Privacy Policy

Legal Online operates the Platform and is responsible for the personal information it processes to run it. Legal practitioners who use the Platform are separately responsible for the client information they hold as part of their legal practice.

• Account details — your name, email address, phone number, role and profile photo.
• Verification details — for practitioners, practising certificate and registration details; for clients, identity documents where requested.
• Matter content — messages, documents, notes and appointments you create or share on a matter.
• Payment records — proofs of payment you upload, amounts, references and dates. We do not collect or store bank card numbers.
• Device and usage information — device type, app version, notification tokens, IP address and security logs.
• Communications — messages you send to our support team.

• to create and run your account and provide the Platform;
• to verify practitioners and keep the directory trustworthy;
• to connect clients with practitioners and deliver messages, documents and notifications;
• to record and reconcile payments and practitioner subscriptions;
• to keep the Platform secure and prevent fraud and abuse;
• to provide support and resolve disputes;
• to improve the Platform; and
• to meet our legal and regulatory obligations.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use matter content for advertising.

We process personal information because it is needed to provide the service you signed up for, because you have consented (for example, to push notifications), because the law requires it, or because it is necessary for legitimate purposes such as security and fraud prevention — always balanced against your rights.

• People on your matter — the client and the practitioners engaged on it.
• The public — practitioner profiles (name, photo, practice areas, jurisdictions, experience and bio) are public so clients can find them. Client details are never public.
• Service providers — companies that host our servers, deliver email, send push notifications (Google Firebase and Apple) and power AI features, acting on our instructions and under confidentiality obligations.
• Authorities — where we are required to by law, court order or a regulator.
• Our administrators — in the limited circumstances described below.

A small number of authorised Legal Online administrators can view matter records. They do so only when needed to respond to your support request, investigate fraud, abuse or a dispute, verify a payment, or comply with the law. This access is read-only — administrators cannot post messages or change anything on your matter — and every view is recorded in an audit log. Administrators are bound by confidentiality, and this access does not make Legal Online a party to your matter.

When a Premium practitioner uses an AI tool, the text or documents they choose are sent securely to our AI provider to produce a result. The provider processes that content only to provide the feature. AI tools are used only at the practitioner's request.

Some of our service providers store or process information outside Zimbabwe. Where that happens we take steps required by law to make sure your information stays adequately protected.

• All connections to the Platform are encrypted.
• Passwords are stored in a scrambled (hashed) form that cannot be read — not even by us.
• Sign-in sessions expire automatically, and a session can be cancelled if a device is lost or stolen.
• Face ID and fingerprint unlock happen entirely on your device — we never receive your biometric data.
• Matters are visible only to their parties, and administrator access is logged.

No system is completely secure. If a breach affects your personal information we will notify you and the Data Protection Authority as the law requires.

We keep account information while your account is open. Matter records and payment records are kept for as long as needed to support practitioners' professional record-keeping duties and to meet tax, accounting and legal requirements. After that, information is deleted or anonymised.

Subject to the law, you can ask us to:

• give you a copy of your personal information;
• correct information that is wrong or incomplete;
• delete your information or close your account;
• stop or restrict certain processing; and
• withdraw a consent you gave, such as for notifications.

Email support@legalonline.co.zw to make a request. If you are unhappy with how we handle your information, you can complain to the Data Protection Authority (POTRAZ).

The Platform is not intended for anyone under 18, and we do not knowingly collect their information.

We use only the cookies and on-device storage needed to keep you signed in, remember your preferences and keep the Platform secure. We do not use advertising trackers.

We may update this Privacy Policy. We will tell you about material changes by email or in the app before they take effect.

Questions or requests about your privacy? Email support@legalonline.co.zw.