Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Bruwer Industries (Pty) Ltd (Registration Number: 2024/746121/07), operating as LekkerLaw ("we", "us", or "our"), is committed to protecting your personal information and privacy rights in accordance with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (Act No. 4 of 2013) ("POPIA").

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your personal information when you use our website at lekkerlaw.co.za (the "Platform").

By using our Platform, you consent to the collection and use of your personal information as described in this Privacy Policy.

2. Information Officer

In compliance with POPIA, we have designated an Information Officer responsible for ensuring compliance with data protection laws:

3. Personal Information We Collect

3.1 Information You Provide

When you use our matching service, we collect personal information that you voluntarily provide, including:

• Contact Information: Name, email address, phone number, and location (province/city)
• Legal Matter Details: Description of your legal issue, category of legal practice area, urgency, budget preferences
• Case Background: Any additional information you provide about your legal matter through our questionnaire

3.2 Automatically Collected Information

When you visit our Platform, we automatically collect certain information, including:

• Device Information: IP address, browser type and version, operating system
• Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, navigation patterns, referring website
• Cookies and Similar Technologies: As described in our Cookie Policy

3.3 Information from Third Parties

We use Firebase (Google Cloud Platform) for user authentication and data storage. Firebase may collect additional technical information as described in Google's Privacy Policy.

4. Purpose of Processing

We collect and process your personal information for the following specific, lawful purposes:

• Service Provision: To match you with suitable law firms based on your legal needs and location
• Lead Sharing: To share your contact details and case information with up to 3 matched law firms so they can contact you with quotes
• Communication: To send you confirmation emails, service updates, and administrative messages
• Platform Improvement: To analyze usage patterns and improve our matching algorithm and user experience
• Legal Compliance: To comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes
• Security: To protect against fraud, abuse, and security risks
• Analytics: To understand how users interact with our Platform and identify areas for improvement

5. Legal Basis for Processing

Under POPIA, we process your personal information based on the following lawful grounds:

• Consent: You provide explicit consent when you submit your information through our matching form and check the consent box
• Contractual Necessity: Processing is necessary to provide the referral service you've requested
• Legitimate Interests: We have a legitimate interest in improving our services, preventing fraud, and ensuring platform security
• Legal Obligations: We may process information to comply with South African law

6. Sharing of Personal Information

6.1 Law Firms

When you use our matching service, you explicitly consent to us sharing your personal information with up to 3 matched law firms. These law firms are independent legal professionals registered with the Legal Practice Council of South Africa.

The information shared includes: your name, contact details, location, legal matter details, and case background. This sharing is essential to enable law firms to contact you with quotes and consultations.

Important: Once your information is shared with a law firm, their use of your personal information is governed by their own privacy policy. We recommend reviewing each law firm's privacy practices.

6.2 Service Providers

We use trusted third-party service providers to support our Platform operations:

• Firebase/Google Cloud Platform: Cloud hosting, database storage, authentication, and analytics
• Email Service Providers: To send transactional emails and communications
• Analytics Services: To understand user behavior and improve our Platform

These service providers have access to your personal information only to perform specific tasks on our behalf and are obligated to protect your information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

6.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your personal information if required to do so by law or in response to:

• Valid legal processes (court orders, subpoenas, warrants)
• Requests from law enforcement or government authorities
• To protect our legal rights, property, or safety
• To prevent fraud, abuse, or illegal activity

6.4 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your personal information may be transferred to the acquiring entity, subject to the same privacy protections outlined in this policy.

7. Cross-Border Data Transfers

Some of our service providers, particularly Firebase/Google Cloud Platform, may store or process data on servers located outside South Africa.

Where personal information is transferred internationally, we ensure adequate safeguards are in place as required by POPIA, including using providers that comply with internationally recognized data protection standards and frameworks.

8. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction.

Our security measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
• Secure cloud infrastructure (Firebase/Google Cloud Platform)
• Access controls and authentication requirements
• Regular security assessments and updates
• Employee confidentiality obligations

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law.

Retention periods:

• Active leads: Retained for up to 12 months or until you request deletion
• Analytics data: Aggregated and anonymized data may be retained indefinitely
• Legal/compliance records: Retained as required by South African law (typically 5-7 years)

When personal information is no longer needed, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

10. Your Rights Under POPIA

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

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Information Officer using the details provided in Section 2 of this policy.

11. Direct Marketing

We do not use your personal information for direct marketing purposes without your explicit consent.

If you receive marketing communications from law firms you've been matched with, those communications are sent by the law firms themselves (not by us). You should contact the relevant law firm directly to opt out of their marketing communications.

12. Children's Privacy

Our Platform is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately so we can delete it.

13. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience on our Platform. For detailed information about our use of cookies, please see our Cookie Policy.

You can control cookie settings through your browser, but disabling certain cookies may affect Platform functionality.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors.

When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Continued use of our Platform after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

15. Complaints to the Information Regulator

If you believe we have processed your personal information unlawfully or in violation of POPIA, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator of South Africa:

16. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact our Information Officer: