Privacy Policy
- 22/10/2026
Our Privacy Policy
What is personal information?
Personal information is information or an opinion about an identified individual, or an individual who is reasonably identifiable. It doesn’t have to be true, and it doesn’t have to be recorded in any particular form.
Sensitive information is a subset of personal information that attracts extra protection — it includes information about health, criminal record, racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, sexual orientation and membership of professional or trade associations.
What personal information do you collect about me?
The information we collect depends on our relationship with you. It commonly includes:
- Name, postal address, email address and phone numbers
- Date of birth and identification details, including where we are required to verify your identity
- Occupation, employer and business details
- Details of property you own, occupy or have an interest in
- Financial information relevant to your matter, including valuations, income and business records
- Details of the legal matter you have asked us to act on, including correspondence, documents and instructions
- Payment and billing details
- Records of our communications with you
- Information collected automatically when you use our website (see below)
For job applicants, we also collect resumes, academic and admission records, employment history and referee comments.
Do you collect sensitive information?
Sometimes. Legal matters can require it — for example, health information where a compulsory acquisition has caused a business owner personal loss, or criminal record information where a matter involves an alleged offence under environmental or planning legislation.
We only collect sensitive information where it is reasonably necessary for our work and where you have consented, or where the law otherwise permits or requires us to collect it.
How do you collect my personal information?
Wherever it is reasonable and practicable, we collect personal information directly from you — when you contact us, complete a form on our website, instruct us on a matter, or meet with us.
We also collect personal information from other sources, including:
- Your representatives, such as accountants, valuers, town planners, building consultants, agents and family members
- Other parties to a matter and their legal representatives
- Courts, tribunals and government agencies
- Public registers, including land title records, ASIC and personal property securities registers
- Publicly available sources
- Referrers, including other law firms
- Recruitment agencies and referees, where you have applied for a role with us
Do you collect information about people who aren't your clients?
Yes. This is unavoidable in legal practice. To act for a client, we necessarily collect and hold information about other people connected to the matter — other parties, their representatives, witnesses, experts, lot owners, neighbours, employees and company officers.
Where we collect personal information about you from someone other than you, we take reasonable steps to notify you or make you aware of the matters in this policy, unless doing so would be inconsistent with our duties to our client, would prejudice the conduct of a matter, or is otherwise impracticable or not required by law.
Why do you collect and use my personal information?
We collect, hold and use personal information to:
- Provide legal advice and representation, and conduct matters on behalf of clients
- Communicate with you about your matter
- Verify identity where required
- Assess and manage conflicts of interest
- Issue invoices and collect payment
- Meet our professional, regulatory, insurance and statutory obligations, including under legal profession legislation and trust account rules
- Respond to enquiries made through our website or by phone
- Send publications, updates and event invitations, where you have not opted out
- Improve our website and services
- Consider you for a role with us, where you have applied
- Deal with complaints and disputes
We will not use your personal information for a purpose other than the one we collected it for, unless you would reasonably expect it, you have consented, or the law permits or requires it.
What happens if I don't give you my personal information?
You can deal with us anonymously or under a pseudonym in some limited circumstances — for example, a general enquiry about a practice area.
In most cases, though, we cannot act without it. If you do not provide the personal information we ask for, we may be unable to advise you, act on your matter, verify your identity, comply with our regulatory obligations, or respond to your enquiry.
Who do you share my information with?
We disclose personal information only where it is necessary, and only to the extent necessary. Recipients may include:
- Barristers, experts, valuers, consultants and other advisers we engage on your matter
- Other parties to your matter and their legal representatives, where disclosure is required to advance your matter or by the rules of court
- Courts, tribunals, mediators and arbitrators
- Government agencies, acquiring authorities, consent authorities and regulators
- Our professional indemnity insurers and insurance brokers
- Our auditors, accountants and external advisers
- IT, document management, email and data hosting providers
- Debt recovery agents, where an account remains unpaid
- Anyone you have authorised us to deal with
- Anyone else where required or authorised by law
We require our service providers to protect personal information and to use it only for the purpose we engaged them for.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not disclose it to third parties for their own marketing purposes.
Is my information sent overseas?
Some of our technology providers — including cloud storage, email and document management services — may store or process data on servers located outside Australia, including in the United States, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Singapore and New Zealand.
Before disclosing personal information to an overseas recipient, we take reasonable steps to ensure the recipient handles it in a way consistent with the Australian Privacy Principles.
[VERIFY: confirm actual hosting locations with the firm’s IT provider before publishing — list only the countries that apply]
What does your website collect?
