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Privacy Notice

How we collect, use, store and protect your information. Last reviewed: October 2026. Version 1.0.

Your privacy

We Are Your McKenzie Friend Ltd ("we", "us") is committed to handling your personal data lawfully, fairly and securely. This notice explains how we collect, use, store and protect your information when you contact us or use our services. We provide non-legal support for people involved in family and civil court matters.

For data protection purposes, We Are Your McKenzie Friend Ltd is the data controller. Company registration number 17166396, registered in England & Wales. This notice is provided under the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, as amended by the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025.

Questions about your data, or to exercise your rights, contact info@yourmckenzie.com. Data matters are handled by Jo.

What information we collect

We may collect and process:

• Your name, address, email address and telephone number
• Information about your situation and case
• Documents and correspondence you provide
• Notes from calls, meetings and discussions
• Payment and invoicing information

Because of the nature of our work, this often includes special category data and information about criminal allegations or proceedings — for example relating to domestic abuse, family circumstances, and health or wellbeing. We only collect what is necessary to support you.

You may also give us information about other people — such as a former partner, children or family members. Where you do, we rely on you having a proper reason to share it. We may not always be able to contact those individuals directly to tell them we hold their data; where that is the case, we rely on the exemptions in the UK GDPR that apply where providing that information would be impossible, involve disproportionate effort, or prejudice the purpose of the support (including safeguarding).

How we use your information

• Respond to enquiries and assess how we can support you
• Provide the support services you ask for
• Communicate with you
• Prepare and organise documents
• Maintain records of our work
• Manage payments and accounts
• Meet our legal and safeguarding responsibilities

Our lawful bases

For general personal data, we rely on:

• Contract — to provide the services you have asked for, and to take steps at your request before entering into an agreement.
• Legal obligation — where the law requires us to process your data.
• Legitimate interests — to run, manage and protect our business, where this is not overridden by your rights.

Because we routinely handle sensitive information, we also identify a special category condition under Article 9 of the UK GDPR. Depending on the situation, we rely on:

• Legal claims (Article 9(2)(f)) — where processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or court proceedings. This is our main condition for supporting your case.
• Explicit consent (Article 9(2)(a)) — where appropriate, and which you can withdraw at any time.
• Substantial public interest / safeguarding — where processing is necessary to protect someone from harm or neglect, supported by our safeguarding policy as required by the Data Protection Act 2018.

Where we process information about criminal allegations or proceedings, we do so under the conditions permitted by the Data Protection Act 2018 in connection with legal proceedings and safeguarding.

Confidentiality and who we share with

We treat all information as confidential and we do not sell your personal data. We do not submit documents to courts or tribunals, or act on your behalf. We share information only where necessary, with:

• Trusted service providers who help us operate (for example secure document storage, email and payment providers), under contract and only as needed
• Professional advisers or insurers
• Anyone you ask us to share it with, or where you have given consent
• Authorities or third parties where there is a safeguarding concern or risk of serious harm, or where we are required to by law

Where your data is processed (international transfers)

Some of our providers — including our website hosting and enquiry-form provider — may process data outside the UK, including in the United States. Where they do, the transfer is protected by appropriate safeguards recognised under UK data protection law, such as the UK extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or the International Data Transfer Agreement.

How we protect your data

• Password-protected systems and devices
• Restricted access — only those who need it can see your information
• Secure digital storage
• Safe handling and disposal of documents

When you use our website enquiry form, your submission is emailed to us and is also held securely by our form provider. We review and clear these submissions regularly, and you can ask us to delete yours at any time (see "Your rights" below).

How long we keep your data

We keep your information only for as long as necessary. In most cases, client records are retained for up to six years after our work ends, reflecting legal, safeguarding and insurance requirements, after which they are securely deleted or anonymised.

Automated decision-making

We do not make decisions about you using automated processing or profiling.

Your rights

You have the right to:

• Be informed about how we use your data (this notice)
• Access your personal data
• Request correction of inaccurate information
• Request deletion of your data, where appropriate
• Restrict or object to processing
• Data portability, where it applies
• Withdraw consent at any time, where we rely on consent

To exercise any of these, contact us at info@yourmckenzie.com. We aim to respond within one month.

How to complain

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, please tell us first so we can put it right. Contact us at info@yourmckenzie.com and we will acknowledge your complaint and respond, normally within one month.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK regulator, at any time — ico.org.uk, or 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this notice

We may update this notice from time to time. The current version is always available here, and we will tell you about significant changes.

Contact us

We Are Your McKenzie Friend Ltd
Email: info@yourmckenzie.com
Telephone: +44 (0)7434 760 366

This notice is a plain-English template covering current UK GDPR requirements. Because your work is heavily special-category, have it reviewed by a data-protection professional before launch — see the note accompanying this file.