What personal information we collect
We collect personal information that is reasonably necessary to provide legal services, operate our business, and meet our legal and professional obligations. This may include:
- Name, address, email address, telephone number, and other contact details;
- Date of birth and occupation;
- Identification and verification documents (such as passports or driver licences) for anti-money laundering and countering financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) purposes;
- Financial and banking details for payments or trust account transactions;
- Information provided through our website contact or enquiry forms;
- Information relating to your legal matters or instructions;
- Employment history and qualifications (for job applicants);
- Any other information you choose to provide, or that we are required to collect by law.
How we collect personal information
We may collect personal information:
- Directly from you when you contact us, engage our services, complete forms, or communicate with us by email, phone, or in person;
- From publicly available sources or from third parties, where permitted by law, or with your consent;
- From documents or information, you provide in connection with legal services or compliance obligations.
Purpose of collection
We collect and use personal information to:
- Provide legal services and advice;
- Establish and manage our relationship with you;
- Verify your identity and comply with AML/CFT and other legal obligations;
- Manage our administrative and business operations;
- Communicate with you and respond to enquiries;
- Consider employment or contracting applications.
We will not use personal information for purposes other than those for which it was collected, unless permitted by law or with your consent.
Storage and security of personal information
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification, or disclosure.
Personal information is securely stored in electronic form using reputable cloud-based systems. Access is restricted to authorised personnel and protected by appropriate technical and organisational safeguards.
We may use cloud service providers that store information outside New Zealand. Where this occurs, we take reasonable steps to ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your information in accordance with New Zealand privacy law.
Disclosure of personal information
We will only disclose personal information where:
- You have given your consent;
- Disclosure is required or authorised by law (for example, to a court or government agency);
- Disclosure is necessary to protect or enforce our legal rights or defend against legal claims.
Where we engage third party service providers (such as IT or administration support), they are required to handle personal information in accordance with our privacy and confidentiality standards.
Access and correction
You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you and to request correction if that information is inaccurate, incomplete, or out of date.
Requests should be made in writing to our Privacy Officer using the contact details below. We will respond within a reasonable time and in accordance with the Privacy Act 2020.
Retention of personal information
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary for the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law and professional obligations. Information may be securely deleted or destroyed when no long required.
Website interactions
If you contact us through our website, we will collect the information you provide to respond to your enquiry and, where applicable to provide services. We may retain a record of communications and correspondence relating to your enquiry or engagement.
Contacting us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, or wish to request access to or correction of your personal information, please contact:
Privacy Officer
BlackmanSpargo Rural Law Limited
Email:
admin@rurallaw.co.nz
Postal Address: PO Box 6206, Rotorua 3040
Updates to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The current version will always be available on our website.