Privacy Policy

Untie the Knot Divorce Service ("UTKDS", "we", "us" or "our") recognizes that divorce is a highly personal process and that protecting the privacy and confidentiality of our customers is important.
This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, retain and protect personal information in connection with our website and divorce services.
We collect, use and disclose personal information only for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, with consent, or as otherwise permitted or required by applicable law.

1. Our Commitment to Privacy

We take reasonable measures to protect the confidentiality and security of the personal information entrusted to us.

Personal information provided to UTKDS is accessible only to authorized employees, agents and service providers who require access to perform their duties or provide a component of the services requested by a customer.

We do not sell, rent or license our customers’ personal information to third parties.

We may disclose personal information to third-party service providers where reasonably necessary for them to perform a component of the services requested by a customer or to support the operation and delivery of those services, as described further below.

We may also disclose personal information where authorized or required by applicable law.

2. Applicable Privacy Laws

UTKDS collects, uses, discloses, retains and protects personal information in accordance with applicable Canadian privacy legislation.

By providing personal information to us or using our services, you consent to the collection, use and disclosure of your personal information for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, subject to your rights under applicable law.

Where consent is required for a purpose that is not reasonably necessary to provide the services you have requested, we will provide an appropriate opportunity to provide or decline that consent.

3. What is Personal Information?

Personal information is information about an identifiable individual.

Because divorce proceedings require detailed information about the parties and, where applicable, their children and financial circumstances, UTKDS may collect personal information necessary to prepare divorce documentation, assist with filing and related procedural services, communicate with customers, process payments, and provide other services requested by the customer.

The information we may collect includes, depending on the circumstances and services requested:

Customer and Contact Information

First and last name;
Mailing and residential address;
Telephone number;
Email address;
Preferred methods of communication;
Information about where messages may be left;
Instructions regarding who, if anyone, UTKDS is authorized to communicate with regarding the customer’s divorce;
Instructions regarding the delivery of divorce documents; and
Information about how the customer learned about UTKDS.

Information About the Marriage

Place and date of marriage;
Information appearing on the marriage certificate;
Date the parties began residing together;
Date and place of separation; and
Information concerning any periods of reconciliation or resumed cohabitation.

Previous Court Proceedings, Agreements and Orders

Information regarding previous or existing court proceedings;
Court jurisdiction and court file information;
Existing written agreements and court orders;
Dates and terms relevant to those agreements or orders; and
Information concerning existing arrangements relating to parenting, child support, spousal support or other matters relevant to the divorce proceeding.

Information About the Parties

Depending on the requirements of the applicable court and the services requested, this may include:

Full legal names and previous or alternate names;
Residential and mailing addresses;
Contact information;
Dates and places of birth;
Names at birth or prior to marriage;
Occupations and employment information;
Previous marital status and divorce information;
Legal name-change information; and
Financial and income information required for the preparation of divorce and support-related documents.

Information About Children

Where applicable, we may collect:

Full legal names and dates of birth;
Residential and parenting arrangements;
Information concerning parenting time and decision-making responsibility;
Medical and dental coverage information;
Child support information;
Information concerning special or extraordinary expenses; and
Information regarding support arrears or other matters relevant to the divorce proceeding.

Divorce and Court Information

This may include:

Whether the proceeding is joint or sole;
Court registry or courthouse location;
Court file numbers;
Filing information;
Dates and details of divorce orders; and
Information required to obtain divorce certificates or other documents requested by the customer.

Payment Information

We may collect or process information necessary to receive payment for our services, including the payment method, cardholder information and transaction information.

Payment information may be processed by a third-party payment service provider where applicable.

4. Why We Collect and Use Personal Information

UTKDS may collect and use personal information for purposes including:

Assessing whether our services are appropriate for a customer’s circumstances;
Preparing divorce forms, affidavits and other documentation using information provided by the customer;
Reviewing documentation for completeness and consistency;
Providing procedural information, instructions and customer support;
Communicating with customers regarding their files;
Assisting with court filing where that service has been purchased;
Arranging service of documents where applicable;
Requesting marriage certificates, divorce certificates or other documents where that service has been requested;
Processing payments;
Administering customer accounts and files;
Maintaining appropriate business and transaction records;
Internal quality assurance, auditing and system evaluation;
Maintaining and improving the accuracy and functional integrity of our document-generation and service systems;
Protecting the security and integrity of our website and systems; and
Meeting legal, regulatory and administrative requirements.

We will not use personal information for purposes materially different from those identified at the time of collection without obtaining additional consent where required by applicable law.

5. Limits on Collection, Use and Disclosure

UTKDS will collect only the personal information reasonably necessary for the identified purposes and the services requested by the customer.
We will not collect, use or disclose personal information for another purpose unless we have appropriate consent or the collection, use or disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.
UTKDS is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. Our services are intended to assist customers with uncontested divorce matters, document preparation and related procedural services within the scope of the services we offer.
Where parties have unresolved disputes concerning parenting, child support, spousal support, division of property or other legal issues, our service may not be appropriate and the parties may need to obtain independent legal advice.

6. How We Disclose Personal Information

Court registries;
Provincial or territorial Vital Statistics agencies;
Process servers;
Court filing agents;
Payment-processing providers;
Document delivery or electronic document service providers;
Information technology, software and hosting providers; and
Other service providers reasonably necessary to perform a component of the service requested by the customer.

