Privacy policy
Policy on the protection of personal information of the Coopérative de notaires du Québec
This privacy policy applies to the website of OPCO Notaires Inc. and to all confidential information collected by our office, in accordance with the laws on the protection of personal information.
Here we describe our practices regarding the collection, use, disclosure, and retention of personal information, whether through our website or other means of communication (telephone, internet, fax, etc.). These practices comply with the Quebec Civil Code and laws on the protection of personal information, with particular attention to the confidentiality of this information.
Our Policy
At OPCO Notaires Inc., our activities are based on a close relationship between the member notaries of the COOP, support staff, and clients.
Our office provides legal services, and our clients entrust us with highly confidential personal information.
It is essential for us to maintain this trust and reaffirm our determination to safeguard the security of personal information shared as part of our business relationship.
What is personal information?
Personal information refers to data relating to a physical person that allows them to be identified. This information is confidential, including, but not limited to, the date of birth, social insurance number, and driver’s license number. Except in cases of exceptions, such information cannot be disclosed without the consent of the person concerned.
Personal Information Collected
The OPCO Notaires Inc. office collects personal information in various situations, such as file management, services rendered, professional meetings, applications, and visits to its website. This information is provided by clients via forms or information requests, or it is collected by the office in electronic or paper form.
OPCO Notaires Inc. only collects the necessary information and implements security measures to protect it. The information is updated during meetings with clients or office staff. Personal information is confidential and is not shared without the consent of the person concerned.
This information may include, among other things:
- Name;
- Date of birth / date of death;
- Health insurance number;
- Credit card number;
- Bank account number;
- Home address;
- Telephone and fax numbers;
- Email addresses;
- Family situation;
- Income / expenses;
- Name of lawyer;
- Name of bank advisor;
- Name of financial advisor;
- Bank institution details;
- Medical data;
- Photocopies of documents such as contracts, marriage certificates, divorce judgments, passports, driver’s licenses, health insurance cards, check specimens, criminal records, employment contracts, tax statements.
We do not collect personal or confidential information from individuals under the age of 14 without the express consent of a parent or guardian. Clients must sign a consent form for the collection and updating of their files.
Collection of personal information
Personal information is collected in the following ways:
- In digital form, stored on the office’s servers, located in our premises or at our infrastructure hosts;
- In digital form on the servers of the office management software used by OPCO Notaires Inc. as part of our professional activities related to the services you request;
- In paper form, in the office’s premises, its branches, or the premises of its collaborators.
Objectives of processing personal information
Personal information is collected with the aim of achieving clear, explicit, and legitimate objectives. Depending on the context, this information may be used for the following purposes:
- File processing;
- Responding to satisfaction surveys and conducting statistical analyses to improve services and better understand clients;
- Processing job applications;
- Complying with legal or regulatory obligations.
It is important to note that all personal information processing is carried out for a specific purpose.
Protection of Personal Information
Personal information is treated confidentially at OPCO Notaires Inc., accessible only to team members and authorized persons. It may be shared with control or inspection bodies, as well as with authorized third parties under the law.
As notaries and employees, we understand the importance of protecting this information and only use it for specific purposes.
All our employees sign a confidentiality agreement upon starting their employment.
OPCO Notaires Inc. takes all necessary measures to protect and secure personal information, to preserve its confidentiality and avoid any alteration, destruction, or unauthorized disclosure to third parties.
However, there is no transmission or storage of information that is completely secure. As a result, an absolute guarantee of the security of transmitted or stored information cannot be provided.
Collection of Personal Information via Our Website
We may automatically receive certain information when you interact with our website, emails, social media, or other online marketing tools.
Most automatically transmitted information between computers does not allow us to identify you.
Use of cookies
If your browser settings allow it, we may also store certain data on your computer in the form of “cookies” or other tracking technologies.
Cookies are pieces of information stored on your computer that allow us to recognize you each time you visit our website. We may also use cookies to transmit content or store data (to avoid having to retype your password, for example). If you wish, you can disable cookies by changing your internet browser settings. However, this setting may prevent you from fully using all or some of the features of our website.
These cookies do not collect personal information about you.
Information provided by the user
When you interact with OPCO Notaires Inc., you may be asked to provide us with personal information via online forms or other means. This information may include your identity (name, first name), your contact details (address, email, phone number), and details about your professional activity. We use this data to respond to your requests and manage your profile on our website. If you apply for a position within our office, we will request the necessary information to process your application, such as your contact details and your resume, and we store this information in accordance with our internal policies. Personal information is only accessible to authorized persons within our office.
Social Media
Although we prefer to avoid this type of communication for information security reasons, we may invite you to engage with us through websites, Facebook, browser extensions, and social networking applications operated by third parties. On these platforms, you may provide us with information related to your social media account. We may use this information to validate and personalize your profile on our website.
External Links
Links on our website may direct you to other external sites. Please note that our privacy policy applies only to the information collected and used on our site. We disclaim any responsibility for the content or activities of other websites accessed through these links, as well as their privacy practices. We recommend reviewing their privacy policies before providing personal information. However, we are committed to maintaining the integrity of our site and are open to your comments regarding external sites linked to ours.
Retention and destruction of personal information
We retain your personal information only for the necessary time and in accordance with our legal obligations.
Where do we store your personal information?
- In paper form, in the office’s premises, its branches, or in the premises of collaborators;
- In digital form, stored on the office’s servers at our infrastructure hosts;
- In digital form on the office management software servers used by OPCO Notaires Inc. in the context of our professional activities related to the services you request.
Options regarding the protection of personal information
Clients can obtain a copy of our policy and procedures by visiting our website or by sending a written request to our postal address: 208 Boulevard Ste-Rose, Laval, Quebec H7L 1L6, Canada. To access their information, they can also contact our data protection officer by email: Me Éric Vallières at rprp@coopnq.org.
We commit to responding to these requests within a maximum of 30 days. Clients also have the right to withdraw their consent, although this may affect our ability to provide essential services if required information is not provided.
Modification of this policy
We reserve the right to modify this policy at any time. We will inform you of changes by indicating the date of the most recent update at the beginning of this policy. You are responsible for visiting our website to check for changes.
Breach of personal data protection
If we detect inappropriate processing of personal information, we will review our policy and make the necessary changes. The affected individuals, as well as our insurer, will be informed as needed. If you have concerns or wish to report a breach of our personal data protection policy, you can submit a written complaint to our data protection officer. Our officer will contact you to obtain all relevant details and will then analyze the situation to determine whether adjustments are needed to our current policy.
Right of access or rectification
You have the right to access or rectify your personal information. If you wish to access your personal data or request rectification, you can write to us at the following address: rprp@coopnq.org, addressed to the person responsible for the protection of personal information.
Law on the protection of personal information in the private sector
The law on the protection of personal information in the private sector applies to personal information that a company collects, holds, uses, or communicates to third parties, regardless of the medium or form in which the personal information is stored.
Questions or comments and complaints
If you would like to share your questions or comments regarding this policy or its application, please write to us at the following address: rprp@coopnq.org, addressed to the person responsible for the protection of personal information.
Person responsible for the confidentiality of personal information
Me Éric Vallières
Notary and person responsible for the protection of personal information
Phone: 514-524-4900
Email address: rprp@coopnq.org
