Privacy Policy
Introduction
At Wood L&M Solutions, we seek to provide our services in such a way as to serve your needs best. To achieve this, we may need to collect personal information about you and the circumstances surrounding your legal matter. Wood L&M Solutions acknowledges that it is bound by the Australian Privacy Principles (APP) contained in the Privacy Amendment (Enhancing Privacy Sector) Act 2012 (Cth) (Privacy Amendment Act). This policy outlines the way in which we obtain, store, use and manage personal information.
What does “personal information” mean?
Personal information is any information about you that identifies you or by which your identity may be reasonably determined.
What kinds of personal information does Wood L&M Solutions collect and hold?
The type of information that we may collect and hold includes information about:
- clients, business associates and potential clients and their employees;
- individuals we collect in the course of acting for our clients;
- suppliers and their employees;
- employees, prospective employees and contractors; and
- other people who come into contact with a member of Wood L&M Solutions.
In general, the personal information we collect and hold includes name, contact details, occupation, personal preferences, payment details, education, qualifications, testimonials and feedback, and other information which assists us in conducting our business, providing and marketing our services and meeting our legal obligations. In some cases, we may also collect ‘sensitive information’, such as information about an individual’s membership of a professional association, criminal record or health information.
How do we collect and hold personal information?
We will generally collect personal information:
- from you directly when you provide your details to us;
- from you indirectly through emails, forms, face-to-face meetings, interviews, business cards and telephone conversations and through use of the services and facilities available through our website and social media channels (including our newsletters, Facebook and LinkedIn channel); and
- from third parties in some instances; for example, we may use third parties to analyse traffic at our website, our newsletters and social media channels which may involve the use of cookies. In some circumstances, we may collect personal information about an individual from a third party, for example, an employment reference from another person.
It is possible that we may collect personal information about you from other sources without your direct knowledge, for example, where funds are transferred from your bank account into our trust account and your bank account details are provided to us.
How do we collect and use information from our website?
When you visit our website to read, browse or download information, our system may record information such as the date and time of your visit to the website, the pages accessed and any information downloaded. This information is anonymous and is used for statistical reporting and website administration and maintenance purposes only. We may collect information about you through the website when you:
- register or update an online profile which may include personal information such as your name or address;
- submit electronic forms requesting us to provide services or take actions;
- submit messages or comments; and
- participate in online surveys.
Like many websites, our website may use cookies from time to time. Cookies are small text files that we transfer to your computer’s hard drive through your web browser to enable our systems to recognise your browser. Cookies and the anonymous web usage information referred to above will not be used to identify you as an individual unless required by law or where the website is accessed via links in an email we have sent which specifically refers to the fact that clicking on links may be tracked.
Whilst we take great care to protect your personal information on our website, no data transmission over the internet can be guaranteed to be secure. Accordingly, we cannot warrant the security of any information you send to us or receive from us online. This is particularly true for information you send to us via email. We have no way of guaranteeing that information is protected in transit. Once we receive your information, we will use our best efforts to ensure its security. From time to time, some sections of the website may protect your personal information by requiring you to use a password. For your own protection, we require you to keep this confidential and to change your password regularly.
Please note that in some emergency or law enforcement situations, government agencies may have the authority to review our web server’s records.
Our website contains links to other websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or policies of those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of those other websites.
Similarly, if you linked to our website through a third-party website, we are not responsible for the privacy practices or policies of those other websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of those other third-party websites.
Why do we collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information?
In general, we may collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information for the following purposes:
- to conduct our business;
- to provide and market our services;
- to communicate with you to provide or promote our services;
- to purchase goods or services;
- to help us manage and enhance our services; and
- to comply with our legal obligations.
Who might we disclose your personal information to?
We may disclose your personal information (including, in certain limited circumstances, your sensitive information) for the purposes for which it was collected and also:
- subject to our professional obligations, to any person where necessary or desirable in connection with our provision of legal services, such as to the client, regulatory advisors or other partners or advisors (whether in Australia or overseas);
- within Wood L&M Solutions;
- on a confidential basis to external service providers so that they can provide financial, administrative or other services in connection with the operation of our business, for example, photocopy, auditing, technology and data processing, security and archive services providers and financial and other professional institutions;
- as required by law subject to our professional obligations, as permitted under the APP; and
- with your consent.
We will take all reasonable steps to ensure that any third parties to whom your personal information is disclosed undertake to comply with the APP so as to protect the personal information disclosed to them.
Will personal information be disclosed to overseas recipients?
We may need to disclose information to persons overseas. We may not always be able to take reasonable steps to ensure that they do not breach the Privacy Act 1988 and they may not be subject to the same obligations to protect personal information as applies in Australia by virtue of the Privacy Act 1988. By continuing to acquire our services and/or products, you consent to us disclosing information to such persons and agree that you cannot claim relief from us and you may not have any right of action against the overseas recipient of the information.
Ensuring your information is up to date
The effective and proper maintenance of your legal matter can only occur when the personal information that we hold is current and up to date. In this regard, it is important that, during the course of your relationship with Wood L&M Solutions, you notify us of any changes to your personal information which we hold. This includes your contact details and any matter that may be relevant to the services that we provide to you.
How will Wood L&M Solutions manage your personal information?
Wood L&M Solutions will take all reasonable precautions to safeguard personal information that is held by us, either on file or on computer, from loss, misuse, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.
Wood L&M Solutions personnel are required to respect the confidentiality of personal information and the privacy of individuals. We provide all employees with training in relation to our obligations under the APP and the Privacy Amendment Act. In addition, this policy is incorporated into our Policy Manual and our principal director oversees continued compliance with the APP.
When Wood L&M Solutions no longer requires your personal information and our services to you have come to an end, your file will be held by us in archives, possibly off location, for a period of seven years and then securely destroyed. The information will also be deleted from our main computer system.
How can you access your personal information?
Subject to the exceptions set out in the Privacy Act 1988 and the Privacy Amendment Act, you may request access to the personal information we hold about you by contacting “The Principal, Wood L&M Solutions”. We will respond to your request within 30 days and will require you to verify your identity and to specify what information you require. You may be charged a fee for providing access related to the time taken to locate and provide the information requested by you. You will be advised of the cost in advance. In certain circumstances, we may not be required by law to provide access to or to correct personal information. If that is the case, we will give you our reasons for that decision.
Wood L&M Solutions reserves the right to deny access to personal information where the information may relate to existing or anticipated legal proceedings between Wood L&M Solutions and you or where access may be regarded as frivolous or vexatious.
Where you establish that personal information we hold about you is not accurate, complete or up to date, we will take reasonable steps to correct the information. If there is disagreement as to whether the information is accurate, complete and up to date, we will take reasonable steps to associate with the information a statement claiming that the information is not accurate, complete or up to date upon your request.
How can you make a privacy related complaint?
If at any time you believe that Wood L&M Solutions has wrongfully disclosed your personal information or has breached this Privacy Policy, you may lodge a complaint with us by phoning our Principal, Tracey Wood, on 07 5518 9641 or in writing at PO Box 7342, Southport Park QLD 4215.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from Wood L&M Solutions, you may contact the Federal Privacy Commissioner by phoning 1300 363 992 or in writing to the Director of Complaints, Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner, GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 1042.
Updates to this Privacy Policy
Wood L&M Solutions is constantly monitoring regulations, policies and procedures to ensure that we are up to date with changes in the law and market practices. As a result, we may change this Privacy Policy from time to time.
Last updated: 30 December 2021