Privacy Policy

Privacy Policy


Introduction


This website is operated by McArthur Stanton. We are committed to protecting and respecting your privacy and complying with the GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation), the DPA (Data Protection Act 1998) [pre GDPR enforcement] and the PECR (Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations 2003). McArthur Stanton is a Data Controller in terms of GDPR. Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR), the lawful bases we rely on for processing this information are your consent (which you can remove at any time usong the contact details below), and our legal and regulatory obligations.

This statement sets out our privacy policy and explains what we do with the personal information that we collect from our users. Please read the following to understand our views and practices regarding personal information. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this statement you should contact us using the details given at the end of this statement.

As a law firm, much of the personal data that we process is subject to an obligation we have to our clients to maintain confidentiality in relation to that information. This means that we may be exempt from the obligation to provide fair processing information to some of the data subjects whose personal data is contained in the information. This notice is to provide fair processing information when the processing we carry out is not subject to an obligation of confidentiality. This privacy notice will also provide details about the rights that individuals have in relation to the personal data that we hold about them.

Please note that this policy applies only to the McArthur Stanton website and not to the websites of other organisations to which we may provide links. We are not responsible for the privacy policies or practices of such third party sites and you should make your own enquiries in respect of them.

What Information may be collected?

We collect personal information from you when you access the website and when you contact us to request information on services we offer and for auditing usage of the site. Your details will also be entered into our database for general administration purposes. We will obtain your contact details (name, telephone numbers, email, address) and such other information as you provide to us prior to you becoming a client and thereafter, they will be stored in our system to allow us to contact you about your case, or the case we are dealing with on behalf of a third party.

We will also process the personal data that is required to provide you with advice and this will depend on the type of case we are dealing with. This could be financial information; special category personal data or any other personal data as necessary for your legal matter. On occasion we may take payments via credit card or debit card either at one of our offices or over the phone. Our processes are compliant with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and no card details are stored by us. We do store bank details if required for the matter we are dealing with.

If you do not wish us to collect your personal data please do not provide it.

McArthur Stanton may in some cases collect information about you that may not be personal data. For example the type of Internet browser you are using, the type of computer operating system you are using, and the domain name of a website from which you are linked to the McArthur Stanton site.

How is the information used?

We will use the information we collect to track and monitor the usage of our website and help us understand the patterns of site visitors. This will help us operate the site more effectively, identify what sort of information is of interest to our users and assist us in business processes such as accounting, marketing and record keeping.

Once your case is complete and our legal services have ended, we will retain the personal data in your file for at least twenty years in line with the long prescriptive period. We will also comply with the Law Society of Scotland’s Guidance on the Destruction of Files. We have a data retention policy which reflects this approach.

Will my personal information be provided to Third Parties?

  • We may share your personal information with third parties but only in the strictly limited circumstances set out below.
  • We may supply your personal information to third parties (such as our internet service providers) who help us administer our website. Your personal information may also be supplied to our title search providers amongst others. These third parties must at all times provide the same levels of security for your personal information as McArthur Stanton and, where required, are bound by a legal agreement to keep your personal information private, secure and to process it only on the specific instructions of McArthur Stanton.
  • We may also supply your personal information to government bodies and law enforcement agencies but only: if we are required to do so by the requirements of any applicable law; in our reasonable opinion, such action is reasonably necessary to comply with legal process; to respond to any legal claims or actions; or to protect the rights of McArthur Stanton, its clients and the public.

Will I be sent information that I did not ask for?

To keep you informed about our services and events, we may occasionally contact you by email or post. If you wish not to receive such communications please contact us at the address below.

What security will exist?

We are committed to protecting the privacy of your personal data. We use appropriate standards of technology and operational security to protect personal information including a Secure Server and network firewall connection. Operationally, access to personal information is restricted to authorised personnel who are under a duty to maintain the confidentiality and security of such information.

Internet and Data Storage

The Internet is inherently insecure. Personal Data submitted by means of the Internet may be vulnerable to unauthorised access by third parties. Submission of Personal Data using the Internet is at your own risk. We will take reasonable and appropriate technical measures to ensure that your Personal Data is stored in a secure manner. However, we shall have no liability for disclosure of data due to errors in transmission or the fraudulent, negligent or other illegal acts of a third party, such as ‘Hacking’. Any transmission of personal information on or through the use of our website is at your own risk.

Use of Cookies

This website uses cookies to better understand the users’ experience while visiting the website. Cookies are small files saved to the user’s computer’s hard drive that track, save and store information about the user’s interactions and usage of the website. This allows the website, through its server, to provide the users with a tailored experience within this website.

Users are advised that if they wish to deny the use and saving of cookies from this website onto their computer’s hard drive they should take necessary steps within their web browser’s security settings to block all cookies from this website and its external serving vendors or use the cookie control system if available upon their first visit.

Measuring Website Usage (Google Analytics)

We use Google Analytics software to collect information about how you use this website. We do this to help make sure the site is meeting the needs of its users and to help us make improvements.

Google Analytics stores information about:

  • the pages you visit
  • how long you spend on each page
  • how you got to the site
  • what you click on while you’re visiting the site

We don’t collect or store your personal information (for example your name or address) so this information can’t be used to identify who you are. We don’t allow Google to use or share our analytics data.

