Terms of service

TERMS AND CONDITIONS OF FIRST STEPS LEGAL CONSULTING LTD

Introduction and Applicability of Terms

Who We Are: First Steps Legal Consulting Ltd., trading as First Steps operates the First Steps website. First Steps Legal Consulting Ltd. is a company registered in England and Wales under company number 12017821 and with its registered office at Hatch, Unit 401, Peckham Levels, 95A Rye Lane, London, SE15 4ST (hereinafter “We, Us, Our”). To contact us, please see our Contact page.

Application of Terms: These terms govern the use of our services and website, and by availing of our Services, you agree to these Terms in entirety.

Client Acknowledgement: Clients are encouraged to understand these terms before availing our services and to seek independent legal advice where necessary.

Amendments: We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time, with continued use of services signifying acceptance of these changes.

Data Protection and Privacy

Client Data: We respect the privacy of your data and adhere to all applicable data protection laws, ensuring that your data is handled securely and confidentially. All personal data will be processed in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

Data Usage: Details of data collection and usage are outlined in our Privacy Policy, which is accessible below.

Feedback: Client feedback is valuable and may be used to enhance our services, and we may contact you for further details or clarifications.

Communication: We may communicate via phone, SMS, Whatsapp or email as per client preferences, ensuring timely and accurate communication regarding our Services.

Data Control: We act as a data processor, adhering to applicable laws, our Privacy Policy and client instructions, ensuring that data is processed securely and confidentially.

Security: We ensure that data is processed securely, implementing appropriate technical and organisational measures to safeguard client data against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

Nature of Services

Consultancy Nature: We are a consultancy firm and do not operate as a law firm or regulated entity, ensuring that our services are provided in compliance with applicable laws and regulations.

No Legal Advice: Our services do not constitute legal, tax, or financial advice, and clients are advised to seek independent professional advice where necessary.

Client Obligations and Information

Accuracy of Information: Clients are responsible for providing accurate and lawful information, ensuring that all user content complies with applicable laws and does not infringe upon the rights of third parties.

Content Responsibility: Clients are responsible for ensuring that any information shared with us complies with applicable laws, and the Company is not liable for any legal issues that may arise from the client’s information or documents.

Delivery of Documents

Delivery Method: Services are considered delivered once sent to the Client via email in .pdf or .docx format.

Fees, Payments, and Services

Service Fees: Fees for our services will be communicated and agreed upon before service provision, ensuring transparency and mutual understanding. All our fees are determined in accordance with our Pricing Policy.

Additional fees: If your use of the Services requires the payment of additional Fees, you agree to pay the additional Fees in the manner provided herein. You will be notified in advance in case any additional fees are to be applied to your final balance.

Expedited Service: If you require a service to be completed and delivered in under 5 working days, you agree to pay 50% additional fee on top of the agreed price of the service as per your Estimate.

Invoices: Payment for invoices is due on the date specified in the relevant invoice or, if no date is specified on the invoice, within 7 days of your receipt of the invoice.

Late Payment: If payment is not received by the due date, we reserve the right to, in addition to taking any other action at law or equity, to (i) charge an administrative fee of £40.00 on any invoices late by 7 days or more, (ii) charge the outstanding Fees to the card payment details you provided on the Platform, and you hereby consent to such deduction, (iii) charge interest on past due amounts at the rate set by The Late Payment of Commercial Debts (Interest) Act 1998 and to charge all expenses of recovery (including reasonable legal fees), (iv) suspend your access to the Services until overdue amounts are paid in full, including any interest assessed on the overdue amounts, and (v) terminate our agreement.

Payment Methods: Payments can be made via various methods, including BACS and Stripe and clients are required to adhere to the agreed-upon payment schedule.

