We keep personal information only for as long as it is needed for the purpose for which it was collected, taking account of applicable legal or regulatory requirements.

For initial enquiries that do not proceed, we retain enquiry information in our email system for up to 12 months from the last meaningful contact. We delete it sooner where it is no longer needed, unless a legal or regulatory requirement requires us to retain particular information for longer.

When an enquiry proceeds to formal instruction, we delete redundant copies from RJC Legal Limited’s enquiry records once the necessary information has been safely recorded in Burgh Thorpe Solicitors’ systems. Where RJC Legal Limited needs to retain particular information for a continuing administrative purpose, a complaint or a legal obligation, we retain only the information necessary for that purpose and review whether it is still needed.

SMTP2GO retains email header information and any messages sampled for abuse prevention for 35 days before deletion. We do not enable its optional email archiving or extended activity storage.

For the detailed user and event information covered by Google Analytics 4’s retention controls, we use a two month retention period. New activity does not restart the retention period for user data. Google deletes expired information through its monthly deletion process. This setting does not apply to standard aggregated reports.

We retain records of cookie choices while we rely on the relevant consent and for as long as necessary to demonstrate that the associated processing was authorised. We review these records and remove them when they are no longer required, unless a particular complaint or legal obligation requires them to be kept longer.

Other technical records are retained according to their operational purpose. Email delivery and error records help us confirm delivery and investigate faults. Security records help us detect and investigate misuse. We review records under our control and remove them when the issue has been resolved and there is no continuing operational or legal need to retain them. Routine records managed by our providers are subject to their applicable retention and deletion arrangements.

Backup and recovery copies are used to restore systems following data loss or technical failure. Information deleted from active records may remain in these copies until they are overwritten or deleted through the relevant provider’s backup cycle. These copies are not used as active enquiry records. If information is restored, we reapply any relevant deletion decisions.

Burgh Thorpe Solicitors’ own retention arrangements apply to information it processes. RJC Legal Limited remains responsible for the retention of its own records.