Privacy Policy

Ask Legal Matters ("we," "us," or "our") respects your privacy and is committed to complying with this Privacy Policy. This Privacy Policy describes what personal information we collect about you, how we use it, to whom we may disclose it, and what choices you have regarding our use of your personal information.

This Privacy Policy applies to personal information collected in connection with our website at asklegalmatters.com and any other pages we maintain that link to this Privacy Policy (collectively, the "Site"), our live chat feature, email communications, our social media pages, and other online offerings that post a link to this Privacy Policy (collectively, with the Site, the "Platform").

The types of personal information we collect depend on how you interact with our Platform and the services you request. The categories below describe the types of personal information we may collect about you. We may also collect other personal information not specifically listed here, which we will use as described in this Privacy Policy or as otherwise disclosed at the time of collection.

• Individual identifiers: name, email address, phone number, mailing address, city, state, and zip code.
• Inquiry and case-related information: injury type, accident date or timeframe, fault status, medical treatment details, case descriptions, and other information you provide about a potential claim.
• Online identifiers: IP address, device identifiers, cookie IDs, and other online identifiers collected automatically when you use the Platform.
• Internet or network activity: pages viewed, navigation paths, referring URLs, time spent on pages, and interaction with our forms or chat.
• Device information: browser type, operating system, device model, screen resolution, language settings, and general location derived from IP address.
• Geolocation information: approximate city or region inferred from your IP address; we do not collect precise GPS location unless you separately consent through your device.
• Communications: records of calls, texts, emails, or chat messages if you contact us or use our live chat feature.
• Marketing and analytics data: information about how you found our Site, ad campaign identifiers, conversion events, and preferences inferred from your interactions.

Certain categories listed above may be considered "sensitive" under applicable U.S. state privacy laws. You may have additional rights regarding sensitive personal information, as described in Section 14 below.

We may collect personal information from the following sources:

Information you provide. We collect personal information you submit when you complete our eligibility form, MVA intake form, live chat, opt-out requests, or otherwise contact us. You may choose whether to provide certain information; however, information may be required to respond to your request or connect you with an attorney.

Information collected automatically. We and our service providers use cookies, pixels, and similar technologies to collect information automatically when you use the Platform, including online identifiers, device information, and internet activity described above.

Information from third parties. We may receive personal information from advertising partners, analytics providers, data enrichment vendors, referral sources, and publicly available sources to help us operate and improve the Platform. We may combine this information with information we collect directly from you.

To facilitate automatic collection, we and our partners may use the following technologies:

• Cookies: small data files stored on your device to remember preferences, analyze traffic, measure advertising performance, and improve the Site. You can control cookies through your browser settings, though disabling cookies may limit Site functionality.
• Pixels (web beacons): used to determine whether a page or email was viewed and to compile usage statistics.
• Analytics and advertising tags: third-party scripts that help us understand Site usage and measure marketing campaigns, subject to your consent where required.
• Local storage: used to store preferences and session data on your device.
• Chat technologies: our live chat feature may record conversation content and related identifiers to respond to your inquiry and improve our service.

We honor Global Privacy Control (GPC) signals and other legally required opt-out mechanisms as requests to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, where applicable. You can also manage cookie preferences through our cookie banner or your browser settings.

We may use third-party analytics and advertising tools to better understand how visitors use our Platform and to measure the effectiveness of our marketing. These tools may collect information sent by your browser or device, including pages visited and other usage data.

We and our advertising partners may use personal information for targeted advertising, also known as cross-context behavioral advertising under certain state privacy laws. This may include using cookies or hashed contact lists to deliver ads on our Platform and other sites. Marketing pixels and conversion tracking (including tools such as OpenAI Ads) are used only where you have provided consent through our cookie banner.

For more information about Google's practices, visit Google's partner sites policy. You can opt out of Google Analytics using Google's opt-out add-on. See Section 9 for additional advertising opt-out options.

We may use personal information for the following purposes:

To provide our Platform and services.

• Evaluate your eligibility for a free case review and determine your legal needs.
• Match you with independent attorneys, law firms, or legal service providers.
• Contact you by phone, text message, or email regarding your inquiry, including through automated or prerecorded technology.
• Operate, troubleshoot, and improve the Platform, forms, and chat experience.
• Personalize content and understand your interests.
• Respond to your requests and provide customer support.

For compliance, fraud prevention, and safety.

• Enforce our Terms of Service and other agreements.
• Comply with applicable laws, regulations, and legal processes.
• Protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property, and that of our users and partners.
• Detect, investigate, and prevent fraud, unauthorized access, and other illegal activity.
• Maintain the security and integrity of our Platform and systems.

In addition to the situations described elsewhere in this Privacy Policy, we may disclose personal information to the following categories of recipients:

• Independent attorneys and law firms: when you submit an inquiry, we may share your information so qualified attorneys can contact you about your potential case. These are independent third parties governed by their own privacy policies.
• Service providers: vendors that perform services on our behalf, such as hosting, analytics, SMS/email delivery, CRM, data storage, and customer support. These providers access personal information only as needed to perform services for us.
• Advertising and analytics partners: for targeted advertising, campaign measurement, and analytics, subject to your consent where required.
• Legal and professional advisors: lawyers, auditors, insurers, and consultants where necessary in the course of professional services.
• Authorities and law enforcement: when required by law or to protect rights, safety, and property.
• Business transactions: in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of assets.
• With your consent or at your direction.

