Privacy Policy

Last Edited April 15, 2025

Houston Legal Aid Center (HLAC) values its users’ privacy. This Privacy Policy (“Policy”)

will help you understand how we collect and use personal information from those who visit

our website or make use of our online facilities and services, and what we will and will not do

with the information we collect. Our Policy has been designed and created to ensure those

affiliated with Houston Legal Aid Center of our commitment and realization of our obligation

not only to meet, but to exceed, most existing privacy standards.

We reserve the right to make changes to this Policy at any given time. If you want to make

sure that you are up to date with the latest changes, we advise you to frequently visit this page.

If at any point in time Houston Legal Aid Center decides to make use of any personally

identifiable information on file in a manner vastly different from that which was stated when

this information was initially collected, the user or users shall be promptly notified by email.

Users at that time shall have the option as to whether to permit the use of their information in

this separate manner.

This Policy applies to Houston Legal Aid Center, and it governs any and all data collection

and usage by us. Through the use of www.houstonlegalaid.org, you are therefore consenting to

the data collection procedures expressed in this Policy.

Please note that this Policy does not govern the collection and use of information by

companies that Houston Legal Aid Center does not control, nor by individuals not employed

or managed by us. If you visit a website that we mention or link to, be sure to review its

suggested that you review the privacy policies and statements of any website you choose to

use or frequent to better understand the way in which websites garner, make use of, and share

the information collected.

Specifically, this Policy will inform you of the following

1. Information we collect;

2. SMS communications;

3. Why we collect information and for how long;

4. Use of information collected;

5. Disclosure of information;

6. Non-marketing purposes;

7. Children under the age of 13;

8. Unsubscribe or Opt-Out;

9. Links to other websites;

10. Notice to European Union users:

11. Security;

12. Acceptance of terms;

13. Disclaimer; and

13. How to contact us.

Information We Collect

It is always up to you whether to disclose personally identifiable information to us, although if

you elect not to do so, we reserve the right not to register you as a user or provide you with

any products or services. This website collects various types of information, such as voluntarily

provided information which may include your name, address, phone number, email

address, billing and/or credit card information, etc., which may be used when you

purchase products and/or services and to deliver the services you have requested.

In addition, Houston Legal Aid Center may have the occasion to collect non-personal

anonymous demographic information, such as age, gender, household income, political

affiliation, race and religion, as well as the type of browser you are using, IP address, or type

of operating system, which will assist us in providing and maintaining superior quality service.

Please rest assured that this site will only collect personal information that you knowingly and

willingly provide to us by way of surveys, completed forms, and emails. It is the intent of this

site to use personal information only for the purpose for which it was requested, and any additional

uses specifically provided for in this Policy.

SMS Communications

Information obtained as part of the SMS consent process, SMS opt-in, or phone numbers for the

purpose of SMS are not being sold or shared with any third party and/or affiliate company for marketing

purposes. If you have consented to receive text messages from Houston Legal Aid Center, you will receive

text messages related only to our legal representation in your specific case. Please note that message

and data rates may apply and messaging frequency may vary. You can opt-out at any time by texting

“STOP”. For assistance, you can text “HELP” or review this Privacy Policy.

Why We Collect Information and For How Long

We are collecting your data for several reasons:

To better understand your needs and provide you with the services you have requested;
To fulfill our legitimate interest in improving our services and products;
To send you promotional emails containing information we think you may like when we have your consent to do so;
To contact you to fill out surveys or participate in other types of market research, when we have your consent to do so;
To customize our website according to your online behavior and personal preferences.

The data we collect from you will be stored for no longer than necessary. The length of time we

retain said information will be determined based upon the following criteria: the length of time

your personal information remains relevant; the length of time it is reasonable to keep records

to demonstrate that we have fulfilled our duties and obligations; any limitation periods within

which claims might be made; any retention periods prescribed by law or recommended by

regulators, professional bodies or associations; the type of contract we have with you, the

existence of your consent, and our legitimate interest in keeping such information as stated in

this Policy.

Use of Information Collected

Houston Legal Aid Center does not now, nor will it in the future, sell, rent, or lease any of its

customer lists and/or names to any third parties.

Houston Legal Aid Center may collect and may make use of personal information to assist in

the operation of our website and to ensure delivery of the services you need and request. At

times, we may find it necessary to use personally identifiable information as a means to keep

you informed of other possible products and/or services that may be available to you from

www.houstonlegalaid.org

Houston Legal Aid Center may also be in contact with you with regards to completing surveys

and/or research questionnaires related to your opinion of current or potential future services

that may be offered.

Houston Legal Aid Center uses various third-party social media features including but not

limited to Facebook, Instagram, and other interactive programs. These may collect your IP

address and require cookies to work properly. These services are governed by the privacy

policies of the providers and are not within Houston Legal Aid Center’s control.

Disclosure of Information

Houston Legal Aid Center may not use or disclose the information provided by you except

under the following circumstances:

As necessary to provide services or products you have ordered;
In other ways described in this Policy or to which you have otherwise consented;
In the aggregate with other information in such a way so that your identity cannot reasonably be determined;
As required by law, or in response to a subpoena or search warrant;
To outside auditors who have agreed to keep the information confidential;
As necessary to enforce the Terms of Service;
As necessary to maintain, safeguard and preserve all the rights and property of Houston Legal Aid Center.

