal data about you. When you make an enquiry to us, via our website, in person, by email, letter or telephone we collect the following personal information when you provide it to us.
2. We may collect the following Data from you, which includes personal Data, such as your name, gender, job title, profession, contact Information such as email addresses and telephone numbers, demographic information such as postcode, other information relevant to your enquiry/case, IP address (automatically collected), web browser type and version (automatically collected) in each case, in accordance with this privacy policy. By submitting your details on our website, you are also requesting us to process your personal data to enable us to provide information or assistance, to you and we will use and store your information for that purpose
3. We use this data to respond to enquiries made to us to allow us to provide information about the service(s) requested; the performance of a contract on any matter you may instruct us on;

How is your personal Data collected

1. We collect Data in the following ways:
   1. data is given to us by you; and
   2. data is collected automatically.
   3. from specific third parties- information we feel is necessary for the provision/ considering the provision of services.

Data that is given to us by you

1. We will collect your Data in a number of ways, for example:
   1. When you contact us through the Website, by telephone, post, e-mail or through any other means;
   2. Online via our website/social media
   3. Attendance in person at our offices, we may keep a record of that correspondence
   4. In hard copy by post or fax or in person
   5. During the course of our dealings with you in each case, in accordance with this privacy policy.

By submitting your personal information, you consent to the use of that information as set out in this policy.

If you submit your personal details to us by completing and submitting our contact form, we will use your information to:

• Contact you to respond to your request for contact;
• Send information to you about us and our services, where you have not opted out of receiving marketing communications from us. If you would prefer not to receive this information, please let us know.

Data that is collected automatically

1. To the extent that you access the Website, we will collect your Data automatically, for example:
1. We automatically collect some information about your visit to the Website. This information helps us to make improvements to the Website content and navigation, and includes your IP address, the date, times and frequency with which you access the Website and the way you use and interact with its content.
2. We will collect your Data automatically via cookies, in line with the cookie settings on your browser. For more information about cookies, and how we use them on the Website, see the section below, headed "Cookies".

Purposes for which we process your personal data

We use the personal information you provide for the purposes of dealing with your enquiry and in the ordinary course of conducting our business. We will use your personal data we collect when the law allows it to do so in the following circumstances.
The legal basis for processing your personal data is as follows: -

1. For purposes of providing or consider if we should provide our professional legal services to you in accordance with our procedures for accepting instructions.
2. Provide other legal services to you.
3. Responding to your enquiry
4. Client communication between us and you.
5. To request your feedback on our services provided to you.
6. Verify your identity
7. Processing necessary for compliance with legal and regulatory obligations (i.e. preventing money laundering)
8. Provide information about us, our services and our events.

Who we share Data with?

1. We may share your Data with the following groups of people for the following reasons:
   1. Our employees, agents and/or professional advisors -.;
2. We may pass your personal data onto third parties/third party service providers in order to assist us to investigate or progress your case which require the processing of personal data such as the Claims Portal, Askmin/Askcue, Translators, Vehicle engineers, Medico Legal Experts, Treatment Providers, HM Courts & Tribunals Service, Witnesses, Barristers, CRU, Cost Draftsman, Regulatory Bodies, Fraud Prevention agencies, Solicitors acting on the other side. In addition, we may use third-party service providers and your personal data may be shared in the process of providing services to us. These may include banking facilities, IT (including back-up) services; and ID verification services and money laundering checks; in each case, in accordance with this privacy policy.

Third parties are obliged to keep your details securely and use them only to fulfil the service they provide us on your behalf. This sharing of data enables us to provide an efficient service to you in order to progress your matter.

Keeping Data secure

1. We will use technical and organisational measures to safeguard your Data, for example:
   1. Access to your data is controlled by a password and a username that is unique to you.
   2. We store your Data on secure servers.
2. Technical and organisational measures include measures to deal with any suspected data breach. If you suspect any misuse or loss or unauthorised access to your Data, please let us know immediately by contacting us.

