Effective Date: November 10, 2025
Look, we get it - nobody really enjoys reading privacy policies. But when you're dealing with estate planning, property transactions, and sensitive family matters, you deserve to know exactly what happens with your information.
At Frosthal Chronicle Legal Services, we've been helping folks in Vancouver with their estate planning and property law needs since day one. Trust is everything in this business, and that starts with being upfront about how we handle your data.
This policy lays out what information we collect, why we need it, and how we keep it safe. We're bound by Canadian privacy laws (specifically PIPEDA and BC's privacy legislation), but honestly, we'd protect your info carefully even if the law didn't require it.
When you work with us or even just reach out, here's what we might collect:
We only collect what we actually need. If we're asking for something, it's because it's necessary for providing legal services or required by law.
Here's the straight talk on what we do with your information:
This is the main event. We use your info to draft wills, handle real estate closings, administer trusts, sort out probate matters, and all the other legal work you've hired us for. Can't really do estate planning without knowing about your estate, right?
We'll reach out about your case, send appointment reminders, share important updates, and answer your questions. Sometimes we'll send newsletters or updates about changes in estate or property law that might affect you - but you can opt out of those anytime.
As lawyers, we've got obligations to the Law Society of BC, courts, and various regulatory bodies. Sometimes we're legally required to maintain certain records or report specific transactions.
We look at how people use our website and what questions come up most often. This helps us figure out what resources to add and how to make things clearer. All done with anonymized data, of course.
Keeping your information secure isn't just good practice - it's our professional and legal obligation. Here's what we do:
Everyone on our team understands confidentiality obligations and receives regular training on privacy and security best practices.
Heads up: No system is 100% foolproof. While we take every reasonable precaution, we can't guarantee absolute security. That said, we're constantly updating our practices to stay ahead of threats.
Under Canadian privacy law, you've got rights. Here's what you can do:
Want to know what information we have about you? Just ask. We'll provide it within 30 days (usually faster). There might be some legal limits on what we can share, but we'll explain those if they apply.
If something's wrong or outdated, let us know and we'll fix it. Pretty straightforward.
You can change your mind about how we use your info for things like marketing communications. Just note that we might still need to keep certain information for legal or professional obligations.
In some cases, you can ask us to delete your information. However, as lawyers, we're required to maintain files for specific periods. We'll explain what we can and can't delete.
If you think we've mishandled your information, you can complain to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada. We'd prefer you talk to us first so we can try to sort things out, but it's your right.
To exercise any of these rights, shoot us an email at contact@frosthalchronicle.info or give us a call at (604) 555-2847.
We don't keep information forever, but legal practice has some specific requirements:
While we're working together, we keep everything related to your matter. That's obvious enough.
The Law Society of BC requires us to keep closed files for at least 10 years. For estate matters, we often keep them longer because wills and estate documents might be needed decades down the road. We've had families thank us for keeping files when someone passed away 15 years after we drafted their will.
Trust account records and financial documents must be kept for 10 years minimum. Tax-related stuff follows CRA requirements.
If you've signed up for newsletters or updates but aren't a client, we keep your contact info until you unsubscribe. After that, it's gone within 30 days.
We keep anonymized usage data for 26 months, then it gets deleted automatically.
We work with various third-party services to run our practice efficiently:
All these providers are carefully vetted and required to maintain strict confidentiality. They're only allowed to use your data for the specific services they provide to us.
Our website might link to other sites - government resources, land title offices, legal databases, etc. Once you click through to another site, their privacy policy applies, not ours. We try to only link to reputable sources, but we can't control what they do.
We try to use Canadian service providers when possible, but some tools might store data in the US or elsewhere. When that happens, we ensure there are adequate safeguards in place.
Privacy laws evolve, technology changes, and our practices might shift over time. When we update this policy, here's what we'll do:
For small clarifications or minor changes, we'll update the effective date at the top and post the revised policy here. We might send a note in our next newsletter too.
If we make significant changes - like using information in fundamentally different ways - we'll give you proper notice. Active clients will get a direct email, and we'll post a prominent notice on our website.
By continuing to use our services after changes take effect, you're accepting the updated policy. If you don't agree with changes, let's talk about your options.
We'll archive old versions of this policy, so if you want to see what's changed, just ask.
If you've got questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your information, don't hesitate to reach out. We'd rather answer questions than have you worry about your privacy.
Phone: (604) 555-2847
Email: contact@frosthalchronicle.info
Office: 1250 West Hastings Street, Suite 420
Vancouver, BC V6E 2M4
We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 48 hours on business days. If your concern is urgent, call us directly - we answer our phones during office hours.