We limit disclosure to the information reasonably necessary for the recipient to perform the applicable function or service.
Where UTKDS arranges filing, service, document retrieval or another third-party service at the customer's request, the information necessary to perform that service may be provided to the applicable service provider.
UTKDS will only discuss or disclose information concerning a customer's divorce file with a spouse or another individual where the customer has authorized us to do so, except where disclosure is otherwise permitted or required by law.
We may also disclose personal information where required or permitted by applicable law, including in response to a valid court order or other lawful requirement.

7. Consent

Where personal information is voluntarily provided to UTKDS for the purpose of obtaining our services, consent to collect, use and disclose that information for purposes reasonably necessary to provide those services may be express or implied, as permitted by applicable law.
Where written authorization is required by a court, government agency, Vital Statistics agency or another organization in connection with a requested service, UTKDS will obtain the required authorization.
Where additional consent is required for a use or disclosure that is not reasonably necessary to provide the requested service, we will seek that consent separately.
Subject to legal, contractual and operational restrictions, individuals may withdraw consent to uses or disclosures that are based on consent. Withdrawal of consent may affect our ability to provide a service where the personal information is reasonably necessary to provide that service.

8. Marketing Communications and Consent

We may use your contact information to send marketing or promotional communications where you have consented to receive them or where otherwise permitted by law.
Consent to receive marketing communications is optional and is not a condition of purchasing or receiving our divorce services.
You may choose to opt in to marketing communications and may withdraw your consent at any time.
You may withdraw your consent by using the unsubscribe mechanism contained in our marketing communications or by contacting us at info@untietheknot.ca.
Withdrawal of consent for marketing purposes will not affect communications reasonably necessary to provide services you have requested, administer your account or file, respond to your inquiries, or comply with our legal or regulatory obligations.

9. Website, Cookies and Advertising

When you visit our website, certain technical information may be collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies.
Third-party vendors, including Google, may use cookies or similar technologies in connection with advertising and website analytics. These technologies may be used to provide advertisements based on previous visits to our website or to help us understand how visitors use our website.
Where applicable, users may manage advertising preferences or opt out of certain personalized advertising through the privacy and advertising controls offered by the applicable provider.
The collection and use of information by third-party providers may also be governed by their respective privacy policies.

10. Retention of Personal Information

UTKDS retains personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected and to satisfy applicable legal, regulatory and legitimate business requirements.
Paper records containing personal information may be retained for a period of up to three years, where applicable.
Electronic records may be retained for a period of up to seven years where necessary to satisfy business, legal, regulatory or record-keeping requirements.
When personal information is no longer reasonably required, we take appropriate steps to securely dispose of or anonymize it, subject to applicable legal and operational requirements.

11. How We Protect Personal Information

UTKDS maintains reasonable administrative, technical and physical safeguards designed to protect personal information against risks including unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure, copying, modification, loss and disposal.
Access to personal information is restricted to authorized individuals and service providers who require access for legitimate business or service-delivery purposes.
We prioritize secure Canadian-based data residency for the processing and storage of personal information where reasonably practicable and consistent with the services and technologies we use.

12. Accuracy of Personal Information

13. Accessing or Correcting Your Personal Information

Subject to applicable law, you may request access to personal information that UTKDS holds about you and may request the correction of information that is inaccurate or incomplete.
Requests should be made in writing. We may take reasonable steps to verify the identity of the person making the request before releasing personal information.
Where required or permitted by applicable law, we may provide information concerning how personal information has been used and the organizations to which it has been disclosed.
We will respond to access and correction requests within the time required by applicable privacy legislation.
Where we are permitted or required to refuse access to particular information, we will advise the requester of the refusal and the reasons for it, subject to any legal restrictions on providing those reasons.

14. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to our services, business practices, technologies, or legal and regulatory requirements.
The date of the most recent revision will be displayed at the top of this Privacy Policy.
Users are encouraged to review this Privacy Policy periodically to remain informed about how UTKDS collects, uses, discloses, retains and protects personal information.
Where a change involves a new collection, use or disclosure for which additional consent is required by applicable law, we will obtain that consent before proceeding.

15. Questions, Complaints and Privacy Requests

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, wish to request access to or correction of your personal information, wish to withdraw consent where applicable, or wish to make a privacy-related complaint, please contact:

Untie the Knot Divorce Service
Telephone: 1-866-788-7510
Fax: 1-866-239-7495
Email: info@untietheknot.ca
78-622 Front Street
Nelson, BC
V1L 4B7

If you are not satisfied with our response to a privacy concern, you may also contact the privacy regulator having jurisdiction over the matter, including, where applicable, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner for British Columbia.

16. Scope of Our Services

UTKDS is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice or legal representation.
Our services are intended to assist with uncontested divorce matters and related document preparation and procedural services. There are circumstances in which we may not be able to assist a customer, including where spouses have unresolved disputes concerning property, parenting, child support, spousal support or other legal issues.
Customers requiring legal advice or assistance resolving a dispute should consult a lawyer or another appropriately authorized legal service provider.
Use of our website, automated tools, digital platforms or services does not create a solicitor-client relationship.