Privacy Policy
INTRODUCTION
Lawyers Online cares about the privacy of your personal information and is committed to protecting it. This Privacy Policy (Policy) explains what information we collect about you and why, what we do with that information and how we handle it.
For the purposes of the UK General Data Protection Regulation and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended, the controller responsible for the information described in this Policy is Houghton Legal LLP trading as Lawyers Online.
This Policy applies to information obtained through our Website and in connection with enquiries, bookings and legal services, including information about clients and witnesses received by email, telephone, post or other means.
COLLECTION OF YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION
We collect information that identifies you or can be used with other information to identify you, including:
- Your name, address, email address and telephone number.
- Identification and address documents, photographs and signatures.
- Booking details, correspondence and records of our advice and checks.
- Transaction documents and relevant personal, financial, property or business information contained in them.
- Billing information, payment confirmations and refund records.
- Witness details and identification, where required for the matter.
Information may be supplied directly by you or obtained from relevant clients, brokers, lenders, solicitors, checking providers and public registers. Witness identification may be supplied by the client on the witness’s behalf.
INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH THE WEBSITE
We collect information you submit through enquiry forms, booking forms and document uploads, including text, documents and other information supplied in connection with your use of our services.
PAYMENT INFORMATION
We use Stripe to process payments. Payment information entered through Stripe’s payment facilities is collected and processed by Stripe.
We receive information needed to administer the payment, such as the payer’s details, transaction amount, payment status, transaction reference and refund information. Depending on the payment method, this may include limited card information, such as the card brand and last four digits.
Stripe also processes information for its own purposes, including payment security, fraud prevention and compliance with legal obligations. Its Privacy Policy explains how it handles that information: https://stripe.com/gb/privacy.
Please do not send full card numbers or card security codes to us by email.
AUTOMATICALLY COLLECTED INFORMATION
When you visit our Website, technical information may be collected, including your IP address, browser type, device details, access times and pages requested. We use relevant technical information to operate and protect the Website.
Technical and usage information may be personal information where it identifies you or can be linked to you.
Additional analytics or advertising information may be collected through cookies and similar technologies, subject to applicable consent requirements.
HOW WE USE YOUR INFORMATION
We use personal information for the following purposes and lawful bases:
Providing our services — contract
We use client information to assess and carry out instructions, arrange appointments, provide advice, complete
relevant certificates and administer fees. This includes steps taken at your request before entering into a contract.
Complying with applicable requirements — legal obligation
We process information where necessary to comply with applicable legal obligations, including relevant
anti-money laundering, sanctions, accounting and regulatory requirements.
Verification, administration and protection — legitimate interests
Where necessary and proportionate, we process information to verify identity, prevent fraud, meet relevant lender
requirements, maintain evidence of our work, administer and secure our systems, and deal with complaints or legal
claims. We balance these interests against individuals’ rights and interests.
These interests also apply to checking a witness’s identity and retaining necessary evidence of the check.
Consent
Where an activity requires consent, such as advertising cookies, we obtain consent separately. Consent may be
withdrawn without affecting the lawfulness of earlier processing.
If information necessary for our advice or required checks is not supplied, we may be unable to proceed.
Where special category information, such as health information, is necessary for establishing, exercising or defending legal claims or providing relevant legal advice, we rely on the applicable legal-claims condition alongside our lawful basis. Other uses of sensitive information require a separate applicable condition.
WITNESS IDENTIFICATION
Where required for a matter, we use witness identification to verify their identity and retain necessary evidence of the check.
A client supplying a witness’s ID should first give the witness this Policy and confirm that the witness has received it and agreed to the client supplying the ID.
The witness’s agreement to the client forwarding their ID is separate from our lawful basis for processing it.
STORAGE OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the relevant purposes.
The retention period for matter records is determined by the nature of the work, applicable legal and regulatory requirements, relevant limitation periods, professional indemnity requirements and the need to evidence our advice and checks.
