Privacy Policy

1. Introduction and Scope

This Privacy Policy ("Policy") describes how Give Me A Lawyer ("[LEGAL ENTITY TO CONFIRM]," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, discloses, and protects the personal information of individuals who visit or use the website located at https://givemealawyer.com(the "Platform").

Give Me A Lawyer operates as an online legal directory and advertising platform. It is designed to facilitate the discovery of legal professionals by consumers. CRITICAL NOTICE: Give Me A Lawyer is NOT a lawyer referral service. We do not screen leads, do not participate in fee-sharing, do not recommend specific attorneys for specific legal matters, and do not charge "per-lead" fees. We operate in accordance with the spirit of ABA Model Rule 7.2 as a platform for lawyer advertising. Consumers contact attorneys directly through the contact information provided on attorney profiles.

This Policy applies to all "Personal Information" as defined under applicable state and federal laws, including but not limited to the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA), the Colorado Privacy Act (CPA), and other applicable U.S. state privacy frameworks.

2. Legal Entity and Operator Information

The Platform is operated by [LEGAL ENTITY TO CONFIRM], a [STATE OF INCORPORATION] [ENTITY TYPE].

• Website: https://givemealawyer.com
• Privacy Contact: privacy@givemealawyer.com
• Mailing Address: [POSTAL ADDRESS TO CONFIRM]

3. Categories of Personal Information Collected

In the preceding 12 months, we have collected, and we continue to collect, the following categories of Personal Information (as categorized by Cal. Civ. Code § 1798.140(v)(1)):

4. How We Use Your Information (Business Purposes)

We use the collected information for the following business and commercial purposes:

• Platform Functionality: Creating and maintaining attorney profiles, facilitating direct contact between consumers and attorneys, and managing account credentials.
• Advertising and Directory Services: Displaying attorney information to the public as part of our directory and advertising services.
• Subscription Management: Processing payments for Pro ($2.99/mo), Verified ($29/mo), and Featured ($149/mo) tiers via Stripe.
• Security and Fraud Prevention: Detecting security incidents, protecting against malicious, deceptive, fraudulent, or illegal activity, and prosecuting those responsible for that activity.
• Analytics and Improvement: Using Google Analytics (on a consent-basis) and server logs to understand user behavior and improve Platform performance.
• Communication: Sending transactional emails (via Resend), platform updates, and marketing communications (subject to CAN-SPAM compliance).
• Legal Compliance: Complying with applicable laws, responding to subpoenas, and maintaining records for tax and audit purposes.

5. Disclosure of Personal Information

We do not "sell" personal information in the traditional sense of exchanging it for money. However, under certain state laws like the CCPA, "sharing" for cross-context behavioral advertising or "selling" may include the use of certain third-party cookies.

We disclose personal information to the following categories of third parties:

Service Providers:

• Hetzner Online GmbH: Primary hosting provider located in Germany.
• Stripe, Inc.: Payment processing and billing.
• Resend: Email delivery services.
• Google Analytics: Performance analytics (only where consent is provided).
• Cloudflare, Inc.: Content delivery network (CDN) and security services.

The Public: Attorney profile data (Name, Bar Number, Practice Areas, etc.) is intentionally made public on the Platform as part of the directory service.

Legal Authorities: When required by law or to protect our legal rights.

6. International Data Transfers

Our primary servers are hosted by Hetzner Online GmbH in Germany. By using the Platform, you acknowledge that your Personal Information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the European Union (Germany) and the United States.

To ensure an adequate level of protection for your data, we utilize Standard Contractual Clauses (SCCs) approved by the European Commission for the transfer of data from the EEA/UK to the U.S. (where applicable) and ensure our German hosting provider complies with GDPR-equivalent security standards.

7. Data Retention Schedule

We retain Personal Information only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this Policy, or as required by law.

8. State-Specific Privacy Rights (CCPA/CPRA, VCDPA, CPA, etc.)

Residents of California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Montana, Iowa, Tennessee, Indiana, Delaware, New Hampshire, and New Jersey have specific rights regarding their Personal Information.

8.1 Right to Know and Access

You have the right to request that we disclose:

• The categories of Personal Information we collected about you.
• The categories of sources from which the Personal Information was collected.
• The business or commercial purpose for collecting, selling, or sharing Personal Information.
• The categories of third parties to whom we disclose Personal Information.
• The specific pieces of Personal Information we collected about you (data portability).

8.2 Right to Correct

You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate Personal Information that we maintain about you.

8.3 Right to Delete

You have the right to request the deletion of Personal Information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions (e.g., completing a transaction, detecting security incidents, complying with legal obligations).

