Privacy notice

Last updated: 24 September 2026

HWT (Heritage Wills & Trusts) respects your privacy and is committed to handling personal information fairly, lawfully and transparently. This notice explains how we use personal information when you enquire about or use our Will-writing, Lasting Power of Attorney, trust and estate-planning services.

Who we are

HWT (Heritage Wills & Trusts) is responsible for the personal information described in this notice.

Information we may collect

The information we need depends on the service you ask us to provide. It may include:

• your name, address, telephone number, email address and other contact details;
• identity and personal details needed to take your instructions;
• information about your family, beneficiaries, executors, attorneys, trustees and other people relevant to your instructions;
• information about property, finances, assets, liabilities, business interests and your estate;
• information about your wishes and personal circumstances that is relevant to preparing documents or providing our services;
• correspondence, appointment notes and records relating to our work for you; and
• where relevant, sensitive information such as health or capacity information if it is necessary for the service you have asked us to provide.

If you give us personal information about another person, please make sure you are entitled to provide it to us and, where appropriate, make them aware that their information may be used as described in this notice.

How we obtain your information

We normally receive information directly from you, for example when you contact us, complete an enquiry, speak to us by telephone or provide instructions during an appointment. We may also receive information from another person acting with your authority, or from organisations involved in carrying out your instructions where this is appropriate.

Why we use personal information

We use personal information to respond to enquiries, arrange appointments, take and record instructions, prepare documents, provide the services you have requested, communicate with you, maintain appropriate business and client records, deal with payments and administration, and comply with legal or regulatory requirements that apply to us.

Depending on the circumstances, our lawful basis may be that processing is necessary to take steps at your request before entering into an agreement or to perform our agreement with you; to comply with a legal obligation; or for our legitimate interests in operating HWT, keeping appropriate records, protecting our business and providing an effective service, where those interests are not overridden by your rights. Where we rely on consent, you may withdraw it at any time.

Where special category information is required, we will only process it where an additional condition permitted by data-protection law applies, for example explicit consent where appropriate or another applicable legal condition.

Who we may share information with

We do not sell your personal information. Where necessary for the service you have asked us to provide, or where required by law, we may share relevant information with organisations or people such as:

• the Office of the Public Guardian and other public bodies where relevant to your instructions;
• professional advisers or other specialists involved in your matter where appropriate;
• providers that support our document storage, IT, email, software, administration or other business systems;
• people you have authorised us to deal with; and
• regulators, law-enforcement bodies, courts or other authorities where disclosure is legally required.

We aim to share only the information reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose and expect service providers handling personal information for us to protect it appropriately.

How we store and protect information

HWT keeps records in a mixture of electronic and paper form. We take reasonable organisational and technical measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, loss, misuse or disclosure. Access is limited to those who need the information for legitimate business purposes.

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including providing the relevant service, maintaining appropriate client and business records, meeting legal or regulatory obligations, and establishing, exercising or defending legal claims. The appropriate retention period can vary according to the type of record and the circumstances of the matter.

International transfers

Some technology or service providers may process information outside the UK. Where this happens, we will take appropriate steps required by data-protection law to protect personal information.

Marketing

HWT does not currently send marketing emails. If we introduce electronic marketing in the future, we will do so in accordance with applicable data-protection and electronic-marketing rules and will provide an appropriate way to opt out. You can object to the use of your personal information for direct marketing at any time.

Website information and cookies

This website may receive basic technical information needed to deliver pages securely and reliably, such as IP address and server log information. The current HWT website does not itself use advertising or analytics scripts. If we introduce analytics, non-essential cookies or similar technologies in the future, we will update the information provided on the website and obtain consent where required.

Your data-protection rights

Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights to ask us for access to your personal information, to correct inaccurate information, to erase information, to restrict or object to processing, and to receive certain information in a portable format. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw that consent. These rights are subject to legal conditions and exemptions.

To exercise a right or ask a privacy question, contact us using the details above. We may need to confirm your identity before responding.

Complaints

Please contact HWT first if you have a concern about how we use your personal information so that we can try to resolve it. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's data-protection regulator. You can find current contact and complaint information on the ICO website.

Changes to this notice

We may update this privacy notice when our services, systems or legal obligations change. The date at the top of this page shows when it was last updated.