Privacy Policy

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1. Preliminary

1.1 LawAnswers.com.au ("LawAnswers.com.au", "We", "Our", "Us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. Our Privacy Policy outlines Our approach to privacy and how We collect, use and protect your personal information. It also sets out your rights in relation to accessing the personal information We collect and hold about you. We are bound by the Australian Privacy Principles (or APPs) in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (the Privacy Act). This Privacy Policy sets out how LawAnswers.com.au handles your personal information. It applies to Our website (LawAnswers.com.au) and all related mobile applications ("Website") and our Services. By visiting or using the Website, you agree to the collection, storage, usage and disclosure of your personal information by Us in the manner described in this Privacy Policy. We reserve the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time by posting the amended terms on the Website. If you object to any changes, you may close your account. By continuing to use the Website after changes to this Privacy Policy have been published on the Website, you are deemed to have consented to the changes.

1.2 Personal information is defined in the Privacy Act and means information or an opinion that can be associated with a specific person, or can be used to identify that person. Information that has been made anonymous or aggregated so that it cannot be used, whether in combination with other information or otherwise, to identify a specific person is not personal information.

1.3 Our Website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy policies of any third-party websites. We recommend that you review the privacy policy of each website you visit.

2. Collection of Personal Information

2.1 LawAnswers.com.au only collects personal information for the purposes of conducting Our business as an online legal information website. The personal information We collect from you will include information you give Us when you:

(a) register to the Website;

(b) publish or otherwise contribute information to the Website; or

(c) contact us in person, by phone or in writing (whether electronic, via our communication tools or otherwise).

We also collect personal when you visit and/or use the Website, in which case, We record information sent to us by your computer, mobile device or other access device; and from third parties such as Our related entities, service providers to Us, operators of linked websites and applications on your computer or mobile device.

2.2 The personal information that We collect may include, but is not limited to:

(a) your name;

(b) your contact details including your email address;

(c) records and content of communications with Us or any other person including when using Website communication tools; personal information you provide to Us through any correspondence (including email correspondence) or shared by you from other social media such as Facebook;

(d) personal information based on your interaction with, or activities on, the Website and its content and advertising, including computer and mobile device identifiers, device type, geo-location information, connection information, statistics on page views, traffic to and from the Website, mobile network information, time, date, referring URL, the type of operating system and browser, IP address and standard web log data; and

(e) your payment information if you make purcase using our Website.

2.3 We may collect personal information from you even though you are not a registered user but is given to Us in the course of using our Website or in the preparation of entering into a transaction with Us.

2.4 Where reasonably practicable, We attempt to collect information directly from you. When We collect information, We will generally explain what information We are collecting, why We are collecting it, who We give it to and how We will use or disclose it except where those matters will be obvious from the circumstances.

2.5 If We collect information about you from someone else, We will take reasonable steps to ensure that you are made aware of the matters listed in clause 2.4.

2.6 We will collect personal information from you by lawful and fair means and not in an unreasonably intrusive way.

3. Why We Collect and How We Use Personal Information

3.1 We collect, use and store personal information about you to provide you with access to the Website and for services to be provided to you by third parties.

3.2 You consent to us collecting, using, storing and sharing your personal information to:

(a) operate the Website, generate content and provide customer support (including updates and improvements);

(b) allow third parties to provide the services requested by you;

(c) research, develop and improve Our services;

(d) to conduct surveys to determine use and satisfaction with Our services;

(e) to generate statistics in relation to the Website;

(f) detect, investigate and prevent potentially unlawful acts or omissions or acts or omissions with the potential to breach this Privacy Policy or other policies;

(g) enforce our Terms of Use;

(h) combine or aggregate your personal information with information We collect from third parties and use it for the purposes set out this Privacy Policy;

(i) contact you by using the contact details you have provided, by way of email, phone (voice or text) or post;

(j) aggregate and/or make anonymous your personal information, so that it cannot be used, whether in combination with other information or otherwise, to identify you;

(k) notify you about the Website and updates to the Website from time to time; or

(l) supply you with generalised, targeted or personalised marketing, advertising and promotional notices, offers and communications based on your preferences.

4. Opting Out

4.1 You may withdraw your consent to Us collecting, storing, using and disclosing your personal information in accordance with this Privacy Policy, but you may not be permitted to continue to use the Website or access Our services.