Confidentiality and Intellectual Property

Confidentiality:

Your relationship with us is not legally privileged in the way it would be if you were working with a regulated legal professional. Nevertheless, in the course of assisting you with one of our Services, both of us understand that the other party has disclosed or may disclose business, technical, financial or other confidential, sensitive or proprietary information relating to their business (“Confidential Information”). Confidential Information includes non-public information regarding performance of the Service, non-public information data provided by you to us to enable the provision of our Services (company data, business plans, financials, pitch decks, investor interest information etc), and any other information that, based on the circumstances under which it was disclosed, a reasonable person would believe to be confidential. Both of us agree:

  • to take reasonable precautions to protect such Confidential Information; and

  • not to use (except in the performance of the Services or as otherwise permitted herein) or divulge to any third person any such Confidential Information.

    The foregoing provisions will not apply with respect to any information that any of us can prove:

  • is or becomes generally available to the public through means other than a disclosure by you or us;

  • was in its possession or known by it prior to receipt from the other party;

  • was rightfully disclosed to it without restriction by a third party;

  • was independently developed without use of any Confidential Information owned by the other party; or

  • is required to be disclosed by applicable law or by order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

Intellectual Property: We own and retain all right, title and interest in and to (a) the Services and Platform, all improvements, enhancements or modifications thereto, (b) any software, applications, inventions or other technology developed in connection with our Services or support or the Platform, and (c) all intellectual property rights related to any of the foregoing, including but not limited to all text, published material, document creation “flow”, sound, graphics, user interfaces, visual interfaces, photographs, trademarks, logos, artwork and computer code, including but not limited to the design, structure, selection, coordination, expression, and “look and feel” of the Platform and any related Services. Those works are protected by copyright laws and treaties around the world. All such rights are reserved.

You will own all right, title and interest in and to your personal data and Confidential Information.

You hereby grant us a non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable, royalty-free licence to use your company logo and other relevant company content or branding which you add to the Platform (including, but not limited to any information you upload to the Pitch feature), solely where relevant for the purpose of performing the Services.

No rights or licences are granted except as expressly set forth herein.

Limitation of Liability

We do not exclude or limit in any way our liability to you where it would be unlawful to do so. This includes liability for death or personal injury caused by our negligence or the negligence of our team and for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation.

NOTWITHSTANDING ANYTHING TO THE CONTRARY, WE AND OUR OFFICERS, AFFILIATES, REPRESENTATIVES, CONTRACTORS AND EMPLOYEES WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE WITH RESPECT TO ANY SUBJECT MATTER OF THESE TERMS RELATED THERETO UNDER ANY CONTRACT, NEGLIGENCE, STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHER THEORY OF LIABILITY:

FOR USE OF THE PLATFORM, SERVICES OR FOR ERROR OR INTERRUPTION OF USE OF THE PLATFORM OR SERVICES;

FOR LOSS OR INACCURACY OR CORRUPTION OF DATA OR COST OF PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS, SERVICES OR TECHNOLOGY OR LOSS OF BUSINESS;

FOR ANY INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES;

FOR ANY MATTER BEYOND OUR REASONABLE CONTROL; OR

FOR ANY AMOUNTS THAT, TOGETHER WITH AMOUNTS ASSOCIATED WITH ALL OTHER CLAIMS, EXCEED THE FEES PAID BY YOU TO US FOR THE SERVICES UNDER THESE TERMS IN THE 12 MONTHS PRIOR TO THE ACT THAT GAVE RISE TO THE LIABILITY, IN EACH CASE, WHETHER OR NOT WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

Indemnity

Indemnity: Clients agree to indemnify us against liabilities arising from their breach of these terms, including any third-party claims, losses, damages, fines, and expenses arising out of or relating to the client’s use of the Services.

Regulation

We are not a law firm and are not regulated as such. Law firms in England and Wales are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (“SRA”) and it is important that you understand that we are not regulated or authorised by the SRA. This means we are unable to provide services that are “reserved” to solicitors (or in some cases other authorised, regulated persons like barristers or licensed conveyancers), such as conducting litigation, conveyancing, probate activities, notarising or the administration of oaths. Our Services only relate to non-contentious commercial matters and we don’t carry out any of the activities that can only be provided by regulated solicitors and law firms.

