Urban Family Lawyers understands the importance of safeguarding an individual’s personal information, and we abide by the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) as outlined in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Act).

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and disclose your information, the steps we take to protect your personal information, and your rights regarding this information.

Please review this Privacy Policy thoroughly. By providing us with personal information, you agree to its collection, handling, use, and disclosure as described in this document. While it is your choice whether to provide personal information or not, withholding such information may affect your ability to use our website or access the services we offer.

We reserve the right to update this policy periodically by posting the changes on our website. Your continued use of our website indicates acceptance of any revisions.

Types of personal information

In the course of delivering our services or through your interaction with our website, Urban Family Lawyers may collect personal information. This includes any details or opinions about an identified or reasonably identifiable individual, regardless of whether it is accurate or recorded in a specific format.

If you are a client (or potential client), the personal information we may collect includes but is not limited to:

• Your name, residential or business addresses, email, and phone numbers;
• Employment or professional details;
• Marital status and relevant dates (e.g., anniversaries);
• Age or date of birth;
• Preferences or opinions;
• Input provided through customer surveys;
• Business identifiers such as your ABN or ACN;
• Financial details, including bank account and credit card information;
• Technical information, including browser session data, device and network information, page views, and browsing behaviour;
• Additional information shared via our website, associated applications, social media platforms, or other permitted sources; and
• Any further information requested or voluntarily provided by you or a third party.

We may occasionally collect “sensitive information,” as defined in the Act, encompassing details about sexual orientation, political affiliations, religious beliefs, or health information. Such data will only be collected with your explicit consent or when required by law.

Collection of personal information

Urban Family Lawyers collects personal information through various means, such as:

• Direct communication with you via in-person meetings, phone, video conferencing tools (including recording and transcribing video and telephone calls so they can be saved to your file), email, or physical mail; and
• Completion of contact, intake, or booking forms on our website.

Additional information may be obtained from publicly available sources, professional advisers, or government agencies involved in your legal matters.

When using our website, certain details may be logged for statistical or marketing purposes, including:

• The date and time of your visit;
• Your IP address;
• Web pages visited and documents downloaded; and
• Your browser type.

Cookies may also be used to enhance your browsing experience. Cookies are stored on your device and aid in analysing website traffic. You can control cookie settings through your browser, but rejecting cookies may impact your website experience.

Purpose of collecting personal information

We require your personal information for various reasons, including:

• Responding to your enquiries or booking requests through our website;
• Providing legal services;
• Performing accounting, billing, and other administrative tasks;
• Adding you to our mailing list, where you have opted in to receive newsletters; and
• Meeting any professional or legal obligations, including compliance with the Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules 2015 and Legal Profession Uniform Law NSW (Uniform Law).

Your personal information will only be used for the primary purpose of its collection, unless you consent to its use for alternative purposes or where permitted or required by law.

Urban Family Lawyers respects confidentiality and legal professional privilege and upholds these principles in managing your data.

We may also use your information to inform you about legal updates or services that could interest you. If you prefer not to receive such communications, you can opt out anytime or follow the instructions in our communications.

Management and security of personal information

We implement robust measures to protect your personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorised access, alteration, and disclosure. Security protocols include:

• Adherence to cybersecurity standards outlined by the Australian Cyber Security Centre, facilitated by managed security service providers;
• Multi-factor authentication for key systems and database access;
• Regular staff training on cyber awareness, phishing attacks, monitor spam and phishing emails via Proofpoint;
• Use of advanced firewall and anti-virus systems; and
• Employment conditions and internal policies focused on confidentiality.

While every effort is made to maintain the security of your information, we cannot guarantee complete safety due to inherent risks in internet data transmission. Some personal data may reside in facilities beyond our direct control or outside of Australia. If you are uncomfortable with these risks, please consider refraining from sharing sensitive information.

If a security breach involving your personal information occurs, we will notify you immediately where possible.

For secure credit card transactions, your details are encrypted and stored by our chosen payment provider and never retained by us.

Disclosure of personal information

Urban Family Lawyers will only disclose your personal information as necessary to deliver legal services or when required by law. Disclosures may be made to:

• Third party service providers for the purpose of enabling them to provide their services to us including IT service providers, data storage, web-hosting and server providers, marketing or advertising providers;
• Third party service providers engaged to perform administrative or other business management services used from time to time;
• Courts, tribunals, or debt collectors in case of unpaid services provided to you;
• AI service providers to enhance operational effectiveness; and
• External tools and platforms and service providers such as:

• Smokeball – Legal Practice Management – Smokeball Privacy Policy
• Microsoft 365 – Document & email management – Microsoft 365 Privacy Statement
• XT – Telephony – VXT Privacy Policy

We require such service providers to comply with established privacy regulations. Links to external providers’ privacy policies are included and regularly updated in our documentation.

Data retention and deletion

Personal information is retained only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy or as required by law. Any information no longer required will be securely disposed of.

Should legal obligations mandate longer retention, only the minimum necessary information will be retained, with ongoing protective measures in place.

Overseas disclosure

We may occasionally transfer personal information to entities overseas for business or legal service purposes. Prior to such disclosure, we ensure that recipients either comply with the APPs or are subject to equivalent privacy laws unless otherwise permitted by law or explicitly authorised by you.

Accessing and correcting personal information

Under the Privacy Act, you are entitled to request access to or correction of your personal information. You can do this by contacting our privacy officer:

Privacy Officer
Urban Family Lawyers
Email: [email protected]

To process your request:

• Identity verification will be required;
• Specificity regarding the information sought will assist in handling your request efficiently; and
• An administrative fee reflecting associated costs may apply.

If your request is refused, we will provide written reasons alongside available complaint mechanisms.

Complaints

All privacy-related concerns should be directed to our privacy officer. We are committed to addressing such complaints promptly, with resolutions provided within 30 days.

If dissatisfied with our response, you may escalate your complaint to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

Links to external websites

Our website may include links to other platforms. While we take care in providing these, Urban Family Lawyers is not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites or how they handle your personal information.

Controlling your privacy

By engaging with Urban Family Lawyers and providing your personal information, you accept the terms of this Privacy Policy. Should you withhold information, please note that it may limit our ability to serve you.