What this privacy policy is about

Clewett Lawyers respects your privacy.  We have developed this policy to explain how we collect and deal with the personal information of individuals.

This privacy policy does not extend to employee records and it does not supplant, and applies subject to, our professional obligations of confidentiality owed to our clients.

What sort of personal information we collect

This policy applies to "personal information", defined in the federal Privacy Act as "information or an opinion (including information or an opinion forming part of a database), whether true or not, and whether recorded in a material form or not, about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion".

We also collect "sensitive information" about individuals, which is information or an opinion about:

• an individual's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, membership of a political association, religious beliefs or affiliations, philosophical beliefs, membership of a professional or trade association, membership of a trade union, sexual preferences or practices or criminal record; and
• the health or a disability (at any time) of an individual, an individual's expressed wishes about the future provision of health services to him or her and health services provided, or to be provided, to an individual.

How we collect and hold personal information

We collect personal information from a number of sources in the course of carrying on our business.  Usually, personal information is collected from the person concerned.  However, on occasions we may collect personal information:

• from our clients about employees of our clients;
• from our clients about other individuals involved in matters in which our clients are involved or for which our clients seek our advice;
• from our business associates and referrers about potential clients; or
• from other sources.

We hold personal information both in paper form and electronically.

Why we collect personal information

We collect personal information for the purposes of:

• providing legal services to our clients;
• marketing our services to clients and potential clients; and
• facilitating the management of our business, including the fulfilment of legal obligations in the conduct of our business.

We only collect sensitive information about individuals for the purpose of providing legal services to our clients.  For example:

• if we are providing legal services to an individual about a criminal matter or another matter in which a criminal record is relevant, we may collect information about that individual's criminal record or about the criminal record of another individual involved in the matter but we will only use the information about the criminal record in that matter; and
• if we are providing legal services to a client in which an individual is claiming compensation for personal injuries, we may collect health information about that individual but we will only use the health information in that matter.

The main consequence of all or part of any personal information not being provided to us when we ask for it is that it may limit our ability to provide legal services or stop us from doing so.

How we use personal information

We use personal information for the purposes for which we collect it as explained above.  The types of organisations to which we usually disclose personal information depend on the type of matter in which an individual is involved.  In appropriate cases, we disclose personal information to:

• other parties involved in the matter and their professional advisers;
• other professional advisers engaged by us or by our client in the matter;
• courts, tribunals, mediators and others involved in litigation or other dispute resolution processes; and
• government authorities where we are required to do so.

We do not sell or trade personal information

We do not transfer personal information to a foreign country unless we are allowed to under the National Privacy Principles, or if it is necessary for us to do so in order to provide or facilitate the provision of legal services to a client.

Access to and correction of personal information

You can request access at any time to personal information we hold about you.  We may charge a fee when access is provided. In some cases set out in the National Privacy Principles, we are not required to give access.

If you are able to establish that personal information held by us about you is not accurate, complete and up-to-date, we will take reasonable steps to correct the information.  If you and we disagree whether the information is accurate, complete and up-to-date, we will associate with the information a statement indicating your claim if you ask us to.

How to contact us

You may contact us by:

• writing to Clewett Lawyers, PO Box 204, Toowoomba, Qld, 4350;
• email to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it or
• telephoning 07 4639 0333