Last updated: 24 September 2026
1. Who we are
Sterling Law (“we”, “us”, “our”) is a limited company registered in England and Wales under number 09711065, with its registered office at Temple Chambers, 3-7 Temple Avenue, London EC4Y 0DT. We are authorised and regulated by the Immigration Advice Authority (IAA number F201200514) and by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA number 630147).
We are the data controller of your personal data and are registered with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) under registration number ZA205976.
If you have any questions about this policy or how we handle your information, please contact us at info@sterling-law.co.uk, by phone on 020 7822 8535, or by post at the address above.
2. The information we collect
Depending on how you interact with us, we may collect:
- Identity and contact details, such as your name, title, date of birth, nationality, address, email address and telephone number.
- Identification documents, such as copies of your passport, biometric residence permit, national identity card or driving licence. We are required to obtain these to verify your identity under the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017, and they may also be needed for your legal matter.
- Information relating to your legal matter, such as details of your circumstances, family members, employment, immigration history, financial information and any documents you provide.
- Special category and criminal offence data, where relevant to your matter, such as information about your health, racial or ethnic origin, religious beliefs or criminal convictions.
- Financial information, such as bank details, source of funds and payment records.
- Technical data, such as your IP address, browser type and how you use our website, collected through cookies and similar technologies.
3. How we collect your information
We collect information directly from you when you complete a form on our website, contact us, or instruct us on a legal matter. We may also receive information from third parties, such as other parties to your matter, the Home Office, courts and tribunals, identity verification providers, or people who refer you to us.
4. How we use your information and our lawful basis
Under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018, we may only use your personal data where we have a lawful basis. We use it:
- To provide legal services to you, where necessary to perform our contract with you or to take steps at your request before entering into one.
- To comply with our legal and regulatory obligations, including anti-money laundering checks, conflict checks, record-keeping and our obligations under the SRA Standards and Regulations.
- To respond to enquiries submitted through our website, on the basis of our legitimate interest in responding to potential clients.
- To manage our business, including billing, accounting, quality control, insurance and protecting our legal rights, on the basis of our legitimate interests.
- To send you updates or marketing communications, only where you have consented. You may withdraw consent at any time by clicking “unsubscribe” or contacting us.
Where we process special category or criminal offence data, we do so where it is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims or for obtaining legal advice, in accordance with Article 9 of the UK GDPR and Schedule 1 of the Data Protection Act 2018, or with your explicit consent.
5. Confidentiality
As solicitors, we owe you a professional duty of confidentiality. Information you share with us in connection with a legal matter may also be protected by legal professional privilege.
6. Who we share your information with
We only share your personal data where necessary, and may share it with:
- the Home Office, UK Visas and Immigration, HM Courts & Tribunals Service and other public authorities, as required for your matter;
- barristers, experts, translators and other professionals we instruct on your behalf;
- identity verification and anti-money laundering service providers;
- IT, cloud storage, case management and email service providers;
- our auditors, professional indemnity insurers and professional advisers;
- the SRA, IAA and the National Crime Agency, HMRC or law enforcement bodies where we are legally required to do so.
All third parties acting on our behalf must keep your data secure and use it only for the purposes we specify. We do not sell your personal data.
7. International transfers
We do not transfer your personal data outside the United Kingdom.
8. How long we keep your information
We keep your personal data only as long as necessary. Client files are generally kept for six years after your matter concludes, in line with limitation periods and our regulatory obligations. Identity and anti-money laundering records are kept for at least five years after our business relationship ends, as required by law. Some matters may require longer retention, for example matters involving children or property. Enquiries that do not lead to instruction are kept for 12 months. After this, your data is securely deleted or destroyed.
9. How we protect your information
We use appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal data, including encryption, secure servers, access controls and staff training. Access is limited to those who need it to carry out their work.
10. Your rights
Under UK data protection law, you have the right to:
- request access to the personal data we hold about you;
- ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data;
- ask us to delete your data where there is no good reason for us to keep it;
- object to or ask us to restrict how we use your data;
- request that we transfer your data to you or another organisation;
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on consent.
Some rights are subject to exceptions, for example where we must retain information to meet legal obligations or where it is subject to legal professional privilege. To exercise any of your rights, please contact us using the details in section 1. We will respond within one month, and there is usually no charge.
11. Complaints
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data, please contact us first so we can try to resolve the matter. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office:
Information Commissioner’s Office
Wycliffe House, Water Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 5AF
Helpline: 0303 123 1113
Website: ico.org.uk
Complaints about our legal services, as opposed to data protection, are handled under our separate Complaints Procedure.
12. Cookies
Our website uses cookies to function properly and to help us understand how visitors use it. Non-essential cookies are only used with your consent. For more information, please see our Cookie Policy.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The latest version will always be available on this page; with the date it was last updated shown at the top.
