1. Who we are

JSH Law Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 16870438.

Correspondence address:
JSH Law Ltd
c/o Mayes Business Partnership
Red Rose Court
Accrington
United Kingdom
BB5 5JR

Email: jessica.hill@jshlaw.co.uk

For most personal information processed in connection with enquiries, client matters, administration, billing, complaints, safeguarding and operation of this website, JSH Law Ltd is the data controller. This means that we decide why and how that information is used.

2. Our legal-services status

JSH Law Ltd provides non-reserved legal services, litigation support and McKenzie Friend assistance, particularly to litigants in person.

JSH Law Ltd is not an SRA-authorised solicitors’ firm and is not regulated as a law firm by the Solicitors Regulation Authority.

Communications with JSH Law should not be assumed to attract legal professional privilege merely because they concern legal proceedings. Different rules may apply to communications with an appropriately authorised lawyer where the legal requirements for privilege are met.

3. The information we may process

Depending on your enquiry, matter and use of our website or services, we may process:

• your name, address, email address, telephone number and other contact details;
• information about proceedings, disputes, applications, hearings, court orders, deadlines, procedural history and proposed steps;
• court documents, statements, schedules, chronologies, bundles, reports, correspondence, screenshots, photographs, recordings and other evidence;
• information from or about Cafcass, local authorities, schools, health professionals, experts, police, courts and other professionals or agencies;
• information about children, former partners, family members, witnesses and other people connected with a matter;
• emails, WhatsApp messages, telephone notes, voice notes, meeting notes, client-portal messages and other communications;
• billing information, invoices, payment status, transaction information and records relating to unpaid fees or disputes;
• enquiry forms, consultation-booking information, client agreements, Task Confirmations and onboarding information;
• website information such as IP address, browser and device information, pages visited, referrals, cookie choices and analytics information where applicable; and
• information voluntarily supplied through reviews, comments, social media, newsletters, surveys or other public-facing services.

4. Special category data and particularly sensitive information

Family proceedings frequently contain particularly sensitive information.

This may include information concerning:

• physical or mental health;
• disability;
• racial or ethnic origin;
• religious or philosophical beliefs;
• sexual orientation or sex life;
• genetic or biometric information where relevant;
• domestic abuse and coercive control;
• child or adult safeguarding;
• social care;
• police involvement;
• criminal allegations, proceedings or convictions; and
• other intimate family or personal circumstances.

Some of these categories receive additional protection under UK data protection law. Criminal-offence information is subject to separate enhanced rules.

We only process this material where it is relevant and reasonably necessary and where the required legal conditions are met.

Depending on the circumstances, an additional condition may relate to legal claims, safeguarding, substantial public interest, vital interests or explicit consent. We will only rely on a condition where its legal requirements are satisfied, including any requirement for additional safeguards or policy documentation.

5. Information about children

A significant proportion of family-court work concerns children. We may therefore process children’s information where it is relevant to the assistance requested.

Children’s personal information should be treated with particular care. We seek to limit processing to what is reasonably necessary for the relevant matter, safeguarding purpose, legal issue or administration of the client file.

We do not use children’s information for advertising or unrelated commercial profiling.

6. Where information comes from

We may obtain personal information:

• directly from you;
• from documents or evidence supplied by you;
• from another person involved in a matter;
• from courts and tribunals;
• from solicitors, barristers, experts or other advisers;
• from Cafcass, local authorities, schools, police or health professionals where lawfully supplied;
• from publicly available official or professional sources where relevant;
• through website forms, booking systems and client portals; and
• through website analytics or similar technologies where lawfully enabled.

Where we obtain personal information about somebody other than directly from that individual, data-protection law may require us to provide privacy information to that person. There are circumstances in legal proceedings, confidentiality-sensitive matters and other situations where an exemption may apply.

7. Third-party information supplied by clients

Litigation support inevitably involves information about people other than the person instructing JSH Law.

Please avoid sending information about another person unless it is genuinely relevant and reasonably necessary for the work requested. In particular, avoid sending entire medical, school, social-care or communication histories where only a small part is relevant.

JSH Law remains responsible for its own obligations as controller. We may decline to retain, use or reproduce information that appears unnecessary, excessive or inappropriate for the task instructed.

8. What we use personal information for

We may use personal information to:

• respond to enquiries and assess whether we can assist;
• carry out conflict or suitability checks where appropriate;
• set up and administer client files;
• provide agreed litigation-support and McKenzie Friend services;
• review evidence, court documents, reports and correspondence;
• prepare drafts, chronologies, schedules, hearing notes and case materials;
• conduct relevant legal and procedural research;
• communicate with clients and authorised people;
• record instructions, work carried out and important decisions;
• arrange appointments and hearing attendance;
• issue invoices and process payments;
• manage unpaid fees and payment disputes;
• deal with complaints and legal claims;
• manage safeguarding and serious-risk concerns;
• maintain appropriate records for tax, accounting and business administration;
• protect the security and integrity of our systems;
• operate and improve the JSH Law website;
• provide newsletters or marketing communications where lawfully permitted; and
• comply with applicable legal requirements and court orders.

