Privacy Policy

Effective Date: January 1, 2025  |  Last Updated: January 1, 2025

James M. Byrd, Attorney at Law ("we," "us," or "our") operates the website located at jamesmbyrdlaw.com. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect when you visit or interact with our website, how we use that information, and the choices available to you. By using our website, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

This policy applies solely to information collected through this website. It does not govern information collected in person, by telephone, or through any other channel not expressly described below.

1. Information We Collect

We collect information in two ways: information you provide to us voluntarily, and information collected automatically when you visit our site.

Information You Provide

When you submit a contact form, request a consultation, or otherwise communicate with us through the website, you may provide:

• Your name
• Your email address
• Your phone number
• A description of your legal matter or question
• Any other information you choose to include in a message

You are never required to submit personal information to browse this website. Providing information is entirely voluntary.

Information Collected Automatically

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically by our hosting and analytics infrastructure, including:

• Your IP address and approximate geographic location
• Browser type and version
• Operating system
• Referring URL (the page you visited before arriving at our site)
• Pages viewed and time spent on each page
• Date and time of your visit

This data is collected in aggregate and is generally not linked to your identity.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• Responding to inquiries: When you submit a contact form, we use your name, email address, phone number, and message to respond to your question or schedule a consultation.
• Improving our website: Aggregate technical data helps us understand how visitors use the site so we can improve its content and performance.
• Legal and compliance obligations: We may retain or disclose information when required by law, court order, or other legal process.
• Preventing fraud and abuse: Technical data may be used to detect and prevent malicious or unauthorized activity on the website.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party for marketing or commercial purposes.

3. Contact Form Data

Submissions made through the contact form on this website are transmitted to us by email and may be stored in our email system. Because attorney-client privilege attaches only after a formal engagement has been established, please do not submit confidential or privileged information through the website contact form. Submission of a contact form does not create an attorney-client relationship.

We retain contact form submissions for a reasonable period to respond to your inquiry and for internal recordkeeping. If you would like a submission deleted, please contact us directly at jmbcrimdlaw@aol.com.

4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies. A cookie is a small text file placed on your device by a web server when you visit a site. Cookies allow us to recognize your browser and remember certain preferences between visits.

Types of Cookies We May Use

• Essential cookies: Required for the website to function correctly. These cannot be disabled without affecting site functionality.
• Analytics cookies: Help us understand visitor behavior in aggregate. These cookies collect data in a form that does not directly identify any individual.
• Preference cookies: Remember settings or choices you have made so you do not need to re-enter them on subsequent visits.

You can instruct your browser to refuse all cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable cookies, some features of the website may not function properly. Most browsers also allow you to delete existing cookies through their settings menus. Please consult your browser's help documentation for instructions.

5. Third-Party Services

We may use third-party services to operate and improve this website. These services may collect information about your use of our site in accordance with their own privacy policies. Third-party services we may use include:

• Website hosting and infrastructure providers: Our site is hosted on servers operated by third-party hosting companies that may log access requests and other technical data.
• Analytics providers: We may use tools such as Google Analytics to collect aggregate, anonymized data about website traffic and visitor behavior. Google's Privacy Policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.
• Email delivery services: Form submissions may be routed through email delivery infrastructure operated by third parties solely for the purpose of transmitting your message to us.

We do not share your personal information with these third parties beyond what is necessary to deliver the services described above, and we do not authorize them to use your information for their own marketing purposes.

6. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and administrative steps to protect the information collected through this website from unauthorized access, disclosure, or misuse. However, no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.

If you believe your information has been compromised, please contact us immediately at jmbcrimdlaw@aol.com.

7. Children's Privacy

This website is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child under 13 has submitted information through our website, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

8. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your location and applicable law, you may have certain rights regarding personal information we hold about you:

• Access: You may request a copy of personal information we hold about you.
• Correction: You may ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Deletion: You may request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to any legal obligations we may have to retain it.
• Opt-out of analytics: You can opt out of Google Analytics data collection by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information in the "Contact Us" section below. We will respond to requests within a reasonable time.

9. External Links

Our website may contain links to external websites that are not operated by James M. Byrd, Attorney at Law. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of those sites and encourage you to review their privacy policies independently. The inclusion of a link does not imply endorsement of the linked site.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or the handling of your personal information, please contact us: