Maurer & Associates PC Privacy Policy

 

Maurer & Associates PC recognizes the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of personal information.  As lawyers we have a professional obligation to keep confidential all information we receive within a lawyer-client relationship.  We are committed to protecting any personal information we hold.  This Privacy Policy outlines how we manage your personal information and safeguard your privacy.

 

Your Privacy Rights

Maurer & Associates PC is responsible for the personal information we collect and hold.  To ensure this accountability, we have developed this policy, and trained our lawyers and support staff about our policies and practices.  In compliance with Public Act 08-167 of the Connecticut General Statutes, we wish to inform you that it is our policy to protect our clients’ privacy:

 

We do not disclose any nonpublic personal information about you to anyone for any purpose that is not specifically permitted by law and any applicable State Ethics rules.

 

We make reasonable efforts to restrict access to nonpublic personal information about you to those employees who need to know that information in order to provide products or services to you. We make reasonable efforts to train those employees to protect the privacy of our clients. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with federal and state law to guard your nonpublic personal information.

 

It is the policy of this law firm to:

• Protect the confidentiality of Social Security numbers and nonpublic personal information;

• Prohibit the unlawful disclosure of Social Security numbers and nonpublic personal information; and

• Limit access to Social Security numbers and nonpublic personal information.

 

 

Why Does Maurer & Associates PC Need Personal Information

Maurer & Associates PC provides legal services and products to a wide range of clients.  To do so, we collect comprehensive information relevant to their matters. If we did not collect and use your personal information, we could not provide you with legal services.

 

 

How do we collect your personal information?

We collect information only by lawful and fair means, and not in an unreasonably intrusive way.  Wherever possible we collect your personal information directly from you, both at the start of a retainer and in the course of our representation.

 

Sometimes we may obtain information about you from other sources, for example:

• your insurance company;

• your real estate agent in a property transaction;

• from a government agency or registry;

• your employer, if we are acting for you, at its request;

• your accountant.

 

 

Consent

In most cases, we shall ask you to specifically consent, if we collect, use, or disclose your personal information.  Normally, we ask for your consent in writing, but in some circumstances, we may accept your oral consent.  Sometimes, your consent may be implied through your conduct with us.

 

 

Use of Your Information

We use your personal information to provide legal advice and services to you, to administer our client (time and billing databases) and to include you in any direct marketing activities.  Maurer & Associates PC does not disclose your personal information to any third party to enable them to market their products and services.  For example, we do not provide our client mailing lists to other law firms.

 

 

Disclosure of your Personal Information

Under certain circumstances, Maurer & Associates PC will disclose your personal information:

• when we are required or authorized by law to do so, for example if a court issues a subpoena;

• when you have consented to the disclosure;

• when the legal services we are providing to you requires us give your information to third parties (for example a lender in a real

   estate mortgage transaction) your consent will be implied, unless you tell us otherwise;

• where it is necessary to establish or collect fees;

• if we engage a third party to provide administrative services to us (like computer back-up services or archival file storage) and the

   third party is bound by our privacy policy;

• if we engage expert witnesses on your behalf;

• if we retain other law firms at your request, and on your behalf;

 

 

Updating Your Information

Since we use your personal information to provide legal services to you, it is important that the information be accurate and up-to-date. If during the course of the retainer, any of your information changes, please inform us so that we can make any necessary changes.

 

 

Is My Personal Information Secure?

Maurer & Associates PC takes all reasonable precautions to ensure that your personal information is kept safe from loss, unauthorized access, modification or disclosure.

 

Among the steps taken to protect your information are:

• premises security;

• restricted file access to personal information;

• deploying technological safeguards like security software and firewalls to prevent hacking or unauthorized computer access;

• internal password and security policies.

 

 

Credit Bureaus

To help us make credit decisions about clients, prevent fraud, check the identity of new clients and prevent money-laundering, we may – with your consent – request information about you from the files of consumer reporting agencies.

 

 

Communicating with Us

You should be aware that e-mail is not a 100% secure medium, and you should be aware of this when contacting us to send personal or confidential information.

 

 

Changes to this Privacy Policy

Since Maurer & Associates PC regularly reviews all of its policies and procedures, we may change our Privacy Policy from time to time.

 

 

Employment Inquiries

If you apply to Maurer & Associates PC for a job, we need to consider your personal information, as part of our review process.  We normally retain information from candidates after a decision has been made, unless you ask us not to retain the information.  If we offer you a job, which you accept, the information will be retained in accordance with our privacy procedures for employee records.

 

 

Web Site

Our website contains links to other sites, which are not governed by this privacy policy.