There are certain key differences in the regulatory protections that are available to you when you deal with a non-SRA regulated entity and it’s important that you understand that:

you will not be able to complain to the Solicitors’ Regulation Authority or Legal Ombudsman in respect of the services provided to you by First Steps Legal & Consulting;

You will be able to apply for a grant to be made out of the Solicitors’ Compensation Fund managed by the Law Society;

we are not required to take out compulsory professional indemnity insurance and are not subject to the SRA Minimum Terms and Conditions of Professional Indemnity Insurance; and

our services are not covered by legal professional privilege, meaning that any communications between you and us could be produced as evidence in court proceedings if ordered by a court or other authority.

Disclaimer

EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY PROVIDED HEREIN, NEITHER PARTY MAKES ANY WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, STATUTORY OR OTHERWISE, AND EACH PARTY SPECIFICALLY DISCLAIMS ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTIES ARISING OUT OF COURSE OF DEALING, COURSE OF PERFORMANCE OR USE OF TRADE TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. OUR SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO YOU STRICTLY ON AN “AS IS” BASIS. WE SHALL HAVE NO RESPONSIBILITY FOR DETERMINING THAT YOUR PROPOSED USE OF OUR PLATFORM OR SERVICES COMPLIES WITH APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS IN YOUR JURISDICTION(S). YOU ACKNOWLEDGE AND AGREE, THAT NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WHETHER ORAL OR WRITTEN, PROVIDED BY US WILL CREATE ANY WARRANTY OR CONDITION NOT EXPRESSLY STATED IN THIS AGREEMENT.

Complaints

All complaints will be processed in accordance with our Complaints Policy.

Termination and Account Cancellation

Termination Rights: We reserve the right to terminate services under specified circumstances, ensuring that clients are provided with reasonable notice.

General Provisions and Governing Law

Entire Agreement: These terms together with the referenced documents constitute the entire agreement between the parties, superseding any prior agreements or understandings regarding the provision of Services.

Governing Law: These terms are governed by the laws of England and Wales, and any disputes arising out of these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of England and Wales.

PRIVACY POLICY

At First Steps, we take privacy very seriously. We encourage you to read this Policy carefully. It will help You make informed decisions about sharing Your personal information with us.

The defined terms in this Policy have the same meaning as in our Terms of Business, which You should read together with this Policy. By accessing our Website and using our Service, You consent to the terms of this Policy and agree to be bound by it and our Terms of Business.

Definitions

“Data” means any data inputted by You or with Your authority into the Website.

“Service” means the online booking and business management services made available (as may be changed or updated from time to time by First Steps) via the Website.

“First Steps” means First Steps Legal Consulting Ltd, a company registered in England, company number 12017821.

“User” means any person or entity, other than the person who registers, that uses the Service with the authorisation of You from time to time.

“You” means the person who registers to use the Service, and, where the context permits, includes any entity on whose behalf that person registers to use the Service, and a User. “Your” has a corresponding meaning.

“Website” means the Internet site at the domain www.firststepslegal.co.uk or any other site operated by First Steps.

First Steps collects Your personal information

The Service involves the storage of Data about a company or individual. That Data can include personal information. “Personal information” is information about an identifiable individual, and may include information such as the individual’s name, email address, telephone number and financial information.

Personal data 

The personal data that First Steps collects is: 

  • Full Name 

  • Email Address

  • Date of Birth

  • Phone number 

  • Gender

  • Address

  • Order data and details

  • Payment card details (Never stored, only processed through Stripe/PayPal)

  • Marketing preferences

You can always choose not to provide Your personal information to First Steps, but it may mean that we are unable to provide You with the Service.

First Steps may receive personal information from You about others

Through Your use of the Service, First Steps may also collect information from You about someone else. If You provide First Steps with personal information about someone else, You must ensure that You are authorised to disclose that information to First Steps and that, without First Steps taking any further steps required by applicable data protection or privacy laws, First Steps may collect, use and disclose such information for the purposes described in this Policy.