Lead generation notice. Ask Legal Matters operates as a lead-generation platform. Sharing your information with attorneys or partners in exchange for valuable consideration may constitute a "sale" or "sharing" of personal information under California and other state privacy laws. We do not sell personal information to unrelated data brokers for their independent marketing purposes.

Mobile information. No mobile information will be shared with third parties for their own marketing or promotional purposes. Mobile information may be shared with service providers to deliver texting services or as otherwise required by law.

By submitting your phone number through our Platform, you expressly consent to receive calls and text messages from Ask Legal Matters and from attorneys or partners we connect you with, including through automated dialing technology, artificial or prerecorded voice, or SMS, regarding your inquiry.

Consent is not a condition of purchasing any goods or services. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of marketing texts by replying STOP to any text message. To stop receiving texts from us, you may also email privacy@asklegalmatters.com with your request and mobile number.

Marketing communications. You may opt out of marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link in our emails or by contacting us at privacy@asklegalmatters.com. It may take up to 10 business days to process your request.

Cookies and advertising. You can limit cookies through your browser settings. Some advertising partners participate in industry opt-out programs, including the Digital Advertising Alliance and the Network Advertising Initiative. Opt-out preferences may need to be set on each browser and device.

Do Not Track. Some browsers transmit "Do Not Track" signals. At this time, our Site does not respond to Do Not Track signals. We do honor GPC and other legally recognized opt-out signals as described above.

Declining to provide information. We need certain personal information to provide our services. If you do not provide required information, we may not be able to process your inquiry or connect you with an attorney.

California and other U.S. residents may submit opt-out requests via our Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information page.

We implement commercially reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information. However, no security system is impenetrable. We cannot guarantee the absolute security of your personal information. We are not responsible for the security of information you transmit over networks we do not control, including the Internet.

This Privacy Policy does not apply to third-party websites or services accessed through links on our Platform. Clicking those links may cause you to leave our Site and may result in collection of information by a third party. We do not control and are not responsible for third-party privacy practices. We encourage you to review the privacy policy of any site you visit before providing personal information.

Ask Legal Matters is based in the United States. Your personal information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States and other countries where our service providers operate. Data protection laws in those countries may differ from those in your home country. By using the Platform, you understand and consent to such transfers where permitted by applicable law.

Our Platform is not directed to individuals under 18 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.

This section supplements the information above and applies to residents of U.S. states with comprehensive privacy laws, including California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, and Virginia, where applicable.

Categories collected, purposes, and disclosures. We describe the categories of personal information we collect in Section 2, our sources in Section 3, business purposes in Section 6, and categories of recipients in Section 7.

Sale, sharing, and targeted advertising. In the preceding 12 months, we may have "sold" or "shared" (as those terms are defined under applicable state law) identifiers and internet activity information to advertising partners for cross-context behavioral advertising. We do not knowingly sell or share personal information of consumers under 18. We do not use sensitive personal information to infer characteristics about individuals beyond what is permitted by applicable law.

Your privacy rights. Depending on your state of residence, you may have the right to:

• Know what personal information we collect, use, disclose, sell, or share.
• Access and receive a copy of your personal information.
• Correct inaccurate personal information.
• Delete personal information, subject to legal exceptions.
• Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information and targeted advertising.
• Limit use of sensitive personal information (where applicable).
• Not receive discriminatory treatment for exercising your privacy rights.
• Appeal our decision regarding a privacy request (where applicable).

Exercising your rights. To submit a request, email privacy@asklegalmatters.com or use our Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information page. We may need to verify your identity before fulfilling a request. An authorized agent may submit a request on your behalf with proof of authorization. We aim to respond within 45 days, or as required by applicable law.

California Shine the Light. California residents may request information about disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. We treat opt-out requests under California's sale/sharing provisions as Shine the Light opt-out requests where applicable.

Nevada residents. Nevada residents may opt out of the sale of certain covered information by submitting a request to privacy@asklegalmatters.com with the subject line "Nevada Opt-Out Request."

We may create deidentified information that can no longer reasonably be linked to an individual. Where we maintain deidentified data, we will maintain and use it in deidentified form and not attempt to reidentify it except as permitted by law.

We retain personal information only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including to satisfy legal, regulatory, accounting, or reporting requirements. Retention periods depend on the amount, nature, and sensitivity of the information, the potential risk of harm from unauthorized use or disclosure, and applicable legal requirements. Opt-out requests are maintained for at least 12 months before we may ask you to reconfirm consent.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or applicable law. The "Last updated" date at the top indicates when this Privacy Policy was most recently revised. Material changes will be posted on this page. Your continued use of the Platform after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your privacy rights, contact us at: