Effective Date: 23 October 2026
Maddens Lawyers is committed to protecting your privacy and handling your personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs). The APPs require organisations to have a clearly expressed and up-to-date privacy policy explaining how personal information is managed. Please see Australian Privacy Principles guidelines.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, store and manage your personal information when you engage our legal services, make an enquiry, visit our website, or otherwise interact with us.
Who We Are
Maddens Lawyers
219 Koroit Street
Warrnambool VIC 3280
Phone: 1800 815 228
Email: alt@maddenslawyers.com.au
Throughout this policy, "we", "our" and "us" refer to Maddens Lawyers.
What Information We Collect
We may collect personal information that is reasonably necessary to provide legal services or conduct our business activities.
The types of personal information we may collect include:
- Name and contact details
- Residential or postal address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Date of birth
- Employment information
- Financial information
- Identification documents
- Information relating to legal matters and disputes
- Health information and other sensitive information where relevant to your legal matter
- Information contained in correspondence or documents you provide
- Website usage and technical information
We may also collect sensitive information where necessary to provide legal services and where permitted by law.
How We Collect Personal Information
We may collect personal information:
- Directly from you
- Through telephone enquiries
- Through email correspondence
- Through our website contact forms
- During meetings and consultations
- Through documents provided by you
- From courts, tribunals, government bodies and regulators
- From third parties such as barristers, expert witnesses, medical providers, insurers and other legal practitioners
- From publicly available sources where permitted by law
Where practicable, we will collect information directly from you.
Website Information and Cookies
When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information, including:
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Operating system
- Referring website
- Pages viewed
- Time and date of visits
- User interactions with our website
We may use cookies and similar technologies to improve website functionality, analyse website traffic, and enhance user experience. Cookies are small files stored on your device that help websites recognise returning users and remember preferences.
You may disable cookies through your browser settings, although some website functions may not operate correctly if cookies are disabled.
Our website may use third-party analytics and marketing tools including:
- Google Analytics
- Google Ads
- Microsoft Clarity
- Social media advertising and tracking tools
These providers may collect information about your interaction with our website in accordance with their own privacy policies.
Why We Collect Personal Information
We collect and use personal information for purposes including:
- Providing legal advice and legal services
- Assessing whether we can assist with an enquiry
- Communicating with clients and prospective clients
- Managing legal matters
- Complying with our professional and legal obligations
- Performing conflict checks
- Managing accounts and billing
- Improving our services
- Maintaining website security
- Marketing our services where permitted by law
- Responding to complaints and feedback
We may contact you by phone, email, SMS or post regarding legal services, appointments, updates or other business-related matters.
Where required by law, we will seek your consent before sending marketing communications. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time.
Disclosure of Personal Information
We may disclose personal information to:
- Barristers and legal counsel
- Courts and tribunals
- Expert witnesses
- Medical practitioners and medical experts
- Legal cost consultants
- Government agencies and regulators
- Service providers who assist us in operating our practice
- Information technology providers
- Cloud storage and software providers
- Insurers
- Debt recovery providers
- Other parties where authorised by you or required by law
We take reasonable steps to ensure that third parties handling personal information on our behalf are subject to confidentiality and privacy obligations.
Overseas Disclosure
Some service providers used by Maddens Lawyers may store or process information outside Australia.
These providers may include:
- Cloud-based software providers
- Data hosting providers
- Email and collaboration platforms
- Business support services
Where personal information is disclosed overseas, we will take reasonable steps to ensure it is handled in accordance with Australian privacy laws.
Security of Personal Information
We take reasonable steps to protect personal information from:
- Misuse
- Interference
- Loss
- Unauthorised access
- Unauthorised modification
- Unauthorised disclosure
Security measures may include:
- Secure electronic systems
- Password protection
- Multi-factor authentication
- Encrypted communications where appropriate
- Access controls
- Staff confidentiality obligations
- Secure document storage and disposal procedures
While we take reasonable precautions, no method of electronic transmission or storage is completely secure.
Retention of Personal Information
We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary to:
- Provide legal services
- Meet professional obligations
- Comply with legislative requirements
- Resolve disputes
- Enforce agreements
When personal information is no longer required, we will take reasonable steps to securely destroy or de-identify it.
Access to and Correction of Personal Information
You may request access to personal information we hold about you.
You may also request correction of personal information if you believe it is inaccurate, incomplete, out-of-date, irrelevant or misleading.
Requests should be made in writing to:
Privacy Officer
Maddens Lawyers
alt@maddenslawyers.com.au
We may require proof of identity before providing access.
In some circumstances, access may be refused where permitted by law.
Making a Privacy Complaint
If you believe we have breached your privacy or mishandled your personal information, you may submit a complaint to our Privacy Officer.
Please provide all relevant details so that we can properly investigate the matter.
We will:
- Acknowledge your complaint
- Investigate the circumstances
- Respond within a reasonable timeframe
- Seek to resolve the issue fairly and promptly
Privacy complaints should be directed to:
Privacy Officer
Maddens Lawyers
219 Koroit Street
Warrnambool VIC 3280
Email: alt@maddenslawyers.com.au
Phone: 1800 815 228
If you are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).
Third-Party Websites
Our website may contain links to third-party websites.
We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing personal information.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our business practices, legal obligations or technology.
The current version will always be available on our website.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact:
Privacy Officer
Maddens Lawyers
219 Koroit Street
Warrnambool VIC 3280
Phone: 1800 815 228
Email: alt@maddenslawyers.com.au