Commitment to your privacy
Jackson McDonald (‘we’, ‘our’, ’us’) is bound by the National Privacy Principles under the Privacy Act and we are committed to ensuring the privacy of the information our clients provide to us.
We understand that your personal information, and how we use it, is very important to you. The following statement reflects our policy in relation to the personal information that we collect.
However, if you have any further questions relating to this privacy policy, please do not hesitate to contact our privacy officer (contact details below).
Our privacy policy
We will:
not collect personal information unless we consider it necessary for us to provide services;
not use or disclose personal information about an individual for a purpose other than the purpose for which it was collected;
a) a related purpose which the individual would reasonably expect;
b) a purpose required or permitted by law; or
c) a purpose for which we have obtained the consent of the individual.
take all reasonable steps to make sure that the personal information we collect, use or disclose is accurate and up to date;
take all reasonable steps to protect and safeguard the personal information we collect;
make available our policies on our management of personal information;
provide individuals with access to their personal information that we hold, except where we are required or entitled by law to refuse access.
When do we collect personal information?
We will only collect personal information if it is necessary for us to do so.
Situations in which we may collect personal information include:
- when taking instructions from clients or prospective clients – to determine what kind of legal service is currently necessary and might be so in the future, to handle any inquiries we might receive in relation to a matter, to arrange account details;
- when dealing with other parties to a matter
- when required by law
- when dealing with certain government agencies
- when dealing with courts or tribunals
- in connection with suppliers – to ensure that they are able to provide the services that we require and so that we may refer clients to them
- when recruiting staff – in reviewing CVs, arranging contact details, conducting interviews
- when presenting seminars or conducting workshops
- Personal information may include sensitive information (for example, religious beliefs, health status, ethnic origins)
Ways in which we collect personal information
We collect personal information in person, in writing, by telephone, through our website and through other methods of communication. Most of the personal information that we collect is provided to us by our clients, when they initially instruct us, and during the course of us acting for them.
Sometimes we may need to collect personal information from third parties, in the course of carrying out our instructions, ensuring that information that we have been given is correct, or trying to gain a clearer picture of all the issues in a matter upon which we have taken instructions.
These third parties may include:
- other parties to litigation or a transaction
- other parties’ lawyers
- your agents and contractors, including your finance broker, builder, settlement agent, financial advisor, insurance broker, insurer, banks and other financial providers
- credit reference agencies and other information-providing bodies
- statutory bodies such as DOLA and ASIC, and other government agencies and instrumentalities
referees
In each case, we will treat personal information we collect in accordance with the principles set out above.
What do we use personal information for?
We use personal information to: assess the nature and scope of a matters upon which we are being asked to act, to provide legal services, satisfy regulatory requirements, carry out administrative tasks, recruiting, manage our client’s rights and obligations in relation to external obligations and statutory obligations, refer our clients to suppliers, conduct market or client satisfaction research.
Disclosure of personal information to third parties
Sometimes, in order to supply you with our services, we may disclose your personal information to third parties. These may include Sherwood Court Settlements, bodies related to Jackson McDonald, agents, contractors, insurers, advisors, your agents, your contractors and organizations with whom we have an alliance or arrangements, and other entities which it is reasonable to expect that information would be provided by in the course of or incidental to the provision of services by us.
We will only do so in accordance with our policy.
We may also be required to disclose your personal information to some third parties by law.
When we collect personal information usually will take reasonable steps at or before the time we collect personal information from an individual, to ensure that individual is aware of:
who we are and our full contact details;
the fact that person is able to gain access to the personal information that we collect;
the purposes for which the personal information is collected;
the organisations (or types of organisations) we will usually disclose or transfer that personal information to;
any law which requires us to collect the personal information;
the main consequences if we do not disclose all (or part) of the personal information.
However, there are circumstances where we are not required to do so.
Access to your personal information
If you request, then in most circumstances we will make available to you the personal information about you that we have collected. Situations where we might not allow you access to your personal information are described below.
Requests for access to your personal information should be made in writing to our privacy officer.
We will respond to a request for access to information as a priority and will seek to do so within a maximum of 10 days.
We will not charge you for requesting access to your own personal information.
When might we refuse access to your personal information?
In certain circumstances we may refuse you access to your personal information.
The circumstances in which we might do so include:
it would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others;
the information relates to legal proceedings with you;
the information would reveal our commercially sensitive decision-making process;
providing access to the information would prejudice certain investigations;
we are required by law not to disclose the information. This includes duties we may have under common law eg if providing access would breach professional privilege.
What to do if you believe the information we hold about you is inaccurate
If you believe that any information that we hold about you is inaccurate or out of date, please contact us and we will review and update the relevant information.
Direct Marketing
In order to provide services to you we may use your personal information in order to update you as to the products or services being offered by Jackson McDonald.
If you do not wish to receive marketing information, you may at any time decline to receive such information by contacting our offices by telephoning 9426 6611 or by writing to us at the address indicated below.
Change in our privacy policy
We will review this privacy policy from time to time and inform you of any changes to this policy in order that we may meet our client’s expectations in relation to their personal information.
If you are dissatisfied with the manner in which we use your personal information
We want always to improve our systems and procedures to give you full confidence in our ability to respect and safeguard the privacy of the personal information you provide to us. If we have not fulfilled our commitment to you, please tell us by contacting our privacy officer.
CONTACT DETAILS
Mr John McLean
Chief Executive Officer
Jackson McDonald
140 St Georges Terrace
PERTH, WA 6000
Tel: 9426 6611
Fax: 9321 0470
Email: jmclean@jacmac.com.au