Privacy Policy
YFLaw Professional Corporation Privacy Policy
About Your Privacy
Your privacy is extremely important to us at YFLaw Professional Corporation (“we”). We always strive to provide you with excellent service while protecting your personal information. We have a professional obligation to keep all information concerning the business and affairs of our clients acquired during the lawyer-client relationship confidential under the Rules of Professional Conduct of the Law Society of Ontario. All members of YFLaw Professional Corporation are trained in this regard. As a Canadian law firm engaged in commercial activities, we are subject to the federal Personal Information and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”) and the Canadian Standards Association Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information provisions incorporated into PIPEDA.
This is the Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) of YFLaw Professional Corporation Website (“Website”). Our Privacy Policy describes the nature of the information we collect, the manner in which we use your information, and to whom that information may be disclosed.
Our Ten Privacy Principles
YFLaw Professional Corporation follows the ten principles based on the values set by the Canadian Standards Association’s Model Code for the Protection of Personal Information and PIPEDA as part of our commitment to maintain the accuracy and confidentiality of your personal information.
1. Accountability: We are accountable for maintaining and protecting the personal information under our control.
2. Identifying Purposes: The purposes for which personal information is collected will be identified before or at the time it is collected.
3. Consent: We obtain your consent for the collection, use, or disclosure of personal information except where it is authorized by law.
4. Limiting Collection: The personal information we collect will be limited only to the purposes identified.
5. Limiting Use, Disclosure, and Retention: The personal information that we collect will only be used or disclosed for the purposes for which it was collected. (except when you have consented, or it is authorized by law to a different use or disclosure). We will retain it only for as long as needed for that purpose.
6. Accuracy: Your personal information will be kept as accurate as possible.
7. Safeguards: We will protect your personal information using security safeguards.
8. Openness: Our policies, procedures, and management of your personal information will be transparent and open to you.
9. Individual’s Access: We provide access to your personal information upon request as permitted by law.
10. Handling Enquiries and Concerns: For any enquiries or concerns regarding your privacy or this Privacy Policy, please contact us.
Personal Information
Personal Information means information about an identified or identifiable natural person. It includes your name, address, e-mail address, date of birth and your gender. Personal Information does not include the name, title, business address, e-mail address or telephone number of a professional person or a business or an employee of an organization.
Collection of Personal Information
We collect personal information from our clients to assist in providing legal services. Part III of By- Law 7.1 of the Law Society of Ontario requires us to comply with client identification and verification requirements when retained by a client to provide professional services. We are required to obtain and keep records of client identification and verification, such as full name, home address and telephone numbers, e-mail address, current occupation, business address and telephone numbers and credit card information of our clients.
We collect personal information from our clients at the start of a retainer or during the course of a retainer, directly. We may also have to collect personal information through third party sources such as government agencies, institutions, credit bureaus, employers, and service providers.
Your Consent
We may obtain your express consent in writing, verbally in person or over the telephone, or we may determine that consent has been implied by the circumstances. When you retain our firm for legal services, we ask you for personal information to enable us to provide you with our services. By giving us your personal information, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure to relevant third parties of that information for these purposes. You also give us permission to use and retain this personal information for as long as the above-mentioned purposes require. Unless you withdraw your consent by a written notice to us, your consent remains effective even after the end of your retainer with our firm. You may withdraw consent or refuse to give personal information to us and by doing so you may limit or preclude us from providing you with the services you require from us.
Use and Disclosure of Personal Information
YFLaw Professional Corporation uses your personal information only as described in this Privacy Policy or in accordance with applicable laws. We will always seek your consent before your personal information is used or disclosed for a new purpose unless such use or disclosure without your consent is authorized by law. We use personal information to provide legal services and representations to our clients, for billing and accounting, for communication and to maintain client relationships, to protect against fraudulent activities and errors, and to avoid conflicts of interest. The use and disclosure of all information of our clients, including personal information is further safeguarded by our professional obligation of confidentiality and solicitor-client privilege. YFLaw Professional Corporation would use your personal information to send you newsletters containing details about our services, articles, and legal updates. You have the option to change your mailing preferences from regular mail or email and unsubscribe from our mailing lists at any time.
We disclose personal information only as described in this Privacy Policy or as authorized or required by law. We do not sell client lists or personal information to others. We may disclose our clients’ personal information to YFLaw Professional Corporation Affiliated Parties or other third parties such as government or regulatory agencies in order to provide legal services.
In addition to that, we may disclose your personal information in the following instances:
· When you have given consent to it;
· To third parties to assist in providing legal services to you, such as hiring agents, experts, consultants, or retaining other law firms;
· To comply with the requirements of the Law Society of Ontario;
· To third party service providers (marketing, administrative services, technical support, or insurance);
· To collect fees, disbursements or to collect debts outstanding on an account; and
· During the course of a retainer, the legal services we provide to you require us to give your information to third parties
Protection of Personal Information
YFLaw Professional Corporation uses physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards to protect our systems and your personal information under our control using methods appropriate to the sensitivity of the information from unauthorized access, theft, disclosure, loss, or misuse. In addition to technological safeguards, we have an internal firm privacy obligations and confidentiality policy in place with restricted access to files containing personal information. Our service providers and agents are subject to the same privacy obligations and confidentiality policy.
Access to Personal Information
When we have accurate, complete, and up to date information about you, it enables us to provide you with the best possible legal services. You may access, verify, and amend the information we have about you to keep us informed of any changes. You may request to view your personal information by contacting us. Please note that your ability to view your personal information may be restricted when the disclosure would result in legal or confidentiality concerns.
Revision to this Privacy Policy
YFLaw Professional Corporation will post any revised versions of this Privacy Policy on our website when any changes are made due to legal or regulatory obligations. If you have any enquiries or concerns, please contact us.