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Good information privacy practices are an everyday part of the way HWL Ebsworth runs its practice. We have developed a privacy culture within the firm by promoting sound privacy policies and properly training employees with regard to the handling of personal information.
HWL Ebsworth adheres to the 10 National Privacy Principles set out in the Privacy Act 1988 as amended ("the Act"). These Principles regulate the way in which private sector organisations like HWL Ebsworth can collect, use, keep secure and disclose personal information.
1. Collection
Where possible, we collect your personal information directly from you during the course of our business relationship. We usually collect the following kinds of personal information:
- name, address, occupation, professional membership and contact information;
- interests in areas of legal practice or events; and
- information about people’s dealings with us or our clients.
The personal information collected is necessary to provide you with legal services.
2. Use and Disclosure
We collect personal information from you in order to provide you with legal services, to provide you with legal updates and promotional material (if you choose to receive them), to facilitate our internal business operations including fulfilment by us of any legal requirements and to manage and improve our legal services and client relationships.
We treat your personal information as strictly private and confidential. We will not disclose your personal information outside the firm unless:
- you consent; or
- it is required in the course of providing legal services to you (e.g. engaging a barrister on your behalf); or
- it is for external administrative purposes and on a strict confidential basis (e.g. photocopying services); or
- we are required to do so by law.
We do not disclose your personal information (including your email address) to any third party for the purpose of allowing them to market their products or services to you.
3. Data Quality
The accuracy of your personal information is important to us and fundamental to providing you with proper legal services.
We will take all reasonable steps to make sure that your personal information is accurate, complete and up-to-date.
We ask that you contact us at any time to update or change your personal information if you become aware that any of the personal information we hold about you is not accurate, complete or up-to-date.
4. Data Security
We have in place a number of security safeguards to protect your personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure:
all electronic databases incorporate strict password access and virus protection procedures;
- sensitive personal information is only accessible by designated staff bound by duties of confidentiality;
- internal and external security is employed;
- all staff receive regular training regarding HWL Ebsworth's Privacy Policy and information handling practices
- an internal data security audit is conducted every six months to assess the strengths and weaknesses of HWL Ebsworth's information handling practices
When we no longer require your personal information, it is securely destroyed and/or deleted from our systems. This usually occurs seven years after the completion of your matter.
5. Openness
Our information handling practices are outlined in this policy statement, which is available on request.
Upon request, we will take reasonable steps to inform you of what personal information we hold for what purpose, and how we collect, hold, use and disclose that information.
6. Access and Correction
You may request access to the personal information we hold about you at any time. We may charge you a fee to cover the costs of retrieval and copying, which will not be excessive and will not apply to lodging a request for access.
We may deny you access to your personal information in certain circumstances, for example where the Act allows us to do so.
Where you establish that personal information we hold about you is not accurate, complete or up-to-date, we will take reasonable steps to correct the information.
If there is disagreement as to whether the information is accurate, complete and up-to-date, we will take reasonable steps to associate with the information a statement claiming that the information is not accurate, complete or up-to-date upon your request.
We will always provide reasons for denial of access or refusal to correct personal information.
7. Identifiers
We do not adopt an identifier that has been assigned to you by a Commonwealth Government Agency (e.g. your tax file number) as a means of identifying you.
8. Anonymity
We provide you with the opportunity to interact anonymously with us whenever it is practicable to do so, for example where you inquire about the types of legal services we offer.
9. Trans-border Data Flows
We will not transfer your personal information to a recipient overseas unless you consent, we are required to do so by law or it is required in the course of providing legal services to you.
10. Sensitive Information
We do not collect, use or disclose sensitive information about you (such as racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, memberships, religious beliefs, sexual preference, health or criminal record) unless you consent, where it is allowed by law or in circumstances where it is required in the course of providing legal services to you.
If you have any queries or would like further information about our Privacy Policy, please contact us at
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or telephone Russell Mailler on (03) 8644 3569.
If you believe that our privacy standards do not meet the level set by the 10 National Privacy Principles in the Act or have a complaint about our handling of your personal information, please contact us at
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or by phone on (03) 8644 3569.
If you would like further advice regarding your privacy rights, you can contact the Office of the Federal Privacy Commissioner.
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