4.2 You may opt out of receiving Our marketing, advertising and promotional notices, offers and communications by notifying Us in writing at the email address below.

5. Other Use and Disclosure of Personal Information to Third-Parties

5.1 LawAnswers.com.au does not sell personal information. However, you agree that We may disclose your personal information in Australia and overseas to:

(a) advertise the Website;

(b) enforce our Terms of Use, including this Privacy Policy;

(c) comply with any applicable law, request by a government agency or regulatory authority or court order;

(d) respond to or resolve claims that a person has violated the rights of others;

(e) protect a person’s rights, property or safety;

(f) Our directors, staff, contractors, professional advisers and related entities;

(g) outsourced service providers who assist Us to provide Our services such as information technology providers, payment processors, customer service vendors and marketing advisers (including in relation to fraud investigations and Website operations);

(h) third parties to whom you expressly ask Us to send, or consent to Us sending, your personal information; or

(i) such entities that We propose to merge with or be acquired by and in such case, We will require that the new entity following the merger or acquisition adhere to this Privacy Policy.

5.2 If LawAnswers.com.au provides your personal information to third parties, We take reasonable steps to ensure that these third parties have an adequate level of privacy protection.

6. Security of Personal Information

6.1 We take reasonable steps to protect the personal information We hold against risks such as loss, unauthorised access, use, modification or disclosure or other forms of misuse. When no longer required, personal information is destroyed in a secure manner or deleted.

6.2 Our employees and contractors are required, as a condition of their employment, to treat personal information held by Us as confidential, and to maintain the confidentiality of that personal information.

7. Use of Cookies

7.1 When you visit our Website, We, and/or third parties, may place cookies on your web browser to manage and enhance the Website and improve Our business and the services provided to you.

7.2 Cookies may be used to:

(a) identify you as a user the Website;

(b) remember your Website preferences;

(c) customise, measure and optimise the effectiveness of the Website and Our advertising and marketing;

(d) analyse your usage of the Website so that We can make it even better; and

(e) for security purposes.

7.3 Cookies may collect and store your personal information. This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected via cookies. You may adjust your web browser to disable cookies. If Cookies are disabled, We may not be able to provide you with Our services.

7.4 You can learn more about our Cookie Policy at LawAnswers.com.au's Cookie Policy.

8. Accessing and Amending Your Personal Information

8.1 Under the Privacy Act, you have certain rights to access the personal information We collect and hold about you. You also have the right to ask Us to correct information about you that is inaccurate, incomplete or out of date.

8.2 Generally, subject to the exceptions of APP 12.3, We will allow you access to the personal information We hold about you within a reasonable time after it is requested.

8.3 To provide you with access to personal information We may hold about you, please identify the precise type/s of information requested, in writing, and include your phone number and other relevant contact details and forward this to our Privacy Officer at the address below. In the interests of protecting the privacy of individuals about whom We hold personal information, We will require that you verify your identity by enclosing a copy of a form of identification such as a current driver's licence or passport with your written request (this will be returned to you after your identity has been verified).

8.4 Ordinarily, We will not charge you for the cost of providing this type of access to records about you. However, if We do propose to charge you, We will advise you of the relevant charge before We provide you with access. If you wish to discuss our method of providing access, please contact Our Privacy Officer with your query. If you wish to change personal information that is inaccurate or out-of-date, please contact Our Privacy Officer via post or email displayed below.

8.5 Where We receive a request to correct information, We will take reasonable steps to consider the request and correct the information, having regard to the purpose for which it is held.

8.6 Our policy is to consider any requests for access or correction within 21 days of receipt.

9. Contact Details for Privacy Related Matters

9.1 We may change Our Privacy Policy at any time. A copy of this policy is available to anyone who requests it, by email or via our Website.

9.2 If you feel that LawAnswers.com.au is not complying with this Privacy Policy, or if you have other privacy concerns, please contact Our Privacy Officer using our Contact Form.

9.3 To make a complaint about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, which includes how We handle your personal information, you may email or write to us at the address provided above. We will endeavour to respond to your complaint within a reasonable time after it is received (generally within 21 days). If you are not satisfied by Our response, you may acquire further information regarding privacy from the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

10. Other Privacy and Data Protection Laws

Our Privacy Policy does not limit your legal rights under any other applicable privacy or data protection laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Privacy Policy last updated on 1 January 2020.