PRIVACY POLICY

Maree Schoeman Attorneys Inc.

Effective Date: 31 January 2026

1. Introduction

Maree Schoeman Attorneys Inc. (“we”, “us”, “our”, or “the Firm”) is committed to protecting your privacy and personal information in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act 4 of 2013 (POPIA) and other applicable South African data protection laws.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you interact with our legal services, visit our offices, or use our website.

By providing your personal information to us or using our services, you consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your information as described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information Officer

Our Information Officer, as required by POPIA, is responsible for ensuring compliance with data protection laws and handling any queries regarding your personal information.

Information Officer Contact Details:

Email: ontvangs@pjalaw.co.za
Telephone: (018) 294 3273
Physical Address: 5 Short Street, Potchefstroom, North West, 2531

3. What Personal Information We Collect

We may collect and process the following categories of personal information:

3.1 Identity Information

  • Full names
  • Date of birth
  • Identity number
  • Passport number
  • Gender
  • Nationality
  • Marital status

3.2 Contact Information

  • Physical addresses
  • Email addresses
  • Telephone numbers
  • Preferred communication methods

3.3 Financial Information

  • Bank account details
  • Credit card information (where applicable)
  • Tax information
  • Financial statements
  • Income and asset information

3.4 Professional Information

  • Employment details
  • Business information
  • Directorship information
  • Professional qualifications

3.5 Legal Matter Information

  • Details of legal matters and instructions
  • Documents related to your case
  • Court documents and filings
  • Correspondence related to legal matters
  • Information about parties involved in legal matters

3.6 Technical Information

  • IP addresses
  • Browser type and version
  • Website usage data
  • Cookies and similar technologies

3.7 Special Personal Information

In certain circumstances, we may need to process special personal information as defined in POPIA, including:

  • Health information (e.g., for estate planning or personal injury matters)
  • Religious or philosophical beliefs (e.g., for estate planning)
  • Criminal behavior or allegations (where relevant to legal matters)

We only collect and process special personal information where legally permitted and necessary for the provision of our legal services.

4. How We Collect Personal Information

We collect personal information through:

  • Direct interactions when you consult with us, instruct us, or communicate with us
  • Consultation forms and engagement letters
  • Email, telephone, and written correspondence
  • Our website contact forms and inquiry submissions
  • Third parties such as other legal professionals, courts, government agencies, financial institutions, and other parties involved in your legal matters
  • Public records and databases where necessary for legal services
  • Document uploads and file sharing systems

5. Why We Collect and Use Your Personal Information

5.1 Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal information on the following lawful bases:

Consent: You have given explicit consent for us to process your personal information for specific purposes.

Contractual Necessity: Processing is necessary for the performance of our legal services contract with you.

Legal Obligations: We are required by law to process certain information (e.g., financial records for accounting purposes, reporting to regulatory bodies, compliance with court orders).

Legitimate Interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as maintaining client relationships, managing our practice, and preventing fraud.

5.2 Purposes of Processing

We use your personal information for the following purposes:

  • Providing legal advice and representation
  • Preparing legal documents and correspondence
  • Conducting legal research
  • Communicating with you about your legal matters
  • Communicating with third parties on your behalf
  • Processing payments and managing accounts
  • Complying with legal and regulatory obligations
  • Managing our client relationship with you
  • Improving our services and website
  • Marketing our services (only with your consent)
  • Maintaining records as required by professional regulations
  • Defending or pursuing legal claims

6. Who We Share Your Personal Information With

We may share your personal information with:

6.1 Service Providers and Professional Advisors

  • Advocates and counsel
  • Expert witnesses
  • Other legal professionals
  • Accountants and auditors
  • IT service providers
  • Document management services
  • Payment processors

6.2 Regulatory and Legal Bodies

  • Courts and tribunals
  • The Legal Practice Council
  • South African Revenue Service (SARS)
  • Law enforcement agencies
  • Other regulatory authorities as required by law

6.3 Third Parties Involved in Your Legal Matter

  • Opposing parties and their legal representatives
  • Financial institutions
  • Property registries and deeds offices
  • Government departments
  • Other parties relevant to your legal matter

6.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of our practice, your personal information may be transferred to the new owner, subject to the same privacy protections.

We only share your personal information where:

  • You have provided consent
  • It is necessary for the provision of legal services
  • We are required by law to do so
  • It is necessary to protect our legal rights

7. International Transfers of Personal Information

We generally process personal information within South Africa. However, in certain circumstances, we may need to transfer your information internationally (for example, when using cloud-based services or communicating with international parties).

