Privacy

We take the privacy of our members seriously. This page explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how it's stored, and who — if anyone — it's shared with. There are no surprises here, and no small print designed to obscure anything.

Who we are

Redwood Estate Planning is a Private Association providing estate planning guidance, document preparation, and educational resources to its members. For the purposes of data protection, the person responsible for how your data is handled is Aaron Flack, Founder of Redwood Estate Planning, North Cottage, Stanstead Road, Ware, SG12 8PS. You can contact Aaron directly at info@redwoodestateplanning.co.uk or on 01920 481 299.

What data we collect and why

We only collect information that is genuinely needed to help you. The information we hold about you will typically fall into one of the following categories:

Personal details

Name, address, date of birth, contact details — the basic information needed to identify you and communicate with you accurately.

Family & relationship details

Information about your spouse, partner, children, dependants, or other people relevant to your estate plan — needed to prepare documents correctly.

Financial information

Details of your assets, property, savings, and estate — collected only to the extent needed for planning purposes, such as inheritance tax assessment or trust structuring.

Health information

Relevant health details may be needed when preparing Lasting Powers of Attorney or later life care planning documents. This is sensitive data and is handled with particular care.

Contact form & correspondence

Any information you submit through our website contact form, or share with us by email, phone, or post, in the course of our correspondence.

Website data

Our website is hosted on Squarespace, which collects basic analytics data (such as pages visited and approximate location) to help us understand how the site is used. No personally identifiable information is collected without your knowledge.

How we use your information

Your information is used solely for the purposes for which it was provided. This means:

Preparing your documents - Wills, Lasting Powers of Attorney, trust deeds, and any other documents you ask us to prepare on your behalf.

Providing guidance - Using the information you share to give you accurate, relevant advice about your estate planning options.

Member access - Your email address is used to provide access to member tools and resources.

Professional referrals - Where we refer you to a trusted third party — such as a solicitor, accountant, IFA, or other professional — we will share your name and contact details so they can get in touch. Where your circumstances require more detailed information to be shared (for example, for specialist document drafting), we will discuss this with you first.

Correspondence - Responding to your enquiries, keeping you informed about your documents, and maintaining our records.

Your data is never sold to third parties. It is never used for marketing by anyone outside of Redwood Estate Planning, and it is never shared beyond what is described above without your knowledge and consent.

How your data is stored

Your information is held across a combination of local storage and cloud-based systems, both of which are secured with appropriate access controls. Electronic data is protected by password and, where possible, encryption. Physical documents are stored securely. Access to your personal information is limited to Aaron Flack and, where strictly necessary for document preparation, any trusted third-party professional involved in that process.

How long we keep it

Estate planning documents — particularly Wills — may need to be referred to many years after they are prepared, and in some cases after a member has passed away. For this reason, we retain member records for the duration of the relationship and for a reasonable period thereafter, or for as long as may be needed given the nature of the documents prepared. If you would like to discuss the retention of your specific records, please get in touch.

Third parties who may handle your data

In the course of providing our service, your data may pass through or be held by the following categories of third party — all acting on our behalf or as necessary to fulfil our obligations:

Squarespace - Our website host and contact form provider. Squarespace processes data submitted through our contact form on our behalf. Their own privacy policy is available at squarespace.com.

CRM software - We use an online CRM system to manage member records and correspondence. Data held here is subject to that platform's own security standards.

Email provider - Correspondence and member access tools are delivered by email. Standard email security practices apply.

Referred professionals - Where we refer you to a solicitor, accountant, IFA, or other professional, your name and contact details will be shared with them so they can get in touch. Any further information shared will be discussed with you first.

Statutory bodies - Where documents require registration or submission — for example, the Office of the Public Guardian for LPAs, or HMRC for Inheritance Tax — relevant information will be submitted as required by law.

Your rights

Under UK GDPR, you have the right to:

Access your data

You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you at any time.

Correct your data

If any information we hold is inaccurate or out of date, you can ask us to correct it.

Request deletion

In certain circumstances, you can ask us to delete your personal data. We'll always explain if there's a reason we need to retain it — for example, where documents have a long-term legal relevance.

Object to processing

You can object to the way we're using your data in certain circumstances. We'll take any such request seriously and respond promptly.

To exercise any of these rights, simply get in touch at info@redwoodestateplanning.co.uk or on 01920 481 299. We'll respond within 28 days.

"Your personal information is shared with us in trust. We treat it that way — using it only for the purposes you'd reasonably expect, keeping it secure, and never passing it on to anyone without good reason."

Concerns about how your data is handled

If you have a concern about the way your personal data is being handled, please raise it with us directly in the first instance — we'd always rather resolve things informally and quickly. If you remain unhappy after doing so, you have the right to raise a concern with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK's independent data protection authority, at ico.org.uk.