Privacy notice

Who we are

Wharfedale Family Law Limited is the data controller for the information described here. That means we decide what is collected and what happens to it, and we are accountable for it.

What we collect

If you use the enquiry form or call us: your name, phone number, email address if you give one, the category of matter you select, and whatever you choose to tell us about your situation.

If you become a client: the information needed to act for you. In family matters that is often sensitive — details about your relationship, your finances, your health, and your children. We collect it because we cannot advise you without it, and we ask for what is necessary rather than everything that might be relevant.

Identity checks: we are required by anti-money-laundering rules to verify who you are before acting. That normally means sight of photo identification and proof of address.

Why, and on what basis

• To respond to your enquiry. Our legitimate interest in answering people who ask us for help. You can object at any time and we will stop.
• To act for you. Performance of our contract with you. For the special category information common in family matters, we rely on the basis in data protection law covering the establishment, exercise and defence of legal claims.
• To meet our legal and regulatory obligations. Anti-money-laundering checks, SRA requirements, our insurers, and record-keeping for tax.

We do not use your information for marketing, we do not build profiles, and we do not sell data to anyone, ever.

Cookies and analytics

This website sets no cookies. We do not use Google Analytics, advertising pixels, social media trackers, or anything else that follows you between sites. That is why you have not been asked to accept a cookie banner — there is nothing to accept.

Our hosting provider records standard server request logs, which include IP addresses, for security and to keep the site running. These are not linked to you and are not used to identify visitors.

How long we keep it

• Enquiries that do not become matters: 12 months, then deleted.
• Client files: six years from the end of the matter, which reflects limitation periods and our insurers' requirements. Files involving children may be kept longer where there is a good reason.
• Anti-money-laundering records: five years from the end of the business relationship, as required by law.

When a retention period ends, records are securely destroyed.

Who we share it with

Only where it is necessary for your matter or required of us. In practice that means:

• barristers, mediators and expert witnesses instructed on your matter, with your knowledge
• the court, and the other party's solicitors, where proceedings require it
• our IT and case management providers, under contracts that restrict what they may do with it
• our auditors, insurers and regulator, where they are entitled to see it

Your information is stored on servers in the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area. We do not transfer it outside that area.

Your rights

You can ask us to:

• give you a copy of the information we hold about you
• correct anything inaccurate
• delete it, where we are not required to keep it
• restrict what we do with it while a question about it is resolved
• stop relying on legitimate interest, where that is the basis we are using
• provide it in a portable format

Email privacy@wharfedalefamilylaw.co.uk. We respond within one month. There is no charge. Some rights are limited where we are under a legal duty to retain records, and we will explain if that applies to your request.

Complaining to the ICO

If you think we have handled your information badly, tell us first — it is usually quicker. You also have the right to complain directly to the Information Commissioner's Office at any time.