Can you trust solicitors to look after your personal data?

At Hayes Connor, we're committed to upholding the standards of our industry. That's why it's particularly upsetting when we are contacted by someone who has been let down by their solicitor.

In a recent case, we saw the impact of what can happen when a client's personal information wasn't looked after by the person they trusted to represent them.

What happened in this case?

In this data breach, a former member of the Armed Forces appointed a solicitor to represent her at a Tribunal she was involved in. However, this solicitor lost her sensitive information, including her medical and service records on a train.

Following this shocking data breach, the woman suffered severe psychological effects including stress, anxiety and trauma. As a result, she has been prescribed medication, and her ongoing conditions have been exacerbated.

Turning to Hayes Connor for help, she revealed that her mental health had deteriorated to such an extent that it affected her ability to leave the house, and led to in her being demoted in work, resulting in a substantial pay cut.

Lessons learned

Solicitors must understand the importance of data protection and make sure that strict policies and procedures are put place to ensure the safe processing of information - both in and out of the office.

In many cases, data breaches can be avoided by solicitors abiding by the data protection principles of their firms. But it is up to these firms to make sure that all employees receive regular data protection training to make sure they understand the potential consequences of breaching data protection laws.

At Hayes Connor, our process is fully compliant with ICO guidance and we never put your details at risk.

Not just hackers

At Hayes Connor, we want to reduce the number of data violations taking place across the UK. To do this, we are sharing such real-life examples of data breaches to raise awareness of this issue and educate people to prevent similar mistakes from happening.

For more advice on how to keep your data safe, follow our #notjusthackers campaign on Twitter and Facebook.

Alternatively, if you have been the victim of a data breach or cyber fraud, find out how we can help you to recover any losses or give us a call on 0151 363 5895 to discuss your case in more depth.