Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 1 June 2025

Bolck Law respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs), and our obligations as a regulated legal practice in Queensland.

This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, disclose, store, and protect your personal information when you visit our website, contact our office, or engage our legal services.

1. What Personal Information We Collect

We may collect and hold the following types of personal information:

Your name, address, email, and phone number
Identification details (e.g. driver licence, passport) for client onboarding
Information relating to your legal matter, including sensitive information (e.g. family, medical, or financial details)
Employment or business information
Bank account or payment information (where applicable)
Communication records between you and our office
Information from public sources, third parties, or government agencies as part of legal work
Usage data and cookies from your use of our website

We only collect sensitive information where it is necessary for the provision of legal services and you have consented, or where required by law.

2. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information:

Directly from you when you contact us, complete a form, or provide documents
When you engage us to act in a legal matter
From third parties such as your accountant, financial adviser, medical professional, employer, or family member (with your authority)
From public databases (e.g. Land Titles Registry, ASIC, QCAT, Court files)
Through digital interactions with our website and online forms

3. Why We Collect and Use Your Information

Bolck Law collects personal information for the following purposes:

To provide legal advice and representation
To carry out conflict checks before accepting instructions
To meet professional, legislative, and regulatory requirements (e.g. under the Legal Profession Act)
To prepare and issue cost agreements and invoices
To communicate with clients, courts, government bodies, and other relevant parties
To verify your identity and conduct client onboarding
To conduct internal administration and maintain records
To meet statutory retention requirements
For marketing (e.g. newsletters or legal updates) if you opt in

4. Legal Professional Privilege

Any personal or sensitive information shared with us during the course of receiving legal advice may be protected by legal professional privilege. We treat this information as strictly confidential and will only disclose it where:

You have provided written consent
Required or authorised by law
It is necessary to protect your legal rights or comply with professional obligations

5. Disclosure of Personal Information

We may disclose your personal information to:

Courts, tribunals, regulatory bodies, and government agencies (e.g. Titles Office, QCAT, ATO)
Other legal practitioners, experts, barristers, or third-party service providers engaged for your matter
Financial institutions or brokers (as part of a transaction)
Professional service providers (e.g. IT, cloud storage, accounting)
Our professional indemnity insurer, legal advisors, or auditors
Law enforcement where legally required

We do not disclose personal information for direct marketing purposes without your consent.

6. Overseas Disclosure

While we do not routinely disclose personal information overseas, some of our third-party technology service providers (e.g. cloud-based document management, email platforms) may store data on servers located outside Australia (e.g. in the United States, Europe, or Singapore).

We take reasonable steps to ensure that these providers comply with privacy standards equivalent to Australian law and that your data remains secure.

7. Data Security and Retention

We take reasonable steps to protect your personal information from misuse, interference, unauthorised access, or disclosure. This includes:

Secure physical and electronic file storage

Password protection and two-factor authentication
Limiting access to authorised personnel
Regular backups and system monitoring

We retain legal files and personal data in accordance with legal obligations (e.g. 7 years for trust account records or client files) or longer where required. After this period, personal information is securely destroyed or de-identified.

8. Access and Correction

You have the right to access the personal information we hold about you, and to request corrections if it is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.

To make a request, please contact our office using the details below. We may require identity verification and will respond within a reasonable time.

9. Use of Cookies and Website Analytics

Our website uses cookies to collect non-identifying information about how visitors use our site. This helps us improve functionality and user experience.

You can disable cookies in your browser settings. However, some features of the site may not function as intended.

We may use Google Analytics or similar tools which track usage patterns and IP addresses, but this data is anonymised and not linked to identifiable users.

10. Marketing Communications

We may occasionally send legal updates, newsletters, or invitations to events if you have opted in. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link provided in the email or by contacting us.

11. Complaints

If you believe your privacy has been breached or mishandled, please contact us directly. We take privacy complaints seriously and will investigate promptly.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC) via www.oaic.gov.au.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The most current version will always be available on our website. Your continued use of our site and services constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

For questions about this policy or to make a privacy-related enquiry, please contact:

Bolck Law
Email: info@bolcklaw.com.au