Google Analytics sets the following cookies in accordance with Google’s privacy policy:-

Universal Analytics

Name | Purpose | Expires
_ga | This helps us count how many people visit the site by tracking if you’ve visited before | 2 years
_gid | This helps us count how many people visit the site by tracking if you’ve visited before | 24 hours
_gat | Used to manage the rate at which page view requests are made | 10 minutes

Google Analytics

Name | Purpose | Expires
_utma | Like _ga, this lets us know if you’ve visited before, so we can count how many of our visitors are new to the site or to a certain page | 2 years
_utmb | This works with _utmc to calculate the average length of time you spend on the site | 30 minutes
_utmc | This works with _utmb to calculate when you close your browser | When you close your browser
_utmz | This tells us how you reached the site (for example from another website or a search engine) | 6 months

Downloads & Media Files

Any downloadable documents, files or media made available on this website are provided to users at their own risk. While all precautions have been undertaken to ensure only genuine downloads are available, users are advised to verify their authenticity using third party antivirus software or similar applications.

Social Media Usage

While we may have official profiles on social media platforms, users are advised to verify authenticity of such profiles before engaging with, or sharing information with such profiles. We will never ask for user passwords or personal details on social media platforms. Users are advised to conduct themselves appropriately when engaging with us on social media.

There may be instances where our website features social sharing buttons, which help share web content directly from web pages to the respective social media platforms. You use social sharing buttons at your own discretion and accept that doing so may publish content to your social media profile feed or page. You can find further information about some social media privacy and usage policies in the Resources section below.

Transmission of data overseas

McArthur Stanton will not transfer your Personal Data to a country outside the European Economic Area without your prior consent and without first having assessed the adequacy of protection for individual rights in respect of personal data available in that country.

How Can I Access My Personal Information?

You have certain rights as a Data Subject under GDPR to request details and in certain circumstances a copy of the personal data which we hold about you. If you would like a copy, please write to us at the address below and mark your envelope “Personal information request”. Should you discover any inaccuracies in such personal data, please notify us as soon as possible at the same address. We will then correct our records and notify any third parties to whom such personal data may have been supplied.

The specific rights you have under data protection law include:

  • Your right of access - You have the right to ask us for copies of your personal information.
  • Your right to rectification - You have the right to ask us to rectify personal information you think is inaccurate. You also have the right to ask us to complete information you think is incomplete.
  • Your right to erasure - You have the right to ask us to erase your personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Your right to restriction of processing - You have the right to ask us to restrict the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Your right to object to processing - You have the the right to object to the processing of your personal information in certain circumstances.
  • Your right to data portability - You have the right to ask that we transfer the personal information you gave us to another organisation, or to you, in certain circumstances.

You are not required to pay any charge for exercising your rights. If you make a request using the contact details below, we have one month to respond to you.

Your Right To Complain

If you have any concerns about our use of your personal information, you can make a complaint to our contact address below. You can also complain to the ICO if you are unhappy with how we have used your data.

The ICO’s address:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF

Helpline number: 0303 123 1113
ICO website: https://www.ico.org.uk

Privacy Notice for Amiqus

Personal data (which we will refer to as ‘data’ throughout this notice) means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified.

Amiqus acts as a data processor for McArthur Stanton Solicitors (“The Firm”). You can read Amiqus' privacy policy on the Amiqus website. As a client of the Firm, you may be asked to undertake document validation and anti-money laundering checks, all from the convenience of your personal device. Amiqus automatically records internal decision-making within its centralised platform, providing a clear digital audit trail.

When you submit your information to Amiqus, they may compare your details against multiple government databases and sources, including domestic and international PEP screening and sanctions lists, as well as against Disclosure records. They will verify photo identification, verify your documentation via image capture and analysis, ensure authenticity for over 190 countries, check company data and ownership as well as Companies House records including checking company directors, ownership and control. Their searches will include international sources for over 120 million entities.

This process helps the Firm meet its regulatory requirements with regard to enhanced due diligence, client risk assessment, anti-money laundering checks, data privacy standards, and client data and collection and processing all in line with requirements under the Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Amiqus acts as the data processer and has data sub-processors (Onfido, TransUnion, Disclosure Scotland and Stripe) who process data on behalf of Amiqus to complete the necessary checks. Full details of how this information is processed and stored can be found in the Amiqus privacy notice linked above. The data in Amiqus will be retained for three years and three months.

If we are unable to verify your photographic ID and data via Amiqus, the Firm will ask you to produce the equivalent information and documentation to enable the Firm to comply with its said regulatory requirements. Any such information and documentation you provide will be stored on securely on our document management system in terms of the general privacy policy above.

What about changes to the Privacy Policy?

We reserve the right to modify or amend this privacy policy at any time and for any reason. Details of any changes will be posted at the top of the privacy policy web page.

If you apply for a job with us, or work for us

We have a separate recruitment Privacy Notice which is available on request.

Contact Address

If you have any queries in relation to the above please do not hesitate to contact:-

J Clinch
McArthur Stanton
22 Colquhoun Square
Helensburgh
G84 8AG
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Resources & Further Information

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