Data retention

1. We will only retain your personal data for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes that it was collected for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, accounting, or reporting requirements. (for example, in relation to anti money laundering regulations) taking into consideration applicable UK law.
2. Unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law, we will only hold your Data on our systems for the period necessary to fulfil the purposes outlined in this privacy policy or until you request that the Data be deleted.

Your rights

1. You have the following rights in relation to your Data:
   1. Right to access - the right to request (i) copies of the information we hold about you at any time, or (ii) that we modify, update or delete such information. If we provide you with access to the information, we hold about you, we will not charge you for this, unless your request is "manifestly unfounded or excessive." Where we are legally permitted to do so, we may refuse your request. If we refuse your request, we will tell you the reasons why.
   2. Right to correct - the right to have your Data rectified if it is inaccurate or incomplete.
   3. Right to erase - the right to request that we delete or remove your Data from our systems.
   4. Right to restrict our use of your Data - the right to "block" us from using your Data or limit the way in which we can use it.
   5. Right to data portability - the right to request that we move, copy or transfer your Data.
   6. Right to object - the right to object to our use of your Data including where we use it for our legitimate interests.
2. To make enquiries, exercise any of your rights set out above, or withdraw your consent to the processing of your Data (where consent is our legal basis for processing your Data), please contact us.
3. It is important that the Data we hold about you is accurate and current. Please keep us informed if your Data changes during the period for which we hold it.

Links to other websites

1. This Website may, from time to time, provide links to other websites. We have no control over such websites and are not responsible for the content of these websites. This privacy policy does not extend to your use of such websites. You are advised to read the privacy policy or statement of other websites prior to using them.

Cookies

A cookie is a small data file which seeks your permission to be placed on your computer, laptop, tablet or mobile phone. These files allow us to distinguish you from other users however they do not store personal information about you such as your name or address but are used to track choices you make when navigating our website.

1. This Website may place and access certain Cookies on your computer. We use Cookies to improve your experience of using the Website and to improve our range of services.
2. 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. Most web browsers allow some control of most cookies through the browser settings. To find out more about cookies, including how to see what cookies have been set and how to manage and delete them,
3. You can choose to delete Cookies at any time; however, you may lose any information that enables you to access the Website more quickly and efficiently including, but not limited to, personalisation settings.

Our website may use google analytics to compile statistics from our cookies, which help us to measure how many people visit our site, how long people stay on specific pages, what people clicked on and which parts of the website they find the most useful. This enables us to improve our website and the services we offer.

General

1. You may not transfer any of your rights under this privacy policy to any other person. We may transfer our rights under this privacy policy where we reasonably believe your rights will not be affected.
2. If any court or competent authority finds that any provision of this privacy policy (or part of any provision) is invalid, illegal or unenforceable, that provision or part-provision will, to the extent required, be deemed to be deleted, and the validity and enforceability of the other provisions of this privacy policy will not be affected.
3. Unless otherwise agreed, no delay, act or omission by a party in exercising any right or remedy will be deemed a waiver of that, or any other, right or remedy.
4. This Agreement will be governed by and interpreted according to the law of England and Wales. All disputes arising under the Agreement will be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the English and Welsh courts. By submitting your personal information, you consent to the use of that information as set out in this policy.

Changes to this privacy policy

We reserve the right to change this privacy policy as we may deem necessary from time to time or as may be required by law. Any changes to this policy will be published in an updated version on its website and you are deemed to have accepted the terms of the privacy policy on your first use of the website following the alterations. Please contact our Data Protection Officer, if you have any questions about this privacy notice or the information, we hold about you.

Your Right to Make a Complaint

Our Complaints Procedure

Our Policy

You have the right to complain to us.
You will not be charged for any time spent handling your complaint.
You can request a copy of this complaint procedure at any time.

We issue all clients with copy of this complaint procedure

1. On instruction of our firm.

2. When you raise a complaint.

We shall aim to deal with any complaint that we may receive promptly, fairly, openly, and effectively.

Making a Complaint

We want to give you the best possible service. However, if at any point you become unhappy or concerned about the service that we have provided then you should inform us immediately, so that we can do our best to resolve the problem.

