Privacy Policy

Last Updated: 20 Jan 2025

Welcome to Link Research (referred to in this policy as “Link Research,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of our website visitors and clients. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your personal data when you visit www.linkresearch.co.uk or interact with us in the course of our probate research services.

1. Who We Are

We operate as Link Research, a proprietary business located in Westerham, Kent. If you have any questions regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal data, you can reach us at:

Email: info@linkresearch.co.uk
Address: Westerham, Kent, United Kingdom

2. Data We Collect

We may collect the following categories of personal data:

  1. Contact Form Data: When you fill out a web form on our site, we collect:
    • Name
    • Email address
    • Phone number
    • Your message or inquiry
  2. Additional Data: In the course of providing probate research services, we may collect further information via telephone calls or in-person meetings. This could include genealogical and other relevant data needed to fulfill our clients’ instructions.
  3. Cookies & Analytics: When you use our website, certain information may be automatically collected via cookies—specifically through Google Analytics—to help us understand how visitors navigate our website.

3. How We Use Your Data

We only collect and process personal data necessary to:

  1. Respond to Inquiries: Handle queries submitted through our contact form or via email.
  2. Fulfill Client Instructions: Conduct probate and genealogical research on behalf of our clients.
  3. Improve Our Services: Use Google Analytics data to optimize and improve user experience on our website.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. Our primary legal bases for processing include:

  1. Consent: Where you have given clear consent for us to process your personal data (e.g., when you complete a contact form).
  2. Legitimate Interests: To conduct probate research, respond to your inquiries, and improve our service delivery.

5. Sharing Your Data

To carry out comprehensive and accurate probate research, we may share or obtain information from:

  1. Registered Law Firms: In the context of settling estates or confirming legal documentation.
  2. Genealogical Databases & Public Records: Databases that hold official birth, marriage, death, and other records necessary for probate investigations.

We do not sell or rent your personal data to third parties under any circumstances. We only share data to the extent it is necessary and relevant for completing our research and fulfilling legal or contractual obligations.

6. Cookies and Google Analytics

We use cookies (small text files placed on your device) to help operate our website efficiently and analyze usage. Specifically, we use Google Analytics to gather aggregated statistics on user activity, such as the number of visitors, pages visited, and time spent on each page.

  • Cookie Control: You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies or to alert you when websites set or access cookies. If you disable or refuse cookies, some parts of our website may become inaccessible or not function properly.

For more details on how Google Analytics manages your data, you can consult Google’s own privacy documentation here: Google Privacy & Terms.

7. Data Retention

We retain personal data only for as long as is necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Privacy Policy—namely, to conduct probate research and comply with legal, accounting, or reporting requirements.

If you would like more information about our specific retention periods for different categories of personal data, please contact us at info@linkresearch.co.uk.

8. How We Protect Your Data

We take the security of your personal data seriously and employ a variety of measures to protect it from loss, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These measures may include secure servers, access controls, and encryption where appropriate. However, no method of transmission over the internet is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Your Data Protection Rights

Under applicable data protection laws, you have the right to:

  • Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
  • Rectification: Ask us to correct any inaccuracies in your personal data.
  • Erasure: Request deletion of your personal data when it’s no longer needed for the purposes collected.
  • Restrict Processing: Ask us to limit how we process your data in certain circumstances.
  • Object: Object to our processing if you believe we’re not processing it based on legitimate grounds.
  • Data Portability: Request that we transfer your data to another organization or directly to you.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact info@linkresearch.co.uk. If you have any concerns about our data processing, you also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) in the UK.

10. Children’s Privacy

Our services are not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from individuals under the age of 18. If you believe we have collected such data in error, please contact us at info@linkresearch.co.uk so we can promptly delete it.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We encourage you to review this page periodically for the latest information on our privacy practices. The “Last Updated” date at the top indicates when this policy was most recently revised.

12. Contact Us

For any questions, comments, or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data handling practices, please reach out to us at:

Link Research
Westerham, Kent, United Kingdom
Email: info@linkresearch.co.uk

Thank you for trusting us with your personal data. We are dedicated to conducting our probate research with care and diligence, ensuring your privacy is respected every step of the way.

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