This means that You must take reasonable steps to ensure the individual concerned is aware of and/or consents to the various matters detailed in this Policy, including the fact that their personal information is being collected, the purposes for which that information is being collected, the intended recipients of that information, the individual’s right to obtain access to that information, First Steps’s identity, and how to contact First Steps.

Where requested to do so by First Steps, You must also assist First Steps with any requests by the individual to access or update the personal information You have collected from them and entered into the Service.

Your personal data is collected and processed for the following reasons:

  • In the performance of a contract for our business users to sell products or services (name, address, email, contact number, DOB). 

  • Through legitimate interest to engage in communication with you including confirmation and reminders of appointments, and requests to cancel or change bookings. . 

  • As part of our legal obligation for business accounting, tax and insurance purposes. 

  • As required by law or to respond to legal process. 

  • Select relevant offers, promotions and information for You. 

By using the Service, You consent to Your personal information being collected, held and used in this way and for any other use You authorise. First Steps will only use Your personal information for the purposes described in this Policy or with Your express permission. It is Your responsibility to keep Your password to the Service safe.

Who is processing my data? 

First Steps, trading as First Steps are the data controller and processors of your personal information for the purposes laid out in this privacy notice. First Steps, acts as a data processor on behalf of user businesses and has access to personal information only in cases that customer support or troubleshooting is required by our users. Further, they must process the personal information in accordance with this Privacy Notice and as permitted by applicable data protection laws

First Steps can aggregate Your non-personally identifiable data

By using the Service, You agree that First Steps can access, aggregate and use non-personally identifiable data First Steps has collected from You. This data will in no way identify You or any other individual.

First Steps may use this aggregated non-personally identifiable data to:

  • assist us to better understand how our customers are using the Service,

  • provide our customers with further information regarding the uses and benefits of the Service,

  • enhance small business productivity, including by creating useful business insights from that aggregated data and allowing You to benchmark Your business’ performance against that aggregated data, and

  • otherwise to improve the Service.

First Steps takes steps to protect your personal information

First Steps is committed to protecting the security of Your personal information and we take all reasonable precautions to protect it from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure. Your personal information is stored on secure servers that have SSL Certificates issued by leading certificate authorities, and all Data transferred between You and the Service is encrypted.

However, the Internet is not in itself a secure environment and we cannot give an absolute assurance that Your information will be secure at all times. Transmission of personal information over the Internet is at Your own risk and You should only enter, or instruct the entering of personal information to the Service within a secure environment.

We will advise You at the first reasonable opportunity upon discovering or being advised of a security breach where Your personal information is lost, stolen, accessed, used, disclosed, copied, modified, or disposed of by any unauthorised persons or in any unauthorised manner.

First Steps only discloses Your Personal Information in limited circumstances

First Steps will only disclose the personal information You have provided to us to entities outside the First Steps group of companies if it is necessary and appropriate to facilitate the purpose for which Your personal information was collected pursuant to this Policy, including the provision of the Service.

First Steps will not otherwise disclose Your personal information to a third party unless You have provided Your express consent. However, You should be aware that First Steps may be required to disclose Your personal information without Your consent in order to comply with any court orders, subpoenas, or other legal process or investigation, if such disclosure is required by law. Where possible and appropriate, we will notify You if we are required by law to disclose Your personal information.

Your rights as the individual

If your personal data is held by First Steps, you hold certain rights over that data. Where you have provided consent for us to contact you as part of our marketing services, you have the right to modify or withdraw your consent at any time by using the unsubscribe option accompanied with all of our direct marketing or by contacting First Steps’s digital team.

You also have the right:

  • To be informed of how your personal data will be used before it is collected. 

  • To access your personal data and to receive information on how your information is used after it has been gathered.

  • To have personal data corrected if it is incomplete, inaccurate or out-of-date. 

  • To request the removal or deletion of personal data where there is no compelling reason for its continued processing. 

