Last Updated: June 20, 2024
This Privacy Policy explains how Michigan Legal Help (“MLH”) collects your personal information when you use the michiganlegalhelp.org website and all tools or services that are part of MLH, (the “Site”) or when you otherwise interact with us.
The Site is based in Michigan and is operated by a nonprofit organization. It serves people with legal matters in Michigan. If you are visiting this Site from another state, the data privacy laws in your state may not apply to your activities on the Site.
We may change this Privacy Policy. If we make changes, we will notify you by changing the date at the top of the policy. We encourage you to review the Privacy Policy whenever you access the Site.
Collection of Information
Information You Choose to Give Us
We collect personal information you provide directly to us. For example, we collect information if you:
Fill out a form,
Send us an email,
Sign up for text messages (subject to The Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA)),
Request information, or
Otherwise communicate with us or through our platform.
The types of information you choose to provide to us may include:
Your name,
Contact information (including email address, social media handles, user names, postal address, and phone number),
Information you enter while filling out forms with a Do-It-Yourself tool hosted on our Site, and
Other information you choose to provide.
If you fill out forms with a Do-It-Yourself tool hosted by LawHelp Interactive (LHI), LHI’s privacy policy applies instead of this one while you are on LHI’s site. Please note: LHI may provide us with anonymous data about trends and usage of Do-It-Yourself tools, including user ZIP codes.
Our Guide to Legal Help tool collects information about you and your potential legal matter in Michigan. We do not collect your name or contact information. The Guide will present options based on your responses. The options may include court forms or contact information for lawyer referral services. If you follow a link from the Guide to a different organization’s website, that organization’s privacy policy will apply while you are visiting their website.
Information We Collect Automatically When You Use the Site
When you access our Site, we automatically collect information about you, including:
Log Information: We collect information about your use of the Site, including the type of browser you use, access times, pages viewed, your IP address, your approximate geographic location, and the page you visited before getting to our Site.
Device Information: We may collect information about the computer or mobile device you use to access our Site, including the hardware model, operating system and version, device identifiers, and mobile network information.
Cookies and Other Tracking Tools: We use various tools to collect information. This may include placing cookies on your browser or mobile device. Cookies are small data files stored on your hard drive or in device memory that help us to:
improve our Site and your experience, and
see which areas and features of our Site are popular and count visits.
We may also collect information using web beacons (also known as “tracking pixels” or “clear GIFs”). Web beacons are electronic images that may be used in our Site or emails. They help us deliver cookies, count visits, understand usage and determine whether an email has been opened and acted upon.
For more information about cookies, and how to disable them, please see “Your Choices” below.
Use of Information
The Site is based in the United States and the information we collect is governed by U.S. law. By accessing or using the Site or otherwise providing information to us, you consent to the processing and transfer of information in and to the U.S. and other countries.
General Information Uses
We may use information about you for various purposes, including to:
Provide, maintain, and improve our Site;
Process donations and transactions either directly or on other platforms under their own privacy policies;
Respond to your emails, chat messages, comments, and questions, provide customer service, request feedback, and otherwise contact you about your use of the Site;
Send you newsletters and otherwise provide you with information or services you request or that we think will be of interest to you;
Monitor and analyze trends, usage, and activities on our Site;
Personalize and improve the Site and provide content or features that match user profiles or interests or that are based on the information you provide or the actions you take; and
Carry out any other purpose for which the information was collected.
Specific Uses for Information Entered in a Do-It-Yourself Form Tool on our Site.
We will only use information you enter in a Do-It-Yourself form tool on our Site to:
Create an account and allow you to access it;
Automatically create your forms;
Fix errors or user issues in Do-It-Yourself tools;
Provide technical support to you if requested; and
Provide anonymous data about trends and usage on Michigan Legal Help, including user ZIP codes.
We delete information entered in a Do-It-Yourself form tool on our site 180 days after you last update it. You can also delete information immediately by clicking “Exit and delete my answers.” Even after your information is deleted, we may keep anonymous data such as ZIP codes to help us understand how the Site is being used.
