Your privacy matters to us. We're committed to protecting your personal information.
Transparent practices. Your rights protected.
Look, we get it - nobody really wants to read through pages of legal jargon about privacy policies. But here's the deal: when you're dealing with legal matters, especially criminal defense or civil litigation, your privacy isn't just important, it's absolutely critical.
At Dread Veil Stronghold Legal, we've handled enough sensitive cases to know that your personal information needs serious protection. This policy lays out exactly what we do with your data, how we keep it safe, and what rights you've got when it comes to your information.
We're based in Vancouver, BC, and we follow all the Canadian privacy laws - particularly PIPEDA and BC's privacy legislation. This isn't some cookie-cutter privacy policy we grabbed off the internet. It's written specifically for how we actually operate.
Alright, let's break down what info we actually collect from you. It depends on how you interact with us, but here's the rundown:
Obviously, when you hire us, we're gonna need info about your case. This includes documents, correspondence, court records, police reports, witness statements - you name it. All that stuff about your legal situation becomes part of our client file.
When you visit our website, we automatically collect certain technical info like your IP address, browser type, pages you visit, how long you stick around, and where you came from. It's pretty standard stuff that helps us make the site better.
We keep records of our conversations - emails, phone calls, in-person meetings, video conferences. This protects both of us and helps us provide better service. Plus, it's just good legal practice.
So what do we actually do with all this information? Here's the straight answer:
The main reason - to actually represent you in your legal matters. This means preparing documents, communicating with courts and opposing counsel, developing strategy, everything that goes into defending your rights.
To keep you updated on your case, respond to your questions, send you important deadlines and court dates. We're not gonna leave you in the dark about what's happening with your matter.
Managing invoices, processing payments, maintaining accurate records. The boring but necessary business stuff that keeps the lights on.
Meeting our obligations under the Law Society rules, responding to court orders, complying with legal and regulatory requirements. Sometimes we've got no choice but to use or disclose info.
Analyzing how our website gets used, identifying what works and what doesn't, making our practice better. All done with anonymized data when possible.
Protecting against unauthorized access, detecting suspicious activity, keeping both your information and ours safe from bad actors.
Here's what we DON'T do: sell your information, use it for unrelated marketing purposes, or share it with random third parties who have nothing to do with your case. That's not how we roll.
Look, solicitor-client privilege is sacred to us. We take it seriously. But there are some situations where we might need to share your information:
Pretty straightforward - if you give us permission to share your info with someone, we can do that. This might include sharing case details with expert witnesses, private investigators, or other professionals working on your matter.
When we're representing you in court or dealing with legal proceedings, we've gotta share relevant information with the court, opposing counsel, prosecutors, or other parties involved. That's just part of how the legal system works.
Sometimes we work with third-party service providers - think cloud storage companies, IT support, payment processors, court reporters. They only get access to what they absolutely need to do their job, and they're bound by confidentiality agreements.
If we're legally required to disclose information - like responding to a valid subpoena, complying with a court order, or meeting Law Society requirements - we've gotta do it. We'll let you know when this happens unless we're prohibited from doing so.
Important exception: If we believe disclosure is necessary to prevent serious harm to you or someone else, or to prevent a crime, we may disclose information without your consent. This is rare, but it's part of our ethical obligations.
The Law Society of BC's rules actually require this in certain situations, and it's one of the few times solicitor-client privilege doesn't apply.
Security isn't just a checkbox for us - it's built into everything we do. We've seen enough cases to know what happens when information isn't properly protected, and we're not about to let that happen to our clients.
Reality check: No security system is 100% foolproof. But we've put extensive measures in place to protect your information, and we're constantly updating our security practices as threats evolve. If there's ever a breach that affects your data, we'll let you know right away.
You've got rights when it comes to your personal information. Here's what you can do:
You can ask to see what personal information we've got about you. We'll provide it, usually within 30 days, subject to any legal restrictions or solicitor-client privilege considerations.
If something's wrong or outdated, you can ask us to correct it. We'll update our records promptly, though we might keep the original for legal reasons with a note about the correction.
You can withdraw consent for us to use your information, but heads up - this might affect our ability to represent you. Some information we're legally required to keep even if you withdraw consent.
