Privacy Policy

1. Who We Are

Oxthorpe Barwell is a document administration and letter writing service registered in England and Wales (Companies House number: 15922586). Our registered address is 123 Stratford Road, Shirley, Solihull, B90 3ND.

For the purposes of data protection law, Oxthorpe Barwell is the data controller in respect of personal information collected through this website and in connection with our services.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information you provide to us

When you contact us, submit an enquiry form, or instruct us to carry out services, we may collect:

• Your name, address, telephone number and email address
• Details of your matter as provided in your brief or correspondence with us
• Payment information (processed securely via our payment provider — we do not store card details)
• Any documents or correspondence you share with us in connection with your instruction

2.2 Information collected automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect:

• IP address and browser type
• Device information and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on the site
• Referring website or search terms

This information is collected using cookies and similar technologies. Please see our Cookie Policy for further details.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the personal information we collect to:

• Respond to your enquiry and carry out a free initial case review
• Prepare and administer correspondence and documentation on your behalf
• Communicate with you about your matter and the progress of your instruction
• Process payments and maintain financial records
• Comply with our legal and regulatory obligations
• Improve our website and services
• Send you service-related communications (not marketing without your consent)

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data on the following legal grounds:

• Contract: Where processing is necessary to carry out services you have instructed us to perform, or to take steps prior to entering into an agreement with you.
• Legal obligation: Where we are required to process your data to comply with applicable law.
• Legitimate interests: Where processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests (such as improving our services), provided those interests do not override your rights.
• Consent: Where you have given us explicit consent, such as for direct marketing communications. You may withdraw consent at any time.

5. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may share your data in the following limited circumstances:

• With third-party service providers who assist us in operating our business (e.g. email hosting, payment processing, document storage), who are contractually bound to keep your data secure and confidential
• With regulatory bodies or law enforcement agencies where required by law
• With any party where you have given us your explicit consent to do so

Any third parties we share data with are required to handle it in accordance with UK data protection law.

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as is necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law. In general:

• Client matter files are retained for a minimum of 6 years from the date of file closure, in line with standard business practice
• Enquiry data where no instruction is placed is deleted within 12 months
• Financial records are retained for 6 years in accordance with HMRC requirements

When personal information is no longer required, it is securely deleted or anonymised.

7. Data Security

We take the security of your personal information seriously. We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your data against unauthorised access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These include:

• Secure, encrypted data storage
• Access controls limiting who within our business can access personal data
• Secure email and file transfer protocols
• Regular review of our security practices

While we take all reasonable steps to protect your information, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. If you have any concerns about the security of your data, please contact us.

8. Your Rights

Under UK data protection law, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right of access: You may request a copy of the personal data we hold about you (a Subject Access Request).
• Right to rectification: You may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to erasure: You may ask us to delete your personal data in certain circumstances.
• Right to restriction: You may ask us to limit how we process your data in certain circumstances.
• Right to data portability: You may request that your data be transferred to another organisation in a structured, machine-readable format.
• Right to object: You may object to processing based on legitimate interests, including direct marketing.
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw that consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@oxthorpebarwell.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month.

9. Cookies

Our website uses cookies to ensure the site functions correctly and to help us understand how visitors use it. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. We do not use cookies to collect personally identifiable information without your knowledge.

For full details, please refer to our Cookie Policy.

10. International Data Transfers

We store and process data within the United Kingdom. If any data is transferred outside the UK, we ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place in accordance with UK GDPR requirements.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our services or applicable law. The effective date at the top of this page will be updated accordingly. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.