Sharing of Information
We may share any information we collect, including information entered in a Do-It-Yourself form tool on our Site:
With vendors, consultants, and other service providers or volunteers who need access to such information to carry out work on our behalf;
If we think we have to in order to comply with the law, including responding to lawful court orders, subpoenas, or warrants, or;
If we believe your actions violate the spirit or language of our user agreements or policies, or to protect the rights, property, and safety of Michigan Legal Help, its employees, volunteers, or others;
In connection with, or during negotiations of, any reorganization, formation of a successor organization, asset sale or transfer, financing or lending transaction, or in any other situation where personal information may be disclosed or transferred as one of the assets of the Site;
With your consent or at your direction, including if we notify you that the information you provide will be shared in a particular manner and you provide such information; or
If you tell us to send your forms to a court or e-filing system, or if you tell us to send a copy of your forms or a link to your in-progress forms to a specific e-mail address or phone number.
We may also share aggregated or anonymized information that does not directly identify you.
Links to Other Websites
Our Site contains links to other websites. Any personal information you provide on such linked pages is provided directly to that third party and is subject to that third party’s privacy policy. This Privacy Policy does not apply to such linked sites, and we are not responsible for the content or privacy and security practices and policies of these websites. We encourage you to learn about their privacy and security practices and policies before providing them with personal information.
Social Media Sharing Features
The Site may offer social media sharing features and other integrated tools (such as the Facebook “Like” button), which let you share actions you take on our Site with other media, and vice versa. These features let you share information with your friends or the public, depending on your social media privacy settings. For more information about the purpose and scope of data collection in connection with social media sharing features, please visit the privacy policies of the social media companies that provide these features.
Advertising and Analytics Services Provided by Others
We may allow third parties to use cookies, web beacons, or other technologies or otherwise collect information about you to provide analytics and advertising services, including serving ads on the Site or other sites based on your visits to the Site and other sites across the Internet and various mobile applications. These entities may collect or receive information about your use of the Site and other websites and mobile applications, including your IP address, geographic location, browser, device information, pages viewed, time spent on pages, links clicked, and conversion information. This information may be used by the Site and others to, among other things, analyze and track data, determine the popularity of certain content, deliver advertising and content targeted to your interests and better understand your online activity.
For example, we may use Google Analytics or other remarketing tools to advertise online. This enables third-party vendors, including Google, to show our ads on sites across the Internet. Such third-party vendors, including Google, may use first-party cookies (such as the Google Analytics cookie) and third-party cookies (such as the DoubleClick cookie) together to inform, optimize, and serve ads based on your past visits to our Site. For information on how you can opt out of Google’s use of cookies for interest-based ads please visit Google’s Ads Settings.
For more information about Internet-based ads, or to opt out of having your web browsing information used for behavioral advertising purposes, please visit www.aboutads.info/choices.
Security
Michigan Legal Help takes reasonable measures to help protect information about you from loss, theft, misuse, unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. No system is completely safe. Because using the internet presents data security risks, we encourage you to use caution when sharing information online. Do not share your password with other people and select passwords that are secure.
Your Choices
Account Information
You may request that we update, correct, or delete the information you provide to us by emailing us at michiganlegalhelp@mplp.org. However, note that we may retain certain information as required by law or for legitimate business purposes or legal requirements. We may also retain cached or archived copies of information about you for a certain period of time.
Cookies and Similar Technologies
Most web browsers are set to accept cookies by default. If you prefer, you can usually choose to set your browser to remove or reject browser cookies. If you choose to remove or reject cookies, this could affect the availability and functionality of our Site. You can also set up many browsers and email clients to block tracking pixels.
Promotional Communications
You may opt out of receiving updates and newsletters by email by following the instructions in those emails, and you may opt out of receiving SMS alerts by texting STOP at any time. If you opt out of one type of communication, we may still send you other types of emails, such as those about your use of the Site or any donations or transactions.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at michiganlegalhelp@mplp.org. You can write to us at:
Michigan Legal Help
15 S. Washington Street
Ypsilanti, MI 48197
Please include your e-mail address, name, address and telephone number when you contact us. This helps us handle your request correctly.