Movus Law retains client files following the end of a matter in case a client makes a claim against the Firm and because we are required to by law, for example, the Money Laundering Regulations or for regulatory purposes. However, Data Protection Legislation and specifically Principle 5 of the General Data Protection Regulations, prohibits keeping data indefinitely and therefore the Firm must not keep data for any longer than is necessary.
This Policy sets out the retention period for paper and electronic files.
Original documents will be returned to the client, unless we have instructions to retain them or they are required by a mortgage lender.
All client ID obtained, for the purposes of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017, must be retained for a least 5 years.
During this retention period we will not process a client’s personal data, (other than for the purpose of storage), unless the client contacts us to raise a query or complaint or we are required to produce the data for legal reasons.
Retention Periods
Residential Property
Gen Advice 7 years
Residential Property – Sale 7 years
Residential Property – Purchase 12 years
Residential Property – Transfer of Equity 7 years
Residential Property – Re-mortgage 7 years
Limited data will be obtained from prospective clients. If they do not become clients the information will be destroyed within 6 months.
The above retention periods will be reviewed from time to time by the Firm.
At the end of the retention period, any paper file will be recovered from our archives and will be confidentially destroyed. In relation to the electronic files, they will be destroyed, so far as is possible from the IT system in place at the time of destruction.
July 2020