Your privacy is important to us. We have taken steps to ensure that your privacy is protected to the best of our ability by the formulation of this privacy policy.

A hard copy of this privacy policy is available free of charge upon request by calling us on 07 3248 0888.

Australian Privacy Principles

The Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) established by amendments to the Privacy Act 1988 that came into force on 12 March 2014 are adopted by us as the minimum standard for our privacy policy. We have taken reasonable steps to implement practices, procedures and systems so as to ensure compliance with the APPs.

Personal Information

Personal information that we hold on your behalf usually falls into the following categories, depending upon the legal matter for which you have engaged us:-

• Client information in connection with file management which include your name, address, e-mail address and telephone numbers;

• Business history, employment history, business associations, salary and work performance;

• Other general and individual personal information submitted; and

• Financial information.

We collect this information from you when you engage us to act on your behalf and/or you contact us with an enquiry. Unless it is unreasonable or impracticable to do so the information that we collect will be collected directly from you.

We will not collect sensitive information about you unless you consent to the collection of the information and the information is reasonably necessary in the course of our work or if the collection is authorised by law.

If we collect personal information about an individual we will take reasonable steps to notify the individual before or at the time we collect the information (or as soon as practicable thereafter) or otherwise ensure that the individual is aware of: 

1. Our identity and contact details;

2. The fact and circumstance of collection;

3. Whether the collection is required or authorised by law;

4. The purposes of collection;

5. The consequences if personal information is not collected;

6. Our usual disclosures of personal information of the kind collected by us;

7. Information about this privacy policy and how to complain about a breach of the APPs;

8. Whether we are likely to disclose personal information to overseas recipients and the countries where they are located.

The information we hold is held on our computer databases and on printed records.

You may choose not identify yourself to us when dealing with us but generally it will be impracticable for us to work with individuals who do not identify themselves to us.

Purpose

We primarily hold personal information for the following reasons:-

• To conduct our work

• To provide professional legal assistance to you;

• To contact you in the course of our work to obtain instructions or to update you on matters;

• Client and business relationship management; and

• Marketing to you in relation to developments in our practice and/or the law.

Disclosure

We will always make sure that we handle your personal information securely and carefully. We only use and disclose personal information for the particular purpose for which it was collected. We may disclose your personal information in accordance with the particular purpose for which it was collected including providing information to the courts, barristers, insurance companies, government authorities, mortgagees, medical or other experts and other relevant third parties.

We will only disclose your information to such parties in the course of undertaking, and carrying out, your instructions. We may disclose your personal information to third parties where we are under a legal duty to do so, for example for accounting and auditing purposes.

Contractors and Other Professionals

We contract out occasional services from time to time when necessary. In the course of their work our contractors may see some of your personal information. Typically our contractors would include, but are not limited to, the following:-

• Information Technology contractors/technicians; and

• Database designers and accountants;

Also we may engage other professionals in relation to your matter. These may include the following:-

• Doctors;

• Other medical specialists;

• Private investigators;

• Process servers;

• Forensic accountants; and

• Valuers

Direct Marketing

We may occasionally use your personal information that you have provided to us to contact you regarding services that we offer.  You may opt out of receiving any such further correspondence from us either by telephoning us on 07 3248 0888 or by making a written request to Cranston McEachern Lawyer, GPO Box 3262, Brisbane Qld 4001.

Access

If you believe that we hold personal information about you and you wish to have access to the information, please send a written request to us at Cranston McEachern Lawyers, GPO Box 3262, Brisbane Qld 4001. There may be a small charge for giving access to the information. We will endeavour to deal with your request within a reasonable period of time and some requests may take longer to process than others. While we are generally happy to assist you with a request for access to information, we may deny your request in certain circumstances and if we deny your request we will give to you a written reason for that denial.

Correction of personal information

An individual may seek the correction of personal information by writing to us at Cranston McEachern Lawyers, GPO Box 3262, Brisbane Qld 4001. We will respond to the request within a reasonable period after the request is made.

Updating the Privacy Policy

From time to time we will review and update this privacy policy in accordance with any amendments to relevant legislation. Any changes to this privacy policy shall be published on our website.

Complaint about breaches of privacy

If you are concerned that we may have breached this privacy policy or any of the APPs then you may lodge a complaint with us by writing to us at Cranston McEachern Lawyers, GPO Box 3262, Brisbane Qld 4001. If you are not satisfied with our response to your complaint we will advise you of any further steps you may take to pursue the complaint further.