Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Attorney Referral Network ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our service.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

When you create an account, we collect:

• Full name
• Email address
• Password (encrypted)
• Professional information (firm name, practice areas, states, counties)
• Contact information (phone number, address, website)
• Attorney registration number
• Profile photo (optional)

2.2 Content You Create

We collect and store content you create on the platform, including:

• Bulletin board posts and comments
• Direct messages to other members
• Forum topics and replies
• Referral listing information

2.3 Automatically Collected Information

When you use our service, we automatically collect:

• Log data (IP address, browser type, device information)
• Usage data (pages visited, features used, time spent)
• Cookies and similar tracking technologies

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

• Provide and maintain the service
• Create and manage your account
• Connect you with other professionals in the network
• Send email notifications based on your preferences
• Match you with relevant referral opportunities
• Respond to your inquiries and support requests
• Improve and optimize our service
• Detect and prevent fraud and abuse
• Comply with legal obligations

4. Email Communications

We send email notifications to keep you informed about activity on the platform. You will receive emails about:

• Comments on your bulletin board posts
• Direct messages from other members
• New referral opportunities matching your practice areas
• Replies to your forum topics
• Approval status of your referral listings
• Important service updates and announcements

You can manage your email notification preferences in your account settings. Note that we may still send you important service-related emails even if you opt out of other notifications.

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

5.1 Within the Platform

When your referral listing is approved, the following information becomes visible to other members:

• Full name
• Firm name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Address
• Website
• Practice areas and geographic coverage
• Profile photo

Your attorney registration number is stored but not publicly displayed.

5.2 Service Providers

We may share your information with third-party service providers who help us operate the platform, including:

• Cloud hosting services (Supabase)
• Email delivery services (Resend)
• Analytics providers

5.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law or in response to valid legal requests, such as subpoenas or court orders.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

• Encryption of data in transit and at rest
• Secure password hashing
• Regular security audits
• Access controls and authentication
• Row-level security policies in our database

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. If you request account deletion, we will delete or anonymize your personal information, except where we are required to retain it for legal or regulatory purposes.

8. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: You can access your personal information through your account settings
• Correction: You can update or correct your information at any time
• Deletion: You can request deletion of your account and personal information
• Opt-out: You can opt out of email notifications through your account settings
• Data portability: You can request a copy of your data in a portable format

9. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to:

• Maintain your login session
• Remember your preferences
• Understand how you use the platform
• Improve the user experience

You can control cookies through your browser settings, but disabling cookies may limit your ability to use certain features.

10. Children's Privacy

Our service is not intended for individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you become aware that a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by email or through a notice on the platform. Your continued use of the service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

12. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and maintained on servers located outside of your state, province, country, or other governmental jurisdiction. By using our service, you consent to such transfers.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us through the platform or via email.