Where we transfer personal information outside South Africa, we ensure that:

  • The recipient country has adequate data protection laws, or
  • We have appropriate safeguards in place (such as contractual protections)

8. How We Protect Your Personal Information

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, loss, destruction, or alteration. These measures include:

  • Secure physical premises with access controls
  • Password-protected computer systems
  • Encryption of sensitive data
  • Secure email communications
  • Regular security assessments
  • Staff training on data protection
  • Confidentiality agreements with employees and service providers
  • Regular backup procedures
  • Firewall and antivirus protection

Despite our security measures, no system is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your personal information.

9. How Long We Keep Your Personal Information

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and to comply with legal and professional obligations.

9.1 Retention Periods

Client Files: We retain client files and related documents for a minimum of 7 years after the conclusion of the matter, in accordance with Legal Practice Council rules and accounting records requirements.

Financial Records: We retain financial records for a minimum of 5 years as required by the Income Tax Act.

Correspondence: We retain correspondence related to legal matters for the same period as the client file.

Marketing Information: We retain marketing information until you withdraw consent or we no longer have a legitimate interest in retaining it.

After the applicable retention period, we securely destroy or delete personal information in accordance with our data retention and destruction policy.

10. Your Rights Under POPIA

Under POPIA, you have the following rights regarding your personal information:

10.1 Right to Access

You have the right to request access to the personal information we hold about you. We will provide you with a copy of your information within a reasonable time, subject to certain exceptions.

10.2 Right to Correction

You have the right to request correction of inaccurate, irrelevant, excessive, or incomplete personal information.

10.3 Right to Deletion

You have the right to request deletion of your personal information where:

  • It is no longer necessary for the purpose for which it was collected
  • You withdraw consent (where consent was the basis for processing)
  • You object to processing and there are no overriding legitimate grounds
  • The information was unlawfully processed
  • Deletion is required by law

However, we may refuse deletion where we are required by law or professional regulations to retain the information, or where retention is necessary for legal claims.

10.4 Right to Object

You have the right to object to the processing of your personal information on grounds relating to your particular situation. You also have the right to object to processing for direct marketing purposes at any time.

10.5 Right to Restrict Processing

You have the right to request restriction of processing in certain circumstances, such as when you contest the accuracy of the information or object to processing.

10.6 Right to Data Portability

Where technically feasible, you have the right to receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used format and to transmit it to another service provider.

10.7 Right to Withdraw Consent

Where we process your personal information based on consent, you have the right to withdraw that consent at any time. Withdrawal does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.

10.8 Right to Complain

You have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if you believe we have violated your privacy rights.

Information Regulator Contact Details:

Website: www.inforegulator.org.za
Email: inforeg@justice.gov.za
Telephone: 012 406 4818
Address: JD House, 27 Stiemens Street, Braamfontein, Johannesburg, 2001

11. Exercising Your Rights

To exercise any of your rights under POPIA, please contact our Information Officer using the contact details provided in Section 2.

We will respond to your request within a reasonable time (generally within 30 days) and may request verification of your identity before processing your request.

Please note that certain requests may be subject to prescribed fees as determined by the Information Regulator.

12. Automated Decision-Making

We do not use automated decision-making or profiling that produces legal effects or significantly affects you.

13. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed at children under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without parental consent, except where necessary for the provision of legal services (such as in family law or estate planning matters).

14. Website-Specific Information

14.1 Cookies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your browsing experience, analyze website traffic, and understand user preferences.

Types of Cookies We Use:

  • Essential Cookies: Necessary for the website to function properly
  • Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use our website
  • Functionality Cookies: Remember your preferences and settings

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling certain cookies may affect website functionality.

14.2 Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these websites. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.

14.3 Website Security

We use SSL encryption to protect data transmitted through our website. However, transmission of information over the internet is not completely secure, and we cannot guarantee the security of information transmitted to our website.

15. Direct Marketing

We may use your contact information to send you information about our services, legal updates, and newsletters. We will only do so where:

  • You have consented to receive marketing communications, or
  • You are an existing client and the marketing relates to similar services

You have the right to opt out of marketing communications at any time by:

  • Clicking the “unsubscribe” link in our emails
  • Contacting us at ontvangs@pjalaw.co.za
  • Calling us at (018) 294 3273

16. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. We will notify you of significant changes by:

  • Posting the updated policy on our website with a new effective date
  • Sending you an email notification (where we have your email address)

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

17. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our processing of your personal information, please contact:

Maree Schoeman Attorneys Inc.

Information Officer
Email: ontvangs@pjalaw.co.za
Telephone: (018) 294 3273
Physical Address: 5 Short Street, Potchefstroom, North West, 2531

Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM

18. Consent

By using our services or providing your personal information to us, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of your personal information as described herein.

If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not provide us with your personal information or use our services. However, please note that we may not be able to provide legal services without certain personal information.

Last Updated: 31 January 2026

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