Privacy Policy

We collect personal information only when you voluntarily provide it through our website's contact and consultation request form. The information collected may include:

• Full name
• Email address
• Telephone number (optional)
• Area of legal interest or practice area selected
• The content of your message or inquiry

We do not collect payment information, government identification numbers, or sensitive personal data through this website. We do not use tracking pixels, behavioural advertising networks, or data brokers.

Information submitted through the contact form is used solely to:

• Respond to your inquiry or consultation request;
• Assess whether the firm may be able to assist with your legal matter; and
• Communicate with you regarding your inquiry.

Submission of the contact form does not create an attorney-client relationship. No such relationship is established until a formal engagement agreement has been signed by both parties. Do not include confidential or privileged information in your initial inquiry.

We do not sell, rent, trade, or otherwise disclose your personal information to third parties for marketing or commercial purposes.

Our Contact Us page embeds an interactive map provided by Google Maps, a service operated by Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. When you view a page containing the Google Maps embed, Google may set cookies and collect data including your IP address and browser information in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy.

The Google Maps embed is loaded only on the Contact Us page. If you prefer not to interact with the embedded map, you may use the text address provided on that page to obtain directions through a mapping service of your choice.

Google Maps usage is governed by Google's own terms of service and privacy policy. James E. Smith, Jr., P.A. has no control over the data Google collects through this service.

When you submit the contact form, your inquiry is transmitted to the firm via a transactional email service. The content of your submission — including your name, email address, telephone number (if provided), and message — is delivered to the firm's internal email system and retained as part of the firm's ordinary business records.

Retention periods are determined by applicable professional responsibility rules, South Carolina Rules of Professional Conduct, and the firm's internal records management policies. Inquiries that do not result in an engagement are typically retained for a reasonable period to document the conflict-of-interest screening process and then securely disposed of.

Email communications with the firm may be subject to attorney-client privilege once a formal engagement has been established. Prior to engagement, no privilege attaches to information submitted through this website.

This website uses the following third-party services, each governed by its own privacy policy:

• Google Maps — Interactive map embed on the Contact Us page. See Section 3 above and Google's Privacy Policy.
• Transactional Email Gateway — Contact form submissions are routed through a managed email relay service to deliver your inquiry to the firm. Message content is transmitted securely and is not used for any purpose other than delivery.
• Web Hosting Infrastructure — This website is hosted on a managed cloud platform. Standard server logs (IP address, browser type, pages visited, time of access) may be retained for security and operational purposes for a limited period. These logs are not used to identify individual visitors for marketing purposes.

We do not integrate with social media advertising platforms, analytics networks, or third-party customer relationship management systems that receive your personal data.

This website does not use first-party tracking cookies or advertising cookies. The only cookies that may be set when visiting this website are those placed by Google Maps when you visit the Contact Us page (see Section 3).

Standard session and security cookies necessary for the website to function correctly may be set by the hosting infrastructure. These cookies do not contain personal information and are not used for tracking or profiling.

Most web browsers allow you to control cookies through browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect the functionality of the embedded Google Maps component.

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have rights with respect to personal information we hold about you, including:

• Right of access — the right to request a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
• Right to correction — the right to request that inaccurate information be corrected;
• Right to deletion — the right to request that we delete your personal information, subject to our legal and professional obligations to retain certain records; and
• Right to object — the right to object to certain uses of your information.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the details in Section 9 below. We will respond to verifiable requests within a reasonable time and in accordance with applicable law. We may need to verify your identity before processing a request.

Please note that certain information may be subject to legal holds, professional responsibility obligations, or other retention requirements that limit our ability to delete records on request.

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. Contact form submissions are transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS). Access to received inquiries is limited to firm personnel with a legitimate need to review them.

No method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure, please contact us immediately.

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

• Post: James E. Smith, Jr., P.A., 1422 Laurel Street, Columbia, South Carolina 29201
• Telephone: 803-933-9800
• Online: Contact form at jamessmithpa.com/contact-us

Please do not include confidential legal information in a privacy enquiry until an attorney-client relationship has been formally established.

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 effective date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Continued use of this website after any changes to this Privacy Policy constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.