Privacy Policy

Bard's Law is a law firm based in Vancouver, British Columbia, serving clients across British Columbia and Ontario. Privacy is not an afterthought for us — protecting confidential information is at the core of what a law firm does. This policy explains what personal information we collect through this website, why we collect it, how we protect it, and the choices you have.

We comply with British Columbia's Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) and, where it applies — including for clients and enquiries from Ontario and other provinces — the federal Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA). As lawyers, we are also bound by professional duties of confidentiality and solicitor-client privilege that go beyond what privacy legislation requires.

What personal information we collect

Information you choose to send us. When you use our contact form, complete an intake questionnaire, book a call, or email us, we collect the information you provide — typically your name and contact details, and, in intake questionnaires, information about your family, relationships, and finances relevant to the legal services you're asking about.

Information collected automatically. Like most websites, we use analytics (currently Google Analytics) to understand how the site is used. This involves cookies and collects technical information such as your IP address, browser type, pages visited, and how you found the site. Analytics data is aggregated — we don't use it to identify individual visitors. You can browse this website without telling us who you are.

What we deliberately do not collect through this website. We do not ask for government ID numbers, financial account numbers, or supporting documents through the forms on this site. When those are needed, we collect them through our secure, law-firm-grade practice management system or in person — not through the website.

Why we collect it

We collect, use, and disclose personal information only for purposes a reasonable person would consider appropriate, and only to the extent needed for those purposes:

• to respond to your enquiry and determine whether we can act for you (including checking for conflicts of interest);
• to prepare for consultations and provide legal services if you retain us;
• to schedule meetings, communicate with you, and administer our practice; and
• to understand how the website is used so we can improve it.

We do not sell personal information. We do not use your information for third-party advertising, and this website carries no ads.

Consent

By submitting information through this website, you consent to us collecting, using, and disclosing it for the purposes described above. You may withdraw your consent at any time, subject to legal, regulatory, and professional restrictions, by contacting us. In limited circumstances the law permits or requires collection, use, or disclosure without consent — for example, where required by law or a court order.

Cookies and analytics

Cookies are small files placed on your device by your browser. We use them for analytics as described above. Most browsers let you refuse or delete cookies; the website works without them. You can also opt out of Google Analytics specifically using Google's browser add-on.

Who we share information with, and where it's stored

We don't share your personal information except as needed to run the practice and provide legal services. Our service providers include our website host and form processor, our practice management system, and our email and document platform. Some of these providers store or process information outside Canada, including in the United States, where it may be accessible to authorities under local law. We remain accountable for personal information transferred to service providers and use contractual and other safeguards to require comparable protection.

Sensitive information — identification, financial account details, supporting documents — is handled through our practice management system, which is designed for law-firm confidentiality requirements, rather than through website infrastructure.

How we protect it

We maintain physical, technical, and organizational safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information — the more sensitive the information, the stronger the protections. No internet transmission can be guaranteed fully secure, which is exactly why we limit what this website collects and route sensitive material through secure channels. If you prefer not to send something through the website, you can always provide it by phone or in person.

How long we keep it

We keep personal information only as long as needed for the purposes it was collected, and as required by our professional obligations — law firms must retain client files for set periods under Law Society rules. Website form submissions are transferred to our practice records and removed from website systems as part of our routine practice. Enquiries that do not lead to a retainer are kept only as long as needed for conflict-checking purposes.

Access and correction

You may ask what personal information we hold about you, how it has been used, and to whom it has been disclosed, and you may ask us to correct inaccurate information. Some limits apply — for example, we cannot disclose information that is protected by another person's solicitor-client privilege or that would reveal personal information about someone else. If we can't give you access, we'll explain why, subject to legal restrictions.

If something goes wrong

If a privacy breach creates a real risk of significant harm to you, we will notify you and the appropriate privacy regulator as soon as feasible, and tell you what happened and what we're doing about it.

This website doesn't give legal advice

Content on this website is general legal information, not legal advice, and using the site or submitting a form does not create a lawyer-client relationship. See our Terms of Use.

Links to other websites

This site links to other websites for convenience. We aren't responsible for their privacy practices — check their policies.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law or our practices. The current version, with its effective date, will always be posted here.