  • To restrict processing, to ‘block’ processing of your personal data.

  • To data portability, having your data moved, copied or transferred from First Steps to another organisation in an easily readable format.

  • To object to direct marketing from us

First Steps uses cookies

In providing the Service, First Steps utilises “cookies”. A cookie is a small text file that is stored on Your computer for record-keeping purposes. A cookie does not identify You personally or contain any other information about You but it does identify Your computer.

We use the following types of cookies: 

Strictly necessary cookies 

These are cookies that are required for the operation of our Websites. They include, for example, cookies that allow you to log into secure areas of our Websites. 

Analytical & performance cookies

These cookies allow us to recognise and count the number of users and to see how users move around our Websites. This helps us to improve our websites, for example, having the best information on the best web page. We use these to remember who you are and keep track of what you like. We may also collect information about the website you were visiting before you landed on one of our own, and the website you visit after you leave our own, if this information is supplied to us by your browser.  

Targeting and Remarketing Cookies from Third-party Advertising Networks

First Steps has relationships with third party advertising companies to place advertisements on our behalf onto other websites, and to perform tracking and reporting functions for our platform and our advertisements. These third parties may place cookies on your device which automatically collect information about your visit to one of our Websites, your IP address, your ISP and the browser you use. Information collected may be used, among other things, to deliver advertising targeted to your interests and to better understand the usage and visitation patterns of our platform and Websites. You can learn more about this type of remarketing below. 

Remarketing Cookies

Sometimes, after visiting certain websites, you see an increased number of adverts from the site you visited. That’s because the website you visited has placed a cookie on your web browser. Using that cookie and web analytics tools, the website owner will be able to show you adverts on third-party websites that they think you might be interested in. This cookie does not give access to your computer or mobile device, but may be able to identify you from other details. 

Google Analytics

Our Websites use Google Analytics to show relevant adverts to users who have previously visited us as they browse the web. This enables us to tailor marketing to better suit your needs, only displaying ads that are relevant to you. You may see First Steps or one of our users in search results pages (using Google Adwords), in adverts on Gmail, on Youtube  and on other services run by Google. Any information collected will be used in accordance with our own privacy policy and Google’s privacy policy. If you do not wish to see ads, you can: 

  1. opt out of Google’s use of cookies through Google’s Ads Settings 

  2. refuse the use of cookies by downloading and installing Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on. 

Facebook Remarketing 

We also use similar targeted advertising technology to ensure that we only serve people with adverts on their Facebook pages that are relevant to them. To enable us to do this, we include a piece of code on our websites, called the Facebook Pixel. The information collected, for example which pages you visited, which device you used and what actions you took, will be used in accordance with our own privacy policy, as well as Facebook’s privacy policies. The Facebook Pixel only lasts for sixty (60) days. Using the Facebook Pixel, we can also remarket adverts to you through Instagram and Whatsapp, which are both owned by Facebook. You can set preferences for how Facebook advertises to you using your Facebook ad preferences. 

Opting Out of Cookies

You can refuse to accept some or all cookies by modifying settings within your browser. For guidance on how to do this, please visit https://www.aboutcookies.org.uk/managing-cookies. However, if you block strictly necessary cookies, you may be unable to access certain parts of our Websites. If you wish to opt out of remarketing cookies, please visit the Network Advertising Initiative Opt-out Page. 

You can set your browser to notify You when You receive a cookie so that You will have an opportunity to either accept or reject it in each instance. However, You should note that refusing cookies may have a negative impact on the functionality and usability of the Website.

You can opt-out of any email communications

First Steps sends product information, Service updates and Service notifications to You via email or other channels. Our emails will contain clear and obvious instructions describing how You can choose to be removed from any mailing list not essential to the Service. First Steps will remove You at Your request.

You are responsible for transfer of Your data to third-party applications

The Service may allow You, or another User within the relevant subscription to the Service to transfer Data, including Your personal information, electronically to and from third-party applications. First Steps has no control over, and takes no responsibility for, the privacy practices or content of these applications. You are responsible for checking the privacy policy of any such applications so that You can be informed of how they will handle personal information.