9. Our lawful bases

The lawful basis depends upon why particular information is being processed. We may rely upon one or more of the following:

Contract

Where processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into an agreement or to perform our agreement with you.

Legitimate interests

Where processing is necessary for a legitimate business or other lawful interest and those interests are not overridden by the rights and freedoms of the person concerned.

Relevant interests may include providing and administering services, keeping accurate records, maintaining security, responding to complaints, recovering properly due fees, establishing or defending legal claims and operating JSH Law effectively.

Legal obligation

Where processing is required in order to comply with an applicable legal obligation.

Consent

Where consent is an appropriate lawful basis, including certain optional communications or processing. Consent can be withdrawn, although withdrawal does not make earlier lawful processing unlawful.

Vital interests

In exceptional circumstances where processing is necessary to protect someone’s life or serious physical interests.

10. AI-assisted tools and technology

JSH Law may use AI-assisted tools where appropriate to support tasks such as:

• document organisation;
• summarisation;
• chronology preparation;
• transcription;
• initial drafting;
• research support;
• issue spotting;
• quality checking;
• administration; and
• public website and editorial work.

AI-assisted output used substantively in client work is subject to human review. JSH Law does not rely on an AI system to make the final decision about a client’s case, legal position, safeguarding issue or litigation strategy.

We seek to minimise the personal information supplied to AI and technology providers and to use appropriate privacy and security settings for the purpose concerned.

Where particularly sensitive client information is involved, we consider the nature of the information, the purpose of the processing and whether the particular tool is appropriate before using it.

The AI tools connected directly to the JSH Law WordPress website are intended for public website and editorial functions, such as titles, excerpts, metadata, accessibility text and website imagery. Confidential client files and court documents should not be deliberately submitted to those website-publishing tools.

Other controlled AI-assisted tools may be used in client work where appropriate, subject to the safeguards described in this policy and our Client Agreement and Terms of Business.

11. Automated decision-making

JSH Law does not use solely automated decision-making to make decisions about clients that produce legal effects or similarly significant effects.

AI-generated or automated suggestions are tools to assist human work. They do not determine the outcome of your case, whether you should bring or defend proceedings, whether an allegation is true, whether a safeguarding risk exists, or what a court should decide.

12. Service providers and digital systems

We use third-party services to operate JSH Law. Depending upon the service being provided, these may include providers of:

• case-management and client-portal systems;
• email and communications;
• cloud storage and document handling;
• payment processing;
• accounting and invoicing;
• website hosting and security;
• appointment and form systems;
• video meetings and transcription;
• analytics;
• AI-assisted services; and
• IT support and backup systems.

A provider may act as our processor, as an independent controller, or in another data-protection role depending on the service and circumstances.

We seek to use reputable services and appropriate contractual, security and access-control arrangements.

13. Who information may be shared with

We do not sell client personal information.

Where lawful and reasonably necessary, information may be shared with:

• you and people you have authorised;
• service providers acting for or supporting JSH Law;
• payment and accounting providers;
• professional advisers and insurers;
• courts or tribunals where lawfully required or authorised;
• solicitors, barristers, experts and other professionals where appropriate;
• public authorities where disclosure is lawfully required;
• safeguarding bodies, police or emergency services where lawful and necessary;
• debt-recovery or legal advisers where a genuine fee dispute or claim arises; and
• another recipient where you have specifically authorised the disclosure.

We aim to disclose no more information than is reasonably necessary for the purpose concerned.

14. Family-court information and confidentiality

Family proceedings are generally private and may be subject to statutory restrictions, reporting restrictions or specific court orders governing disclosure and publication.

Permission to share a document with JSH Law for the purpose of obtaining assistance does not automatically permit publication or wider distribution of that document.

Please tell us about any order or other restriction affecting material you provide, particularly where it concerns children, Cafcass, social services, health records, educational records, police material, transcripts, recordings or confidential reports.

We will handle family-court information for the agreed purpose and in accordance with applicable legal restrictions of which we are aware.

15. Safeguarding and serious risk

Information supplied to JSH Law may sometimes indicate a serious safeguarding concern or risk of harm to a child, vulnerable person or another person.

Where disclosure is lawful, necessary and proportionate, information may be used or disclosed to an appropriate body such as a court, local authority, police, emergency service or other safeguarding agency.

Any decision of this kind will depend upon the circumstances and the applicable legal basis.

Please also read our Safeguarding Statement.