In some cases, you can request your personal information in a format that's easy to transfer to another lawyer or service provider. We'll work with you on this.
If you think we've mishandled your information, you can file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada or the Law Society of BC. We'd prefer you talk to us first though.
You can ask questions about how we handle your information, who we share it with, and how long we keep it. We'll give you straight answers.
Just reach out to us at info@dreadveilstronghold.info or call (604) 555-0147. Let us know what you need, and we'll take care of it. We might need to verify your identity first - just to make sure we're not giving someone else access to your information.
There's no fee for reasonable requests, though if you're asking for something really extensive or repetitive, we might charge a reasonable administrative fee.
Yeah, we use cookies. Not the chocolate chip kind, unfortunately - the digital kind that help our website work better.
| Cookie Type | Purpose | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Essential Cookies | Make the website actually work - navigation, security, basic functionality. You can't really opt out of these. | Session/1 year |
| Functional Cookies | Remember your preferences, settings, language choices - stuff that makes your experience better. | Up to 2 years |
| Analytics Cookies | Help us understand how people use the site so we can improve it. All anonymized data. | Up to 2 years |
Most browsers let you control cookies through their settings. You can usually:
Just keep in mind that blocking cookies might affect how the website works. Some features might not function properly.
Note on tracking: We don't use aggressive tracking technologies or sell your browsing data to advertisers. The analytics we collect are purely for improving our website and services.
Our website might contain links to other sites - court websites, legal resources, government agencies, that sort of thing. Once you click on those links and leave our site, we've got no control over what happens to your information.
We work with some carefully selected third-party service providers who help us run our practice:
Secure, Canadian-based document storage with encryption
PCI-compliant payment processors for secure transactions
Professional email with encryption capabilities
All these providers are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and only get access to the minimum information they need. They're also required to comply with Canadian privacy laws.
Our recommendation: Always check the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. Just because we link to something doesn't mean we endorse their privacy practices.
And if you're concerned about using any particular service provider in your case, let us know. We can usually find alternatives.
Look, we're lawyers - we're required to keep files for a pretty long time. The Law Society of BC has specific rules about this, and we've gotta follow them.
We keep complete client files for at least 10 years after the matter closes. This includes all documents, correspondence, notes, research - everything related to your case.
Why so long? Because legal issues can resurface years later. Appeals, related proceedings, complaints, limitation periods - we need to have the file available if something comes up.
Tax laws and Law Society rules require us to keep financial records for at least 7 years. This includes billing records, payment information, trust account records.
These records are kept separately from client files and have additional security measures.
Emails, letters, phone logs, meeting notes - these are kept as part of the client file for the full retention period.
If you had an initial consultation but didn't hire us, we keep those records for 2 years unless you ask us to delete them sooner.
Analytics and website usage data is typically kept for 2 years, then automatically deleted or anonymized.
Cookies expire according to their type - anywhere from end of session to 2 years max.
When the retention period expires and we no longer have a legal obligation to keep your information, we delete it securely:
Can you ask us to delete your info sooner? Maybe, but it depends. If we're legally required to keep it, we can't delete it even if you ask. But if there's no legal requirement and the retention period has passed, we can discuss early deletion.
Keep in mind that deleting your file early means we won't have records if you need us to refer back to something later.
Got questions about this privacy policy? Concerns about how we're handling your information? Just want to exercise one of your privacy rights? We're here to help.
Dread Veil Stronghold Legal
1288 West Georgia Street
Suite 2400
Vancouver, BC V6E 4R8
Phone: (604) 555-0147
Email: info@dreadveilstronghold.info
We try to respond to privacy inquiries within 48 hours.
For formal privacy complaints or detailed inquiries about our privacy practices, you can contact our designated Privacy Officer directly.
We take privacy concerns seriously and will investigate and respond to all complaints in accordance with Canadian privacy legislation.
If you're not satisfied with how we've handled your privacy concern, you can also file a complaint with:
We review and update this privacy policy regularly to make sure it reflects our current practices and complies with any new legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we'll let our clients know directly.
For everyone else, the updated policy will be posted here with a new "last updated" date at the top. It's a good idea to check back occasionally if you're interested in how we handle privacy.