This Privacy Policy explains how Commins Hendriks Solicitors – ABN 84 119 727 490 (Commins Hendriks, we, our or us) manages your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.
We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information responsibly.
Commins Hendriks is a legal practice which offers a range of legal services.
What is personal Information
Personal information is any information or opinion that identifies, or could reasonably identify, an individual. This may include your name, contact details, date of birth, financial information, employment details or any information linked to you.
Information We Collect
We may collect:
- Identity details (such as your name and date of birth)
- Contact information (address, email, phone number)
- Financial details (such as bank or payment information)
- Employment-related information (resumes, qualifications, references)
- Information we obtain while providing legal services, subject to our confidentiality and professional obligations
You can always decline to give Commins Hendriks any personal information we request, but that may mean we cannot provide you with some or all of the services you have requested.
How We Collect Information
We may collect personal information through:
- Direct interactions with you (in person, email, phone, online forms)
- Your use of our website or digital platforms
- Third parties, such as medical practitioners, accountants, insurers or referees, where appropriate and lawful
We are required to collect the full name and address of our clients by the Solicitors Rules under the Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW). Accurate name and address information must also be collected to comply with the trust account record keeping requirements in the Legal Profession Regulation Act 2005 (NSW) and to comply with our duty to the courts
Sensitive Information
Where we collect sensitive information (such as health information, racial or ethnic origin, criminal history or union membership), we do so only with your consent or as permitted by law.
How we use your personal information
We use your personal information to:
- Provide legal services
- Confirm your identity
- Communicate with you and manage our relationship
- Meet our legal and regulatory obligations
- Send legal updates or invitations to events that may interest you
- Administer billing, payments and debt recovery
- Undertake recruitment processes
- Respond to enquiries and complaints
- Improve our services and website experience
We do not sell your personal information. If we are not provided with accurate personal information, we may not be able to carry out our instructions or achieve the purpose for which you have employed us.
Disclosure of personal information
We may disclose your information to:
- Courts, tribunals or regulatory authorities
- Third parties where you request or authorise disclosure
- Service providers who support our operations (such as IT providers or professional advisers)
While Commins Hendriks is not a global organisation, and it is unlikely that your personal information will be disclosed overseas, where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure your information is protected.
Storage and security
We use physical, technical and administrative safeguards to protect your personal information. While we take reasonable steps to secure your information, no system is completely free from risk.
Commins Hendriks maintains physical security over paper and electronic data stores, such as through locks and security systems at our premises. We also maintain computer and network security, for example, we use firewalls and other security systems such as user identifiers and passwords to control access to our computer systems.
We may utilise cloud computing (cloud computing is the practice of using a network of remote servers hosted on the internet to store, manage and process data) third party providers to assist with information storage. You acknowledge and accept the risk and authorise us to use third party cloud computing providers.
Our websites do not necessarily use encryption or other technologies to ensure the secure transmission of information via the internet. Users of our websites are encouraged to exercise care in sending personal information via the internet.
Access and Correction
You may request access to, or correction of, the personal information we hold about you. Contact us at: reception@chlaw.com.au
If we refuse your request, we will explain why and outline how you may lodge a complaint.
Retention and deletion
We keep personal information only for as long as required by law or for the purpose for which it was collected. When it is no longer required, we take steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.
Direct marketing
You may opt out of receiving marketing communications at any time. Essential service-related communications will continue.
Publishable Content
When you provide content for publication on our website or digital platforms (such as comments, testimonials, reviews, forum posts or other contributions), you grant Commins Hendriks a perpetual, transferable licence to use, reproduce, publish, adapt and share that content in any format and for any lawful purpose. This licence continues even if you later remove the content from our website.
By submitting publishable content, you confirm that:
- the content is your own work, or you have full permission to use and submit it; and
- you have the authority to grant us the rights described above.
We will not publish information that you provide in fields clearly marked as private (such as your email address), unless required by law or where reasonably necessary to enforce our Terms of Use.
Content you choose to make publicly visible may be viewed by anyone who visits our website. We may also republish this content on our social media channels, marketing materials or other online platforms at our discretion.
If you include personal information—either your own or someone else’s—as part of publishable content, you warrant that you have permission to disclose that information. You agree to indemnify Commins Hendriks for any loss or liability arising from the publication of such information.
Website Analytics and cookies
Our website may use cookies and analytics tools to improve functionality and understand usage trends. You may disable cookies through your browser settings, but this may affect website functionality.
Notifiable data breaches
If a data breach occurs that is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC), as required by the Notifiable Data Breaches Scheme.
Complaints
If you have concerns about how we handle your personal information, contact our Privacy Officer. If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact the OAIC.
Commins Hendriks Privacy Officer
reception@chlaw.com.au
23 Gurwood Street
Wagga Wagga, NSW 2650
Telephone: 1800 643 779
OAIC
enquiries@oaic.gov.au
www.oaic.gov.au
Level 3, 175 Pitt Street
Sydney NSW 2000
Telephone: 1300 363 992
Updates to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on our website.