Privacy Policy

Introduction

Tidewater Legal ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your personal information and your right to privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website or engage our immigration law services.

If you have any questions or concerns about this policy or our practices regarding your personal information, please contact us at [email protected].

Information We Collect

Personal Information You Provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide when:

• Scheduling a consultation or engaging our services
• Filling out forms on our website
• Communicating with us via email, phone, or in person
• Providing documents for immigration applications

This information may include:

• Name, email address, phone number
• Passport and identification details
• Employment and educational history
• Financial information related to residency requirements
• Any other information you choose to provide

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, we may automatically collect certain information about your device and browsing actions, including:

• IP address and browser type
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website addresses
• Device information

This information is collected through cookies and similar technologies. For more details, please see our Cookie Policy.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To provide legal services: Preparing immigration applications, communicating with authorities, and managing your case
• To communicate with you: Responding to inquiries, providing updates on your application, and sending relevant information
• To improve our services: Understanding how clients use our website and services to enhance user experience
• To comply with legal obligations: Meeting professional and regulatory requirements under Taiwan law
• For administrative purposes: Maintaining records, processing payments, and managing our practice

Legal Basis for Processing

We process your personal data based on:

• Consent: You have given clear consent for us to process your personal information for specific purposes
• Contract: Processing is necessary for the performance of our service agreement with you
• Legal obligation: Processing is necessary to comply with legal and regulatory requirements
• Legitimate interests: Processing is necessary for our legitimate business interests, such as improving our services

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We may share your personal information in the following circumstances:

• With immigration authorities: As required for processing your residency applications
• With service providers: Translation services, document authentication providers, and other professionals assisting with your case
• With your consent: When you have explicitly authorized us to share information
• For legal compliance: When required by law, court order, or legal process

We require all third parties to respect the security of your personal data and treat it in accordance with applicable laws. We do not allow third-party service providers to use your personal data for their own purposes.

Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• Secure storage of physical documents in locked facilities
• Encryption of electronic data and secure transmission protocols
• Access controls limiting who can view your information
• Regular security audits and updates
• Staff training on data protection requirements

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your personal information, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

Data Retention

We retain your personal information 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 vary based on the type of information and purpose:

• Client files: Maintained for a minimum of 10 years following case closure, as required by legal professional standards
• Communication records: Retained for the duration of our professional relationship and for a reasonable period thereafter
• Website analytics data: Typically retained for 26 months

When we no longer need your personal information, we will securely delete or anonymize it.

Your Data Protection Rights

Under Taiwan's Personal Data Protection Act and applicable regulations, you have the following rights:

• Right to access: Request copies of your personal data
• Right to rectification: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Right to erasure: Request deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances
• Right to restrict processing: Request limitation on how we use your data
• Right to data portability: Receive your data in a structured, commonly used format
• Right to object: Object to our processing of your personal data
• Right to withdraw consent: Where processing is based on consent, you may withdraw it at any time

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected]. We will respond to your request within 30 days.

Please note that certain rights may be limited where we have legal obligations or legitimate interests that override your rights. For example, we may need to retain your information to comply with professional record-keeping requirements.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to collect and store information when you visit our website. These technologies help us:

• Maintain website functionality and security
• Understand how visitors use our website
• Remember your preferences and settings
• Analyze website performance

For detailed information about the cookies we use and how you can manage your preferences, please visit our Cookie Policy.

Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites that are not operated by us. If you click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party's site. We strongly advise you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies, or practices of any third-party sites or services.

Children's Privacy

Our services are not directed to individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from minors. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete such information.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable laws. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of our services after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Information

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

Supervisory Authority

If you believe we have not addressed your concerns appropriately, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the National Development Council (NDC), which oversees personal data protection in Taiwan.