1. Introduction
Augustine Williams Law Professional Corporation (“AW Law”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of personal information in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy legislation, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and the Law Society of Ontario’s rules of professional conduct.
This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard personal information obtained in connection with our legal services and website. By engaging our services or using our website, you acknowledge and consent to the practices described in this Policy.
2. Scope of This Policy
This Privacy Policy applies to:
- Clients and prospective clients who contact or retain AW Law for legal services
- Visitors to our website and individuals who communicate with us electronically
- Third parties whose personal information is provided to us in the course of providing legal services
- Any other individual whose personal information we collect, use, or disclose
3. Personal Information We Collect
We collect only the information necessary to provide effective legal services and manage our professional relationship with you. The types of personal information we may collect include:
3.1 Information You Provide Directly
- Full legal name, address, telephone number, and email address
- Identification documents (e.g., government-issued photo ID)
- Financial information relevant to your legal matter
- Details of your legal matter, dispute, or transaction
- Corporate documents or business information, where applicable
- Any other information you voluntarily provide to us
3.2 Information Collected Automatically
- IP addresses and browser information when you visit our website
- Website usage data including pages viewed, time spent, and referral sources
- Cookies and similar tracking technologies (see Section 9)
3.3 Information from Third Parties
- Information received from opposing parties, courts, government agencies, or witnesses in connection with your legal matter
- Information provided by other legal counsel or professionals involved in your file
4. How We Use Your Personal Information
AW Law uses personal information for the following purposes:
- To provide, administer, and improve our legal services
- To communicate with you regarding your legal matter
- To fulfill our professional and ethical obligations as legal counsel
- To verify your identity and conduct conflict-of-interest checks
- To comply with anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-client (KYC) requirements under applicable law
- To issue invoices, process payments, and maintain financial records
- To respond to inquiries, complaints, or requests from regulators or courts
- To protect the rights, property, or safety of AW Law, our clients, and others
- To improve the security and functionality of our website
5. Legal Basis for Processing
We process your personal information on the following grounds:
- Consent: Where you have provided express or implied consent to the collection and use of your information
- Contract: Where processing is necessary to perform our legal services agreement with you
- Legal Obligation: Where we are required to collect or disclose information to comply with applicable law, court orders, or regulatory requirements
- Legitimate Interests: Where necessary to pursue our legitimate business interests, provided these do not override your fundamental privacy rights
6. Disclosure of Personal Information
AW Law does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties. We may disclose your information only in the following circumstances:
6.1 With Your Consent
We will disclose your personal information to third parties when you have provided consent or directed us to do so in furtherance of your legal matter.
6.2 Service Providers
We may share information with trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our firm, including:
- Court filing services and process servers
- Legal research and technology platforms
- Secure document storage and management providers
- Accounting and billing software providers
- Clio (MyCase Inc.) our practice management and client intake platform (see Section 6.4 below)
All service providers are bound by confidentiality obligations and are prohibited from using your information for any purpose other than providing services to AW Law.
6.3 Legal and Regulatory Requirements
We may disclose information where required by law, court order, subpoena, or as required by the Law Society of Ontario or other regulatory bodies. We may also disclose information to prevent fraud, protect public safety, or to defend ourselves in legal proceedings.
6.4 Clio Practice Management Platform
AW Law uses Clio, a cloud-based legal practice management platform operated by MyCase Inc., to manage client intake forms, appointments, matter management, billing, and communications. When you submit an intake form, book a consultation, or interact with Cliopowered features on our website, your personal information is collected and processed by Clio on our behalf.
Key details regarding Clio:
- Data Storage: Clio stores data on servers located in Canada, supporting our PIPEDA compliance obligations
- Cookies: Clio may set functional and session cookies when you interact with embedded intake forms or booking tools on our website
- Data Use: Information submitted through Clio is used solely for the purpose of managing your legal matter and our firm’s operations
- Security: Clio employs industry-standard security measures including encryption and access controls
For more information about how Clio handles personal information, please refer to Clio’s Privacy Policy at www.clio.com/privacy-policy. AW Law remains responsible for the personal information collected through our use of Clio and will handle any privacy requests related to that information in accordance with this Policy.
7. Solicitor-Client Privilege and Confidentiality
All communications between you and AW Law relating to legal advice are protected by solicitorclient privilege. This protection exists independently of this Privacy Policy and remains in effect even after our retainer ends. We take all reasonable steps to maintain the confidentiality of privileged communications and will assert privilege against disclosure wherever appropriate and legally permissible.
8. Retention of Personal Information
We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected, to comply with applicable laws, or to defend against potential legal claims. Client files are generally retained for a minimum of ten (10) years following the conclusion of a matter, in accordance with Law Society of Ontario guidelines. When information is no longer required, we destroy or de-identify it using secure methods.
9. Cookies and Website Technologies
Our website uses cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience and support the functionality of integrated third-party tools. Cookies are small text files stored on your device when you visit a website.
We use the following types of cookies:
- Essential/Functional Cookies: Required for core website functionality, including session
management for Clio-powered intake forms and booking tools embedded on our website - Analytics Cookies: Used to gather aggregate data about how visitors use our website,
helping us improve content and user experience - Third-Party Cookies: Clio may set cookies when you interact with intake forms or
scheduling tools. These cookies are governed by Clio’s own privacy and cookie policies
You may configure your browser to refuse or delete cookies; however, doing so may affect your ability to use certain features of our website, including Clio-powered client intake forms. By continuing to use our website, you consent to our use of cookies as described in this Policy.
10. Security of Personal Information
AW Law implements commercially reasonable physical, technical, and administrative safeguards to protect personal information against unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, disposal, or destruction. These measures include:
- Password-protected and encrypted systems for storing electronic records
- Restricted access to client files on a need-to-know basis
- Secure disposal of physical and electronic records
- Staff training on privacy obligations and data handling practices
While we take all reasonable precautions, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Your Rights Regarding Your Personal Information
Subject to applicable law and professional obligations, you have the following rights:
- Access: You may request access to the personal information we hold about you
- Correction: You may request that inaccurate or incomplete information be corrected
- Withdrawal of Consent: You may withdraw consent to the collection and use of your personal information, subject to legal and contractual restrictions
- Complaint: You may file a complaint with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada if you believe your privacy rights have been violated
To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided in Section 13. We will respond to all requests within thirty (30) days, or as otherwise required by applicable law.
12. Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites. AW Law is not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. Your use of third-party websites is at your own risk.
13. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
Augustine Williams Law Professional Corporation
Email: info@awlawpc.ca
Telephone: 905-410-4607
14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
AW Law reserves the right to amend this Privacy Policy at any time. Any changes will be posted on our website with an updated effective date. We encourage you to review this Policy periodically. Your continued use of our services or website following any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised Policy.