Effective Date: August 14, 2026
1. About this Policy
Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers (the “Firm,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Policy explains how we collect and manage any personal information we hold in connection with the legal and mediation services we provide to you through our offices in Ontario and Alberta.
We strive to ensure our privacy practices comply with applicable privacy laws, including the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA) and Alberta’s Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), as well as Canada’s Anti-Spam Legislation (CASL) and our professional obligations as lawyers. Nothing in this Policy affects or diminishes in any way the duty of confidentiality and the protections of solicitor-client relationship and litigation privilege owed to our clients, which are broader than privacy law. “Personal information” includes any information that identifies you or by which your identity could be deduced. Personal information does not include business contact information (your name, title, position, business address, telephone or business email address) and does not include “publicly available information” specified in PIPEDA’s Regulations.
2. Information We Collect
In order to provide services to you, we need to collect certain personal information including your name, home address, contact information, billing information, and information we need to know about your legal issue. The type of personal information that we collect will vary depending on the nature of the services you ask us to provide. It may include financial information (income, assets, debts, tax records, banking information); information about your spouse, children, and other family members; personal health information where relevant to the matter, such as in parenting or capacity matters; communications, file content, and our notes; payment information; and information collected when you use our website and provide the information.
We limit the Personal Information we collect to the amount and type that we need to fulfill the purposes for which is it collected. We collect personal information directly from you wherever practicable but we may also collect it from family members, other lawyers, financial institutions, government agencies, health professionals, and similar sources where required to provide our services or where you have authorized us to do so.
3. How We Use Personal Information
We use personal information to confirm your identity and check for conflicts; provide legal and mediation services; communicate with you and others involved in your matter; bill you and manage trust funds; maintain our records as required by law and professional rules; operate, secure, and improve our internal systems; send you communications you have consented to receive; to assess employment applications and recruit and manage our team.
4. Consent
We collect, use, and disclose personal information with your knowledge and consent, except where your consent is implied or otherwise permitted or required by law. By retaining us, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information for the purposes described in this Policy and in your retainer agreement.
You may withdraw consent at any time, subject to legal and contractual restrictions and on reasonable notice. Withdrawing consent may affect our ability to continue acting for you and does not apply to information we are required to retain or use by law or by the rules of our regulators.
5. When We Disclose Personal Information
We disclose personal information only as needed to carry out the purposes for which it was collected, including: within the Firm, to those working on your matter; to third party service providers and other professionals; to opposing counsel and parties as the matter requires; to courts, tribunals, and government agencies as required by law or legal process; to financial institutions for transactions and trust matters; to successor or predecessor counsel where you transfer your file; to insurers and Law Societies in the event of a claim, complaint, or audit; and as otherwise permitted or required by law. We do not sell personal information.
6. Service Providers and Information Stored Outside Canada
We use third-party service providers to support our operations, including for technology, document management, cloud storage, communications, accounting, and similar services. Some providers store or process information outside Canada, including in the United States, where it may be subject to local laws. We use written agreements requiring service providers to use information only for the purposes for which it was provided and to protect it with safeguards as stringent as ours. You may contact our Privacy Officer for further information.
7. Use of Artificial Intelligence
We use artificial intelligence and automated tools to support the work of our lawyers and staff. AI is an assistive tool only. Our lawyers remain entirely responsible for the advice and work product provided to you including any output of these tools we may use. If you have questions about the use of AI in your matter, please contact our Privacy Officer.
8. Marketing Communications
Where you have consented, we may use your personal information to send you newsletters, legal updates, event invitations, and information about our services. Each marketing email identifies the Firm and includes an unsubscribe link, which you may use at any time. Unsubscribing does not affect communications about an active matter or required regulatory or transactional notices.
9. Website and Cookies
When you visit our website, we and our service providers may collect information including IP address, device and browser information, pages visited, and cookie identifiers. We use this information to operate and secure the site, understand how it is used, and where you have consented, deliver and measure Firm marketing efforts. You can manage cookies through your browser settings.
10. Safeguards
We use physical, technical, and administrative safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the information we hold, including internal password and security access controls, industry standard cyber security including security software, firewalls, encryption, mandatory personnel training, confidentiality agreements with our team, and vendors s. No system is perfectly secure, and ordinary email and other information provided through our website is not completely secure.
11. Retention
We retain personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and to comply with our legal, regulatory, and professional obligations, including Law Society file-retention requirements and trust-accounting rules. Closed client files are typically retained for at least 15 years from the date of closing, with longer periods where required (for example, in matters involving minors).
12. Privacy Breaches
If cases where a breach of security safeguards involves personal information , we will notify affected individuals as soon as feasible and report the breach to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada where there is risk of significant harm (and, where Alberta PIPA applies, to the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta), keep a record of the breach as required by law, and take steps to contain the breach and prevent recurrence.
13. Your Rights
Subject to applicable legal exceptions you have the right to review and request correction of your personal information. We will respond to access and correction requests within 30 days, or notify you within that period if we require an extension as permitted by law.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may contact:
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada – 1-800-282-1376 – priv.gc.ca
- Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Alberta – 1-888-878-4044 – oipc.ab.ca
14. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. We will post the updated Policy on our website with a revised effective date.
15. Contact Us
For questions, requests, or complaints about this Policy or our handling of your personal information, please contact:
Privacy Officer:
Russell Alexander Collaborative Family Lawyers
Address: 5959 Anderson Street #2D, Whitby, ON L1M 2E9
Email: privacy@russellalexander.ca