8.4 Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing

You have the right to opt-out of the "sale" or "sharing" of your Personal Information for cross-context behavioral advertising.

Mechanism:To exercise this right, click the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link in our footer or email privacy@givemealawyer.com.

8.5 Global Privacy Control (GPC)

We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals. If your browser transmits a GPC signal, we will treat it as a valid request to opt-out of the sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising for that browser/device.

8.6 Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information

We do not use or disclose "Sensitive Personal Information" (as defined by the CCPA) for purposes other than those permitted by law (e.g., providing the services you requested).

8.7 Right to Non-Discrimination

We will not discriminate against you for exercising any of your privacy rights. This includes not denying goods or services, charging different prices, or providing a different level of quality.

9. How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise your rights (Access, Correction, Deletion, Opt-Out), please contact us through one of the following methods:

• Email: privacy@givemealawyer.com
• Web Form: [LINK TO FORM - REVIEW: Ensure a dedicated form exists]
• Mailing Address: [LEGAL ENTITY TO CONFIRM], Attn: Privacy Department, [POSTAL ADDRESS]

Verification Process: We must verify your identity before fulfilling your request. We may ask you to provide information that matches the data we already maintain (e.g., your email address or account name). If we cannot verify your identity to a sufficient degree of certainty, we will decline the request and explain why.

10. Authorized Agents

You may designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. To do so, you must provide the agent with written permission (e.g., a power of attorney) and verify your own identity directly with us, unless the agent is acting pursuant to a Power of Attorney under Probate Code sections 4121 to 4130.

11. Right to Appeal (VA, CO, CT, TX, OR, MT, etc.)

If we decline to take action on your privacy request, you have the right to appeal our decision.

• Process: Submit your appeal in writing to privacy@givemealawyer.comwith the subject line "Privacy Request Appeal."
• Timeline: We will respond to an appeal within 45 days (60 days for Colorado residents).
• Further Redress: If the appeal is denied, you may contact your State Attorney General.

12. California "Shine the Light" Law

Under California Civil Code Section 1798.83, California residents who provide personal information in obtaining products or services for personal, family, or household use are entitled to request and obtain from us once a calendar year information about the customer information we shared, if any, with other businesses for their own direct marketing uses. We do not share your personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes.

13. "Do Not Track" (DNT) Posture

While we honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal, we do not currently respond to standard "Do Not Track" browser headers because no uniform technological standard for recognizing and implementing DNT signals has been finalized.

14. Children's Privacy (COPPA)

Give Me A Lawyer is a general audience platform intended for users aged 18 and older. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under the age of 13. If we learn that we have collected Personal Information from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately. If you believe we have information from a child under 13, contact us at privacy@givemealawyer.com.

15. Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your Personal Information. These include:

• Encryption: Use of SSL/TLS for data in transit.
• Access Control: Limiting employee access to data on a "need-to-know" basis.
• Vendor Management: Reviewing the security practices of Hetzner, Stripe, and Cloudflare.
• Monitoring: Regular review of server logs and security alerts.

No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. Therefore, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

16. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies to improve your experience. You can manage your preferences through your browser settings or our cookie consent banner.

17. Links to Third-Party Websites

The Platform contains links to attorney websites and third-party social media profiles. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to read the privacy policies of any website you visit.

18. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Policy from time to time. If we make material changes (e.g., changing how we use your data or significantly expanding the categories of data collected), we will provide at least 30 days' notice by:

• Posting a prominent notice on the Platform.
• Sending an email to registered account holders.

Your continued use of the Platform after the effective date of the updated Policy constitutes your acknowledgment of the changes.

19. Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns about this Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Give Me A Lawyer Email: privacy@givemealawyer.com
• Address: [POSTAL ADDRESS TO CONFIRM]
• Attention: Data Privacy Officer

[REVIEW: Legal Checklist for Final Deployment]

• [REVIEW: LEGAL ENTITY] Ensure the exact registered name (LLC/Inc) is inserted in sections 1 and 2.
• [REVIEW: ADDRESS] Ensure a physical mailing address is provided to meet CCPA/VCDPA requirements.
• [REVIEW: GPC]Verify with technical staff that the site's code correctly listens for and respects the sec-gpc header.
• [REVIEW: STRIPE/HETZNER] Ensure that the DPA (Data Processing Agreement) with Hetzner Online GmbH includes the current EU Standard Contractual Clauses.
• [REVIEW: TEXAS/NJ]Confirm that the 2024 effective dates for TDPSA (Texas) and New Jersey's privacy law are monitored for any late-breaking regulatory amendments.