Privacy Policy

Last updated August 2026

This policy explains what personal information Knipe Woodhouse-Smith collects, why we collect it, what we do with it, and the rights you have over it. We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your information carefully.

Who we are

Knipe Woodhouse-Smith is a partnership of solicitors at 145–147 High Street, Chalfont St Peter, Buckinghamshire SL9 9QL. We are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, registration number 487314.

We are the data controller for the personal information described in this policy, and we are registered with the Information Commissioner's Office.

If you have a question about this policy or about how we handle your information, contact Brian Knipe at info@knipewoodhouse.com or on 01753 887877.

What information we collect

What we collect depends on why you are dealing with us.

• If you use our enquiry form or email us: your name, telephone number, email address, and whatever you tell us about your matter. For a conveyancing quote this includes the property price, whether it is freehold or leasehold, the postcode, and whether a mortgage is involved.
• If you instruct us: identification documents, proof of address, bank and payment details, information about your finances, and the documents and correspondence relating to your matter.
• Information about other people: where relevant to your matter, we may hold details of family members, beneficiaries, the other side in a transaction or dispute, and their representatives.

Some matters involve more sensitive information — for example health information in a family or probate matter, or details of criminal allegations in litigation. We only collect this where it is necessary for the work you have asked us to do.

Why we use it, and our lawful basis

• To answer your enquiry and provide a quote. Our legitimate interest in responding to people who contact us, and taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.
• To carry out the work you have instructed us to do. Performance of our contract with you.
• To verify your identity and comply with anti-money laundering law. Our legal obligations.
• To meet our regulatory duties, including SRA rules, accounts rules and our professional indemnity insurance arrangements. Our legal obligations and legitimate interests.
• To keep our records, recover unpaid fees and defend claims. Our legitimate interests.

Where we handle more sensitive information, we do so because it is necessary for establishing, exercising or defending legal claims, or because you have given us your explicit consent.

Who we share it with

We do not sell your information and we do not use it for marketing. We share it only where the work requires it, or where the law requires it. That may include:

• HM Land Registry, HM Revenue & Customs and the Probate Registry
• Your lender, estate agent, surveyor, or the other side's solicitors
• Barristers, experts and costs draftsmen instructed on your matter
• Search providers and electronic identity verification providers
• Our bank, our accountants, our auditors and our insurers
• The Solicitors Regulation Authority and the Legal Ombudsman, where required
• Law enforcement or other authorities where we are legally obliged to report

Some anti-money laundering reports must be made without telling you, because the law prohibits us from doing so.

How long we keep it

We keep files after a matter closes so that we can deal with later questions, meet our regulatory and insurance obligations, and respond to any claim. How long we keep a particular file depends on the type of work, how long a claim could be brought, what our insurers and the SRA require us to retain, and any legal obligation to keep records — for example identity and anti-money laundering records, which the law requires us to keep for five years after the end of our business relationship with you.

Original wills and deeds we hold for safekeeping are kept until you or your personal representatives ask us to release them. Enquiries that do not become matters are deleted once we no longer need them. If you would like to know the retention period that applies to your own file, please ask us.

Where your information is held

Your information is held on our systems in the United Kingdom. Where a supplier stores information outside the UK, we make sure appropriate safeguards are in place before that happens.

Your rights

You have the right to ask us to:

• Give you a copy of the information we hold about you
• Correct anything that is wrong
• Delete information, where we do not need to keep it
• Restrict how we use it, or object to us using it
• Transfer it to someone else, in certain circumstances
• Withdraw your consent, where we relied on consent

These rights are not absolute. We often cannot delete a file, for example, because we are required to keep it for regulatory or insurance reasons, or because legal professional privilege applies.

To make a request, write to us at the address above or email info@knipewoodhouse.com. We will respond within one month.

Cookies

This website does not set advertising or tracking cookies, and we do not use analytics on it. We use Google Fonts to display the text on the site, which means your browser requests those font files from Google and Google will see your IP address as part of that request. No cookie is set by us for this.

Keeping your money safe

Conveyancing is a target for fraud. We will never email you to tell you our bank details have changed. If you receive any message that appears to come from us giving new account details, do not act on it. Telephone us on 01753 887877, using the number on this website rather than any number in the message, and check before sending any money.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your information, please tell us first so we can put it right — our complaints policy explains how.

You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF, on 0303 123 1113, or at www.ico.org.uk.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it was last changed.