16. International transfers

Some cloud, communications, technology, payment, analytics or AI providers may process or make personal information accessible outside the United Kingdom.

Where this amounts to a restricted international transfer, we will use an applicable lawful transfer mechanism where required. Depending on the circumstances, this may include:

• UK adequacy regulations;
• the UK International Data Transfer Agreement;
• the UK Addendum to approved EU Standard Contractual Clauses;
• other appropriate safeguards recognised by UK data-protection law; or
• a legally available exception where the statutory requirements for that exception are met.

Where required when relying on appropriate safeguards, the relevant data-protection test or transfer assessment will also need to be satisfied.

17. How long we keep information

We do not intend to keep personal information indefinitely.

Client matter files and associated records will usually be retained for up to six years after the matter closes or the last substantive work is completed.

Information may be retained for a shorter or longer period where justified by:

• the nature of the matter;
• legal or tax requirements;
• safeguarding considerations;
• complaints;
• unpaid fees;
• a legal claim or reasonably anticipated dispute;
• insurance requirements;
• the rights of another person; or
• another legitimate and lawful reason.

Website enquiry, marketing, analytics and cookie-related records may have different retention periods according to their purpose and the systems involved.

Records will be deleted, anonymised or securely destroyed when retention is no longer reasonably required.

18. Security

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against accidental or unlawful destruction, loss, alteration, unauthorised disclosure or access.

Measures may include password protection, account access controls, secure cloud services, encryption where available, multi-factor authentication, backups, software updates and restrictions on access.

No internet, email, cloud or messaging system is completely risk-free. Please do not send unnecessary sensitive information and use secure upload or client-portal facilities where available.

19. Website forms and enquiries

Information submitted through a contact, consultation or other website form is used to deal with the purpose for which the form was submitted and associated administration.

Please do not paste extensive confidential case histories, medical records or complete court documents into a general website enquiry form. We can arrange a more appropriate method of providing documents if required.

20. Cookies, analytics and similar technologies

The website may use cookies and similar technologies for security, functionality, preferences, analytics and, where enabled, measurement or marketing.

Strictly necessary technologies may operate where required for the website or a service you request.

Where consent is required for analytics, advertising or other non-essential technologies, those technologies should only be activated after the appropriate consent has been obtained.

You should be able to accept or reject non-essential cookies through the website’s cookie controls where they are used. You can also manage cookies through your browser.

Where third-party analytics or social-media technologies are enabled, those third parties may receive information about your device or use of the website in accordance with their own privacy arrangements.

21. Newsletters and marketing communications

If you choose to subscribe to a JSH Law newsletter or other marketing communication, we may process your contact details for that purpose on the lawful basis applicable to the communication.

You may unsubscribe from optional electronic marketing at any time using the unsubscribe facility provided or by contacting us.

JSH Law also publishes through third-party platforms such as social-media and newsletter services. Those platforms may act as separate controllers of information processed through their services and have their own privacy policies.

22. Your data-protection rights

Depending upon the circumstances and the applicable law, you may have the right to:

• ask whether we process your personal information;
• request access to personal information we hold about you;
• ask for inaccurate information to be corrected;
• ask for certain information to be erased;
• ask for processing to be restricted in certain circumstances;
• object to particular processing;
• request portability of certain information in applicable circumstances;
• withdraw consent where consent is the basis relied upon; and
• complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office.

These rights are not absolute. An exemption or competing legal obligation may apply, particularly where information concerns litigation, legal claims, safeguarding, another person’s rights, confidentiality or information that cannot lawfully be disclosed.

23. Subject access and other rights requests

To exercise a data-protection right, email: jessica.hill@jshlaw.co.uk.

We may need reasonable information to verify identity or clarify the scope of a request.

Information may need to be redacted or withheld where required or permitted by law, including to protect the rights of another person or comply with confidentiality or other legal restrictions.

Requests will be dealt with within the period required by applicable data-protection law.

24. Complaints about use of personal information

If you have concerns about how JSH Law has handled your personal information, please contact us first where possible so that we can investigate.

Email: jessica.hill@jshlaw.co.uk

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) .

Making a complaint to JSH Law does not remove your right to contact the ICO.

25. Links and third-party websites

The JSH Law website contains links to courts, government bodies, charities, social-media services, professional organisations and other external websites.

JSH Law does not control how an external website processes your personal information. You should read the privacy information provided by the relevant service.

26. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy where our services, technology, providers, business practices or legal obligations change.

The current version will be published on this page and identified by the date at the top.

Related JSH Law documents

• Terms of Service
• Complaints Procedure
• Safeguarding Statement
• Website and Legal Information Disclaimer

Client work is also governed by the applicable JSH Law Client Agreement and Terms of Business and any matter-specific Task Confirmation.