Privacy notice

Who we are

Leeds Legal Solutions Ltd, also known as Andrew Williams Solicitors, is the data controller for personal data processed in connection with our legal services and this website. Leeds Legal Solutions Ltd, also known as Andrew Williams Solicitors, is authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. SRA number: 558148.

Data protection principles

We process personal information lawfully, fairly and transparently. We collect it only for clear and legitimate purposes; keep it relevant and limited to what is needed; take reasonable steps to keep it accurate and up to date; retain it only for as long as necessary; and keep it secure.

The kind of information we hold about you

Personal data is information from which a living person can be identified. It does not include information that has been made anonymous. Depending on why you contact or instruct us, we may hold identity and contact details, immigration history, correspondence, matter documents, financial and source-of-funds information, billing records, and information supplied by you or by people involved in your matter.

Special category and criminal-offence data

Immigration matters can involve sensitive information about health, racial or ethnic origin, religion, sexual orientation, political opinions, biometric information or alleged or actual offences. We process such information only where the law permits it, including where necessary to provide legal advice, establish or defend legal claims, comply with legal obligations, or protect vital interests.

How we collect information

• Information you provide in forms or correspondence, or by email, post, telephone or in person.
• Identity, contact and financial information supplied when seeking or receiving legal services or paying an invoice.
• Information supplied by family members, representatives, employers, public authorities or other parties involved in a matter.
• Feedback, complaints, testimonials or reviews you choose to give us.
• Basic technical and security information generated when this website is used.

Website and traffic data

Our hosting and security providers may process technical information such as an IP address, browser and device type, operating system, referring page, pages requested, and date and time. We use this information only to deliver, secure, diagnose and administer the website and, where available, understand aggregate use. We do not use this website data to make legal decisions about anyone.

Cookies and tracking

The current website does not use non-essential analytics, advertising or remarketing cookies, web beacons, DoubleClick tracking or similar profiling technology. Essential technical storage may be used where necessary to provide or secure a requested function. If non-essential tracking is introduced, this notice and the site's consent controls must be updated before that tracking is enabled.

Testimonials and reviews

If we publish a testimonial or review that identifies you, we will first obtain your specific permission. You may contact us to ask for an identifiable testimonial or review supplied to us to be corrected or removed. Reviews published independently on another service are governed by that service's procedures.

Calls and electronic communications

We keep appropriate records of emails, messages and telephone contacts about enquiries and matters. We do not state that calls are recorded as a routine practice. If a call is to be recorded, we will provide appropriate information before or at the start of the recording.

Lawful bases

We rely on the performance of a contract, compliance with a legal obligation, our legitimate interests in running a regulated practice, and, for some special category data, the establishment or defence of legal claims.

Marketing communications

We do not use the website to create marketing accounts or subscriptions. If we send optional marketing in the future, we will do so only where permitted by law and will provide a clear way to opt out. Service communications about an enquiry or matter are not marketing.

Website enquiries

When you send an enquiry through this website, the details you give us are transmitted securely and stored in a secure database hosted on our behalf by a third-party hosting provider within the United Kingdom or the European Economic Area. That provider processes the data only on our instructions, under a written data processing agreement, and does not use it for its own purposes.

• What is stored: the name, contact details and summary of your enquiry that you choose to give us, together with the date and time of the enquiry.
• Why: so that a solicitor can respond, decide whether we are able to act, and keep a record of the request.
• Who can see it: our solicitors and support staff, and our hosting provider acting solely as our processor.
• How long: enquiries that do not become matters are kept only as long as needed to answer them and to keep a short record of the request, and are then deleted. Where a matter is opened, the enquiry is kept on the client file under our normal retention periods.
• Please do not send documents, identity information or sensitive personal details in an initial enquiry. Send only what is needed to describe what you need help with.

Sharing and transfers

We share personal data only where it is necessary: with the Home Office, courts, tribunals, counsel, interpreters or experts where that is part of the work agreed with you; with our regulators, auditors and insurers where required; and with the hosting and email providers who support the running of the firm and this website. Where any transfer outside the UK is involved, we use the safeguards UK data protection law requires.

Disclosures required by law

We may disclose information where required by legislation, a court or tribunal order, a lawful request from a public authority, our professional or regulatory duties, or where necessary to establish, exercise or defend legal rights or protect someone from serious harm.

Service providers

We use carefully selected providers for hosting, email, communications, document handling, professional services and practice administration. They may process only the information needed to perform their function, under contractual and confidentiality obligations. We do not give client information to third parties for their own marketing.

Blogs, links and social media

Our articles are published for reading and do not provide a public forum or community account. Links may take you to websites operated by others, whose privacy practices we do not control. If a social-media link or sharing feature is used, the relevant provider may receive technical information under its own privacy policy. Review that policy before using the feature.

Security

Access to client and enquiry data is restricted to those who need it, is protected by access controls and encryption in transit, and is subject to our internal information security policies.

Retention

We keep client files for the period required by our regulatory and insurance obligations, and then destroy them securely. Retention periods are set out in our terms of business.

Your duty to tell us about changes

It is important that the information we hold is accurate and current. Please tell us about relevant changes by emailing clients@awsolicitors.co.uk, calling 0113 244 1911, or writing to Unity Business Centre, 26 Roundhay Road, Leeds, LS7 1AB.

Your data protection rights

• Subject access — you may ask whether we process your data and request a copy, together with information about why it is used, who receives it and how long it is kept.
• Correction — you may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Erasure — you may ask us to delete information in certain circumstances, including where it is no longer needed or has been processed unlawfully.
• Objection or restriction — you may object to certain processing or ask us to suspend it while accuracy or lawful use is considered.
• Data portability — where the legal conditions apply, you may ask for information you provided to be transferred in a structured, commonly used and machine-readable form.
• Withdrawal of consent — where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it without affecting processing already carried out lawfully.

These rights are not absolute. For example, we may need to retain information to comply with legal and regulatory obligations, preserve legal professional privilege, or establish or defend legal claims. If an exemption applies, we will explain the position where the law permits us to do so. You may complain to the Information Commissioner's Office about our use of personal data.

Contacting us about data protection

Data protection queries and requests can be sent to clients@awsolicitors.co.uk or by post to Unity Business Centre, 26 Roundhay Road, Leeds, LS7 1AB. We will acknowledge a request and respond within the period UK data protection law allows.

We keep personal data only for as long as needed for the purpose for which it was collected and for the periods required by legal, regulatory, professional-indemnity and dispute-resolution obligations. We then securely delete or destroy it. We can provide further information about the expected retention period for records relating to your matter on request.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when our practices or legal obligations change. The current version will be published on this page. Please review it periodically, particularly before sending new information to us.