In the first instance it may be helpful to contact the person who is working on your case to discuss your concerns and we will do our best to resolve any issues at that stage. If you do not feel able to discuss your concerns with them, please contact the person responsible for the overall supervision of your matter, who will be named in the client care letter we sent you at the beginning of your matter.

If you do not feel able to raise your concerns with either the fee earner or their supervisor, or if you have raised your issues with the fee earner and you are still not satisfied with the response, you can refer the matter to the Firm’s Complaints Manager, who is Rosan Ali, by emailing rosan.ali@hawkerjones.co.uk or writing to Hawker Jones Solicitors, The Watermark, 9-15 Ribbleton Lane, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 5EZ.

Making a complaint will not affect how we handle your case.

If you need to make a complaint, you should:

1. Complain as soon as possible;
2. Provide your full name and contact details;
3. Provide us with your file reference number, if you have it;
4. Be clear on what the issue is and how you would like it to be resolved;
5. Allow us up to eight weeks to resolve your complaint.

If you require any help in making your complaint, we will try to help you.

Handling and Resolving a Complaint

We will write to you within three working days acknowledging your complaint, enclosing a copy of this policy.

We will investigate your complaint. This will usually involve:

1. Reviewing your complaint;
2. Reviewing your file(s) and other relevant documents; and
3. Liaising with the person who dealt with your matter.

We may also need to ask you for further information or documents. If so, we will ask you to provide the information within a specific period of time.

We will update you on the progress of your complaint at appropriate times.

>We may also, if appropriate, invite you to a meeting to discuss your complaint. You do not have to attend if you do not wish to or if you are unable to. We will be happy to discuss the matter with you by telephone.

We will provide you with a written outcome following an investigation into your complaint to tell you what we have done and what we propose to do to resolve your complaint.

Where possible, we will aim to do this within 21 days of the date of our letter of acknowledgement. If you are not happy with our outcome or we have not provided you with an outcome within 8 weeks, you can contact the Legal Ombudsman.

If we cannot resolve your complaint, you can speak directly to the Legal Ombudsman, provided that you fit one of the following categories:-

• an individual.
1. a business or enterprise that was a micro-enterprise (European Union definition) when it referred the complaint to the authorised person.
2. a charity that had an annual income net of tax of less than £1 million when it referred the complaint to the authorised person.
3. a club/association/organisation, the affairs of which are managed by its members/a committee/a committee of its members, that had an annual income net of tax of less than £1 million when it referred the complaint to the authorised person.
4. a trustee of a trust that had an asset value of less than £1million when it referred the complaint to the authorised person.
5. a personal representative or beneficiary of the estate of a person who, before he/she died, had not referred the complaint to the Legal Ombudsman.

They will look at your complaint independently and it will not affect how we handle your case. The Legal Ombudsman service is free of charge and can investigate complaints about the legal service you have received from us.

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

The Legal Ombudsman expects complaints to be made to them within one year of the date of the act or omission about which you are concerned or within one year of you realising there was a concern. You must also refer your concerns to the Legal Ombudsman within six months of our final response to you.

If you would like more information about the Legal Ombudsman, please contact them as follows:
Website: www.legalombudsman.org.uk
Phone Number: 0300 555 0333 between 9am to 5pm.
Email: enquiries@legalombudsman.org.uk
Address: Legal Ombudsman, PO Box 6167, Slough, SL1 0EH

For complaints that relate specifically to an alleged breach of the SRA Standards and Regulations including the SRA Accounts Rules, you should refer the matter to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA). This could be for things like general misconduct, losing your money or treating you unfairly because of your age, a disability or other characteristic. The SRA will not investigate complaints about services provided by the Firm. They will refer such matters to Legal Ombudsman.

Website: https://www.sra.org.uk/consumers/problems/
Phone Number: 0370 606 2555 between 8am to 5pm. Except Tuesday 9:30am to 5pm.
Contact page: https://www.sra.org.uk/home/contact-us/