1. Introduction
WA Property Lawyers (“WAPL) is committed to protecting your personal data. Please read this privacy notice carefully as it sets out how and why WAPL uses your personal data when you access our website, services and/or otherwise engage with us, as well as explaining certain legal rights that you have under data protection laws.
If you have any questions or comments about this privacy notice, you can contact us at info@wapl.com.au
2. Who are we and who is responsible for your personal data?
WAPL is an independent law firm from Australia, and it also operates an associated entity known as Karen Riley Settlements. WAPL is the legal entity responsible for handling any of your personal data.
3. What personal data do we collect about you and for what purposes?
We may collect personal data from you or individuals working with you in various circumstances, including in the provision of legal services to you. The types of personal data that we may collect, will generally include information necessary to provide our services, perform contracts, comply with legal requirements. These may include the following:
a. Contact Information
Your name, title, position, your company, post & email address and phone number.
b. Identification and Verification
Your passport or other official photographic document to verify your identity, information relating to your background, directorships or financial interests you have.
We require this information as part of our business acceptance processes and to comply with our legal obligations to prevent against money laundering, terrorism and fraud.
c. Anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing compliance
We may be required to collect and use your personal data in order to comply with applicable anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws. These laws include, in relation to Australia, the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 and Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Rules 2025, and in relation to Singapore, the Corruption, Drug Trafficking and Other Serious Crimes (Confiscation of Benefits) Act.
We may be required to collect and verify information regarding you, your organisation and individuals associated with your organisation, or acting on yours or your organisation’s behalf. We may collect this information when you first become a client and throughout our ongoing relationship. The information we obtain is required to meet our legal obligations and allow us to conduct customer and client due diligence.
Depending on how your organisation is structured, the personal data we collect may include personal data regarding directors, partners, beneficial owners and others. If we are unable to collect and verify such personal data, then we may not be able to comply with our obligations under applicable anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws, and therefore we may not be able to provide our services to you or your organisation.
The personal data we collect in order to comply with our anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing legal obligations may include:
(i) identity and contact details;
(ii) information supporting verification of identity (such as drivers licences, passports or other government-issued identification);
(iii) your role, position or relationship with your organisation or another organisation;
(iv) directorships and other officeholder positions;
(v) background checks and associated details including sanctions screening and politically exposed person screening information;
(vi) sensitive information including criminal history details and information regarding political allegiances or affiliations; and
(vii) other information that facilitates compliance with our anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing obligations.
We may collect this information from you or your organisation, from publicly available sources and from third party service providers who assist us with conducting identity checks, background screening, verification checks and other due diligence processes.
d. Payment details
Where we receive payment for services from you or receive funds on trust, your payment information, including your credit/debit card details is processed strictly in accordance with relevant payment card industry standards.
e. Use of cookies and similar technologies
As you interact with our website, we may automatically collect personal data from your device by using cookies and other similar technologies. You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings.
f. Recruitment
WAPL will collect and use your personal data when you apply for a job with us.
g. Indirect collection of personal data
Sometimes we may have access to and use personal data of individuals with whom we do not have any direct contact. In circumstances such as these, it may not be appropriate for us to provide the individuals concerned with a privacy notice. Nevertheless, WAPL handles such personal data in accordance with applicable data protection laws.
4. Who do we share your personal data with?
We may share information that you have provided to us with certain third parties such as service providers acting on our behalf as part of providing our services to our clients. These may include insurers, IT service providers, background screening providers, barristers, translators, accountants and tax advisers. It may also include serviced providers that support our client or customer due diligence processes such as background screening providers and other service providers associated with providing information, personal data or otherwise conducting checks in support of our anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing legal obligations. We will ensure that any third-party service provider that we use commits to an appropriate level of security and confidentiality to protect your personal data.
We may also share your personal data with a purchaser or potential purchaser of our business and in some circumstances, we may have to disclose your personal data for legal or regulatory purposes, such as where a court, the police or other law enforcement agency or regulatory body has asked us for it.
5. Is your personal data transferred overseas?
WAPL do not regularly transfer personal data overseas. However, if we do need to transfer your data overseas we will put in place contractual or other appropriate protections to ensure that your information is safeguarded to the same standards globally.
6. How do we keep your personal data secure?
We are committed to ensuring that any personal data that we hold about you is kept securely in accordance with our policies and procedures. These include appropriate physical and technological security measures, such as access controls, logging and monitoring, regular penetration testing of our systems and careful selection of staff and third-party service providers.
7. How long will we keep your personal data?
Your personal data will be retained in line with legal and regulatory retention periods. At the end of any retention period, your personal data will be securely deleted in its entirety
8. What are your rights over your personal data?
Depending on the country where you are based and subject to certain exceptions and limitations you may have various legal rights in relation to your personal data, as set out in this section.
Such rights may allow you to ask WAPL to:
- provide a copy of your personal data and information about the ways in which such personal data has been or may have been used or disclosed within a year before the date of the request (subject to the privacy rights of other people and the information already provided to you in applicable privacy notices);
- correct any inaccuracies in your personal data by informing us to make the necessary changes;
- modify or withdraw your consent for the collection, use and disclosure of your personal data
9. Complaints
You may have a right to make a complaint to the relevant data protection authority (“DPA”) at any time. We would appreciate the chance to understand your concerns in the first instance before your contact the DPA, however.
10. Changes to this privacy notice
This privacy notice was last updated in 21 April 2026 and we may change this policy from time to time.