Privacy Policy

Introduction

Look, we get it - privacy policies can be dryer than week-old bannock. But when you're dealing with sensitive stuff like Indigenous land claims, treaty negotiations, or environmental disputes, your privacy isn't just important - it's sacred.

At Eldryth Forgeborn Legal Services, we've spent years working with Indigenous communities and environmental advocates across BC. We've seen firsthand how vital it is to protect not just your legal interests, but your personal information too. This policy spells out exactly what we do with your data, how we protect it, and what rights you've got when it comes to your information.

Key Point

We're bound by Canadian privacy laws (PIPEDA), BC's privacy regulations, and most importantly - we respect Indigenous data sovereignty principles. Your information stays with you, and we're just the stewards.

What Information We Collect

When you reach out to us or become a client, we'll collect the basics:

Your full name and any traditional names you'd like us to use
Contact details - phone number, email, mailing address
Date of birth and ID documents (when legally required)
Band or Nation affiliation (if relevant to your case)
Employment info and financial details (only if needed for your matter)

We won't ask for anything we don't actually need. If it seems irrelevant, just ask us why we're asking.

Depending on what you're hiring us for, this could include:

Details about land claims, treaty rights, or territorial boundaries
Environmental impact data and scientific reports
Cultural heritage information and traditional knowledge (always handled with special protocols)
Correspondence with government agencies, corporations, or other parties
Court documents, legal opinions, and research materials
Photos, maps, and other documentation of affected areas

Traditional Knowledge Protection: If you're sharing traditional knowledge, oral histories, or culturally sensitive information, we'll discuss specific protection protocols with you before proceeding. This stuff isn't just data - it's part of your heritage.

When you visit our website, we automatically collect some technical stuff:

IP address and general location (city/region level, not your exact address)
Browser type and device information
Pages you visit and how long you stay
Referring website (how you found us)
Date and time stamps of your visits

This helps us figure out if our website's actually useful or if we need to redesign the whole thing. We're not tracking your every move across the internet - that's just creepy.

How We Use Your Information

We're pretty straightforward about this. Your information gets used for:

Legal Representation

Providing you with legal services, preparing documents, representing you in negotiations or court, and basically doing what you hired us to do.

Communication

Keeping you updated on your case, sending you relevant legal updates, and responding to your questions. We won't spam you with marketing junk.

Legal Compliance

Meeting our professional obligations under the Law Society of BC rules, anti-money laundering regulations, and other legal requirements we can't ignore.

Service Improvement

Making our services better, training our team, and understanding what kinds of cases we're handling (always in anonymized, aggregate form).

What We DON'T Do

We don't sell your information. Period. We don't share it for marketing purposes, we don't give it to third-party advertisers, and we don't use it for anything beyond providing you with legal services. That's not how we roll.

When We Share Information

There are only a handful of situations where we'll share your info with others:

To actually represent you, we might need to share info with:

Courts, tribunals, or arbitrators
Opposing counsel or parties (when required by legal process)
Expert witnesses or consultants working on your case
Government agencies (like Crown-Indigenous Relations or environmental regulators)

We'll always discuss with you what needs to be shared and why. Surprises are for birthdays, not legal proceedings.

We work with a few carefully selected service providers who help us run our practice:

Cloud storage providers for secure document management (Canadian servers only)
IT support and cybersecurity services
Legal research databases
Accounting and billing software

All of these folks are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and can't use your information for anything except helping us serve you.

In rare cases, we might be legally required to disclose information:

If we receive a valid court order or subpoena
To prevent serious harm to someone's safety
To comply with Law Society investigations (though solicitor-client privilege still applies)
In response to legitimate law enforcement requests with proper legal authority

We'll fight to protect your privacy in these situations and will only disclose the minimum necessary. Your lawyer-client privilege is sacred to us.

How We Protect Your Data

Security isn't just an IT thing for us - it's about respecting the trust you've placed in us. Here's what we do to keep your information safe:

Encryption

All data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. We use industry-standard SSL/TLS protocols and AES-256 encryption.

Access Controls

Only team members directly working on your matter can access your files. Everyone uses multi-factor authentication.

Secure Storage

All client data is stored on Canadian servers that comply with PIPEDA and meet Law Society requirements.

Regular Backups

Automated daily backups with secure off-site storage ensure your information won't be lost to technical failures.

Staff Training

Our entire team receives regular privacy and security training. Confidentiality is drilled into everyone from day one.

Physical Security

Our office has controlled access, locked file storage, and clean desk policies. No leaving sensitive docs around.

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