Access to your account

To quickly and efficiently resolve customer support issues related to your account, you consent to us logging into your account from time-to-time. If you do not wish us to access your account, then you may notify us in writing.

Your Consent

By using our site, you consent to our privacy policy.

Changes to our Privacy Policy

This policy may be updated from time to time. First Steps reserves the right to change this Policy at any time, and any amended Policy is effective upon posting to this Website. First Steps will make every effort to communicate any changes to You via email or notification via the Service. 

Children’s Privacy

User businesses do not collect the personal data of children under the age of 13 without parental or guardian consent. If you believe that we hold any information about or about a child under age 13, please contact us at alex@firststepslegal.co.uk and if we cannot immediately obtain appropriate parental or guardian consent, will remove the personal data from storage. 

Data Sharing 

Your personal data is shared only with First Steps employees and partners in cases where customer support and troubleshooting is required. First Steps do not share your personal information with any third-party without your prior consent, other than those already disclosed in this privacy notice or as part of our legal obligations under the relevant data protection laws. 

Use of Data Processors 

Data processors are third parties who provide some elements of our business services for us. Where we use a third-party, we have strict agreements in place governing the processing of your personal data, on which no action can be taken without instruction from us. The third-parties with whom we work will never share or disclose your personal information and will hold it securely at all times. 

How long is your data kept?

First Steps retains your personal data for as long as necessary to provide you with our services as our user. Where we have your consent for marketing purposes, we will retain the minimum required data until you notify us that you no longer wish to receive such information or for a maximum of 2 years after the end of our contact with you, whichever comes first. 

The criteria for which we would continue to process your personal information includes: 

• Where there is a legal basis, obligation or legitimate interest to continue processing your personal information 

• Where processing is necessary for the establishment, exercise or defence of legal claims

Transfers of personal information

Your information is processed by the website software and stored in a cloud infrastructure. During this process your data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

First Steps uses the following third parties to provide a full system of services - website analytics, email provider, SMS provider, payment provider and technology platform. All third parties listed process First Steps’s client’s data to allow for the usage of the First Steps system and will not be used for any other purposes.

In cases of data breaches on any third party servers or platforms First Steps Consulting Ltd undertakes to notify you in due time, however First Steps cannot be held liable for any losses or damages suffered as a result of any such breaches. 

What happens if you don’t provide personal information to First Steps?

In the event that you want to purchase a product or service from First Steps, certain personal information is required to enter into a contract with you. First Steps will not be able to enter into a contract with you to fulfil an attempt to purchase a product or service if you do not provide your personal information. As noted in this privacy statement, we are processing your personal data to comply with legal and statutory obligations and in the performance of a contract. You can always choose not to provide personal information; however, we will be unable to provide certain products, services and treatments in these instances. Safeguarding your Personal Data Appropriate measures are taken to protect your personal data from access from unauthorized persons or inappropriate access, internal or external. Your connection to the First Steps system uses a HTTP Secure communication protocol and TLS security. This means all information passed to the First Steps system is encrypted during data input and transferred to the cloud. Any paper files recording your personal data are held in a locked filing cabinet or safe which can only be accessed by authorised personnel in the business. Employees and contractors are only assigned specific access rights and can only access the business software with the password number assigned to them by the management of the business. 

ICO Registration

First Steps is registered with the Information Commissioner in the UK. If you feel your data rights have been violated or you need more information on the company contact the ICO at https://ico.org.uk/ , citing registration number: ZA750428.

Contacting Us

If there are any questions regarding this privacy policy or If You wish to complain about how we have handled Your personal information, please provide our Privacy Officer with full details of Your complaint and any supporting documentation by e-mail to alex@firststepslegal.co.uk . You may contact us using the information below.

The Ramp, Peckham Levels, Cherise Road, SE15 5HQ, London or +44 7933423261.