Client and witness identification copies are retained where necessary to evidence the checks undertaken. We consider whether retaining the full copy remains necessary or whether a record of the check is sufficient.
Enquiry information is retained for as long as needed to respond and deal with any resulting instructions or related concerns. Financial records are retained for applicable accounting and tax requirements. Technical information is retained for as long as necessary for operation, security and troubleshooting.
Paper and electronic records are subject to these principles. Destroying a paper copy does not necessarily mean that an electronic copy has also been deleted.
We securely delete or destroy information when it is no longer needed. An ongoing complaint, dispute or legal claim may require longer retention of relevant records.
A request for deletion does not automatically require us to delete information that we lawfully need to retain. Please contact us if you would like details of the retention arrangements applicable to your information.
PERSONAL INFORMATION ACCESS AND DISCLOSURE
Where necessary for the purposes described above, we may share relevant information with:
- Lenders and solicitors involved in the transaction.
- Providers supporting our booking, payment, email, video meeting, case management, document storage and checking systems.
- Our professional advisers, accountants and insurers.
- Regulators, courts and competent authorities where disclosure is required or otherwise lawful.
If a proposed business transfer involves personal information, any disclosure or transfer will be subject to an appropriate lawful basis and safeguards.
We limit sharing to information necessary for the relevant purpose.
OVERSEAS PROCESSING
Some service providers may process information outside the UK. Where this involves a restricted international transfer, an applicable lawful transfer arrangement is required, such as UK adequacy regulations or approved contractual safeguards.
Stripe operates internationally. Its published information describes its international processing and the transfer arrangements it uses, including applicable contractual safeguards. Further information is available at:
You may contact us for information about overseas processing and safeguards applicable to the other providers used for your information.
DATA SECURITY & INTEGRITY
We take appropriate technical and organisational steps to protect personal information against loss, misuse and unauthorised access, use or disclosure.
Access is restricted to authorised persons who need the information for their work. We also maintain arrangements for responding to suspected personal data breaches.
If you suspect misuse, loss or unauthorised access to information we hold, please contact advice@lawyersonline.co.uk.
If you use a password to access any of our services, please keep it secure.
YOUR RIGHTS
Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights of access, rectification, restriction, objection, portability and erasure. These rights are subject to applicable conditions and exemptions.
Where processing relies on consent, you may withdraw it.
To exercise your rights, contact our data protection contact at advice@lawyersonline.co.uk, marking your email “Data Protection”, or write to our address below. We will respond within the applicable legal timescales.
You may also complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office, at www.ico.org.uk.
COOKIES AND THIRD-PARTY ADVERTISING
Cookies and similar technologies may be used to operate the Website and, where enabled, understand its use or support advertising.
Advertising cookies and other technologies requiring consent must not be activated unless you give that consent. Agreeing to our legal-service terms does not constitute consent to advertising cookies.
Where a cookie consent facility is provided, it explains the available choices and allows you to manage them. You may also manage cookies through your browser settings, although blocking necessary cookies may affect Website functionality.
DECISIONS ABOUT OUR LEGAL SERVICES
Our solicitors are responsible for the legal advice provided and decisions about whether we can accept or continue instructions. Electronic identity or payment checks may assist our processes.
Stripe’s Privacy Policy and Privacy Center explain its use of automated payment-security and fraud-prevention systems.
CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
We may update this Policy to reflect changes in our services, systems or legal requirements. Where required, we will bring material changes affecting the use of your information to your attention.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Data Protection Contact
Houghton Legal LLP trading as Lawyers Online
The Old Police Station
Leamington Road
Broadway
WR12 7DZ
Email: advice@lawyersonline.co.uk
Telephone: 0800 093 1528
Our Manchester office is at 3rd Floor, 1 Albert Square, Manchester, M2 3FU. Please direct postal data protection enquiries to Broadway.
Last updated: 30 September 2026