We will not sell or otherwise provide the information we collect to outside third parties for

the purpose of direct or indirect mass email marketing. We will disclose personal information

and/or an IP address, when required by law or in the good-faith belief that such action is

necessary to:

Protect and defend the rights or property of our website and related properties
Identify persons who may be violating the law, the rights of third parties, or otherwise misusing our website or its related properties

Please keep in mind that whenever you voluntarily disclose personal information online –

for example through e-mail, discussion boards, or elsewhere – that information can be collected

and used by others. In short, if you post personal information online that is accessible to the

public, you may receive unsolicited messages from other parties in return. Ultimately, you are solely

responsible for maintaining the secrecy of your personal information. Please be careful and responsible

whenever you are online.

Non-Marketing Purposes

Houston Legal Aid Center greatly respects your privacy. We do maintain and reserve the right

to contact you if needed for non-marketing purposes (such as bug alerts, security breaches,

account issues, and/or changes in Houston Legal Aid Center products and services). In certain

circumstances, we may use our website, newspapers, or other public means to post a notice.

Children under the age of 13

Houston Legal Aid Center’s website is not directed to, and does not knowingly collect personal

identifiable information from, children under the age of thirteen (13). If it is determined that

such information has been inadvertently collected on anyone under the age of thirteen (13), we

shall immediately take the necessary steps to ensure that such information is deleted from our

system’s database, or in the alternative, that verifiable parental consent is obtained for the use

and storage of such information. Anyone under the age of thirteen (13) must seek and obtain

parent or guardian permission to use this website.

Unsubscribe or Opt-Out

All users and visitors to our website have the option to discontinue receiving communications

from us by way of email or newsletters. To discontinue or unsubscribe from our website please

send an email to info@houstonlegalaid.org. If you wish to unsubscribe or opt-out from any

third-party websites, you must go to that specific website to unsubscribe or opt-out. Houston

Legal Aid Center will continue to adhere to this Policy with respect to any personal information

previously collected.

Links to Other Websites

Our website does contain links to affiliate and other websites. Houston Legal Aid Center does

not claim nor accept responsibility for any privacy policies, practices and/or procedures of

other such websites. Therefore, we encourage all users and visitors to be aware when they

leave our website and to read the privacy statements of every website that collects personally

identifiable information. This Privacy Policy Agreement applies only and solely to the

information collected by our website.

Notice to European Union Users

Houston Legal Aid Center’s operations are located primarily in the United States. If you

provide information to us, the information will be transferred out of the European Union (EU)

and sent to the United States. (The adequacy decision on the EU-US Privacy became

operational on August 1, 2016. This framework protects the fundamental rights of anyone in

the EU whose personal data is transferred to the United States for commercial purposes. It

allows the free transfer of data to companies that are certified in the US under the Privacy

Shield.) By providing personal information to us, you are consenting to its storage and use as

described in this Policy.

Security

Houston Legal Aid Center takes precautions to protect your information. When you submit

sensitive information via the website, your information is protected both online and offline.

Wherever we collect sensitive information (e.g. credit card information), that information is

encrypted and transmitted to us in a secure way. You can verify this by looking for a lock icon

in the address bar and looking for “https” at the beginning of the address of the webpage.

While we use encryption to protect sensitive information transmitted online, we also protect

your information offline. Only employees who need the information to perform a specific job

(for example, billing or customer service) are granted access to personally identifiable

information. The computers and servers in which we store personally identifiable information

are kept in a secure environment. This is all done to prevent any loss, misuse, unauthorized

access, disclosure or modification of the user’s personal information under our control.

The company also uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) for authentication and private

communications to build users’ trust and confidence in the internet and website use by

providing simple and secure access and communication of credit card and personal

information.

Acceptance of Terms

By using this website, you are hereby accepting the terms and conditions stipulated within the

you should refrain from further use of our sites. In addition, your continued use of our website

following the posting of any updates or changes to our terms and conditions shall mean that

you agree and acceptance of such changes.

Disclaimer

The information on this website for Houston Legal Aid Center is for general informational

purposes only. Nothing on this site should be taken as legal advice for any individual case

or situation. This information is not intended to create, and receipt or viewing does not constitute,

an attorney-client relationship.

Unless otherwise indicated in individual attorney biographies, lawyers are not certified by the

Texas Board of Legal Specialization. Texas Disciplinary Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.04(b)(3).

We may collect non-personal information, such as a domain name and IP Address. The domain

name and IP address reveals nothing personal about you other than the IP address from which

you have accessed our site. We may also collect information about the type of Internet browser

you are using, operating system, what brought you to our website, as well as which of our web

pages you have accessed. Additionally, if you communicate with us regarding our website or our

services, we will collect any information that you provide to us in any such communication.

We may contact you via email, phone or text in the future to tell you about specials, new products

or services, or changes to this privacy policy.

How to Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the Privacy Policy Agreement related to our

website, please feel free to contact us at the following email, telephone number or mailing

address.

Email: info@houstonlegalaid.org

Telephone Number: (713) 283-8819

Mailing Address:

Houston Legal Aid Center

P.O. Box 2738

Cypress, Texas 77410

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