PRIVACY POLICY

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Susan Jodhan-Sethi recognizes the importance of privacy and the sensitivity of personal information. As a lawyer and mediator, she has a professional obligation to keep confidential all information she receives within the relationship between a mediator and his or her client. These professional relationships are founded on trust. Bridge Divorce and Family Mediation is committed to maintaining that trust and to protecting any personal information obtained and held.

For these reasons, Bridge created the following privacy policy. It outlines how the personal information is managed from the persons who retain a Bridge associate to provide professional services and safeguard their privacy. It confirms the dedication to protecting privacy and maintaining the trust placed in our mediators. This privacy policy guarantees that the associates at Bridge Divorce and Family Mediation will maintain the confidentiality and privacy of the personal information any of those persons entrust to us.

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The associates at Bridge Divorce and Family Mediation collect personal information for the following limited purposes:
(a) to identify the persons who retained him or her and verify their identification;
(b) to establish and maintain professional files; and
(c) to provide the professional services for which associate is retained.

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Personal information consists of any information that could identify a person who retains a Bridge associate for professional services, or by which the identity of that person could be determined.

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Family dispute resolution services and mediation constitute the principal professional services provided by us. Accordingly, it is common for a Bridge associate to obtain information pertaining to the incomes and expenses, assets and liabilities of the persons who retain him or her.

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The associate restricts the collection of personal information only to that which is necessary for the above purposes. The persons who retain his or her services will most often be the source. The associate will only obtain it from third parties with the consent of those persons.

 

Use of Personal Information

The personal information will be used solely for the purpose of providing the professional services for which the Bridge associate is retained and to administer the mediator's time and billing databases. 

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A Bridge associate will not disclose personal information received from persons who retain him or her for professional services to any third parties, which would enable them to market their products and services. 

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Bridge Divorce and Family Mediation associates will disclose your personal information only in the following circumstances:

(a) to fulfill the disclosure obligations required in the course of providing the professional services for which we are retained;
(b) to enable any other lawyers engaged by one or more of the persons who provided the personal information;
(c) to engage other professionals and service providers who assist in providing the professional services for which we are retained;
(d) to respond to legal requirements, whether pursuant to any applicable law or professional code of conduct, or order of the court;
(e) to engage third parties to provide administrative services; or
(f) to establish or collect fees.

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In all other than the above circumstances, Bridge associate will only disclose personal information if the persons who provide that personal information also provide their express consent. Bridge mediators may describe cases in a general way, and will not provide any information which would enable others to determine the identity of the persons who retained him or her.

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The personal information provided to Bridge associates will often be found in documents, whether in their original form, photocopies, or electronic copies. Such documents will be stored in the files opened by the mediator.

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Documents will be released to lawyers acting in the course of the proceedings for which a Bridge associate is retained and to other professionals who may be engaged to prepare reports in the course of such proceedings. Bridge associates will not release these documents to any others without the consent of the persons who provided them.

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On the completion of the professional services for which the mediator is retained, he or she will return any original documents, photocopies, or electronic copies to the persons who provided them. If any such persons leave those documents with him or her, they will be maintained in their file for subsequent retrieval until such time as the file is destroyed.

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Bridge Divorce and Family Mediation developed and implemented security safeguards appropriate to the sensitivity of the personal information kept by our associates. Bridge associates take all reasonable precautions to ensure that the personal information is kept safe from loss, unauthorized access, modification, or disclosure.

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Among the steps taken to protect the personal information provided by the persons who retain our associates are the following:
(a) premises security;
(b) restricted file access;
(c) security software and firewalls to prevent unauthorized computer access; and
(d) internal password and security policies.

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Bridge associates forewarn persons who provide personal information to them by e-mail or any other similar form of electronic transmission that such means of communication are not necessarily secure from access by others. Bridge and its independent associates offer no guarantees as to the privacy of personal information transmitted in this way, and if persons are concerned about the privacy of their personal information, they should arrange to deliver it to the designated Bridge associate personally.

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Any person who provides personal information to Bridge Divorce and Family Mediation associates for the purpose of providing professional services may ask for access to any of such personal information. Summary information is available on request. Personal information which may only be accessed from closed files in storage will take a reasonable time within which to retrieve.

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Bridge maintains closed files in compliance with the requirements of the Law Society of Upper Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency. At such time as we are no longer required to maintain our closed files, they will be destroyed in accordance with the criteria established by those two bodies. Personal information, including documents, contained in those closed files will no longer be accessible after such time.

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Bridge Divorce and Family Mediation associates are committed to maintaining accurate, complete, and up-to-date personal information. If persons who retain them for professional services become aware of changes to the personal information provided, they will forthwith inform the retained associate of such changes so that client records can be brought up to date.

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