Enquiry forms. When you submit a form on our website, we collect the details you provide and use them to respond to you.
Automatically collected information. Our web servers and analytics tools record information such as your IP address, browser type and version, device type, operating system, the pages you visit, the time and date of your visit, and the site you came from. This is used in aggregate to understand how our website is used and to improve it.
Cookies. Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We use them to make the site work properly, remember your preferences and measure site performance. Most browsers let you block or delete cookies, though some parts of the site may not function properly if you do.
Third party services. Our website uses [GOOGLE ANALYTICS / OTHER — LIST ACTUAL TOOLS]. These services collect information subject to their own privacy policies.
Links to other sites. Our website links to external sites, including legislation and court websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites.
Do you use automated decision-making?
[FIRM TO CONFIRM — see note below]
We do not use computer programs to make, or substantially assist in making, decisions that could reasonably be expected to significantly affect your rights or interests. Decisions about your matter are made by our lawyers.
Drafting note for the firm: from 10 December 2026, APP 1.7 requires an APP entity that does use automated decision-making of this kind to disclose it in its privacy policy, including the kinds of personal information used and the kinds of decisions made. Confirm before publishing whether any conflict-checking, client-screening, document-review or AI-assisted tools in the practice fall within scope, and replace this section accordingly. Generic wording will not satisfy the requirement.
How do you keep my information secure?
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from misuse, interference, loss, and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. These include access controls and staff permissions, secure password and authentication requirements, encryption of data in transit and at rest, secure premises and locked storage for physical files, confidentiality obligations in staff and contractor agreements, staff training, and vetting of our IT providers.
No system is completely secure. While we take our obligations seriously, we cannot guarantee the security of information transmitted to us over the internet or by email.
What happens if there's a data breach?
If we become aware of unauthorised access to, or disclosure or loss of, personal information we hold, we will assess it promptly.
Where a breach is likely to result in serious harm to any affected individual, we will notify those individuals and the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner as required under the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme.
How long do you keep my information?
We keep client files and associated records for at least seven years after a matter is completed, consistent with our professional and regulatory obligations. Some records are kept longer where the law requires it, where a matter may give rise to future claims, or where the file relates to an ongoing interest in land.
When we no longer need personal information for any purpose for which it may lawfully be used, and we are not required to retain it, we take reasonable steps to destroy it or de-identify it.
Isn't this the same as legal professional privilege?
No — they operate alongside each other.
As solicitors, we owe you a duty of confidentiality that is broader than our privacy obligations, and much of what you tell us in the course of a matter will also be subject to legal professional privilege. Nothing in this policy reduces those protections or authorises us to disclose privileged or confidential information.
Will you send me marketing?
We may send you legal updates, publications and invitations to events. You can opt out at any time by using the unsubscribe link in any email, or by contacting us using the details below. We will action your request promptly.
We do not use sensitive information for direct marketing.
Can I access the information you hold about me?
Yes, in most cases. Contact our Privacy Officer using the details below and tell us what information you are seeking. We may ask you to verify your identity.
We will respond within a reasonable period — usually 30 days. There is no charge for making a request, though we may charge a reasonable fee for the time and cost of giving access.
There are circumstances where we may refuse access, including where giving access would have an unreasonable impact on someone else’s privacy, where the information relates to anticipated or existing legal proceedings, where it would prejudice negotiations, where it is subject to legal professional privilege belonging to another client, or where the law otherwise permits refusal. If we refuse, we will explain why in writing and tell you how to complain.
Can I correct my information?
Yes. If any information we hold about you is inaccurate, out of date, incomplete, irrelevant or misleading, contact us and we will take reasonable steps to correct it.
If we decide not to correct it, we will write to you explaining why, and you can ask us to attach a statement to the record noting that you consider it inaccurate.
How do I make a privacy complaint?
Contact our Privacy Officer first, in writing, setting out the details of your complaint. We will acknowledge it promptly, investigate, and give you a written response — usually within 30 days.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
Phone: 1300 363 992
Website: oaic.gov.au
Post: GPO Box 5218, Sydney NSW 2001
Will this policy change?
Yes, from time to time — as our practice changes and as the law changes. The current version is always available on this page, and the date at the top tells you when it was last updated. We encourage you to check it periodically.
How do I contact you about privacy?
Privacy Officer
Project Lawyers Pty Ltd
Suite 905, Level 9, The Trust Building, 155 King St, Sydney NSW 2000
Phone: (02) 9025 0808
Email: law@projectlawyers.com.au