1. Scope and Legal Context
Paper Monkey handles personal information provided by clients and information about other people identified in legal documents or related service instructions.
We use that information to provide requested legal-support services, maintain related records, and meet applicable legal obligations.
This policy also covers information collected through our website and communications with us. It does not cover websites operated by others.
2. Categories of Personal Information Collected
We collect only information reasonably necessary to perform requested services, comply with legal obligations, and maintain operational integrity. Depending on your interaction with us, this may include:
A. Identifiers
- Name
- Address
- Email address
- Telephone number
- IP address
- Identifiers used for sign-in sessions
B. Billing Information
- Billing contact and address
- Invoice, amount, payment-status, and payment-history records
C. Case-Related Information
- Legal pleadings and court documents
- Case numbers
- Court jurisdiction details
- Identifying information of individuals involved in legal matters
- Government-issued identification numbers (including Social Security numbers) when necessary for the assignment and contained in case materials provided by the client
D. Internet / Technical Information
- Browser and device information supplied by your browser
- Dates and times of access
E. Communications
- Emails
- Text messages
- Telephone communications
- Service instructions
- Order confirmations
3. Information About Other People
We handle personal information about people involved in an assignment, including:
- Defendants
- Respondents
- Witnesses
- Co-residents
- Incarcerated individuals
- Subjects of skip tracing
We use this information to perform requested legal-support services, maintain related records, and meet applicable legal obligations. We do not collect it for marketing or commercial profiling.
Information may come from clients, court records, public and other lawful sources, and observations made during the assignment. It may be incomplete or out of date. We consider its source, date, and relevance when deciding what further checks the assignment requires.
4. Public Records and Lawful Sources
We may obtain personal information from:
- Court filings
- Government records
- Property records
- Publicly available databases
- Other lawful sources
We access and use this information only for service-related purposes, subject to applicable access and use restrictions.
5. How We Use Personal Information
We use personal information as reasonably necessary to:
- Review and carry out requested legal-support services
- Communicate about requests and ongoing work
- Prepare and maintain service records
- Handle billing and financial records
- Protect people and information, and prevent or investigate fraud and security incidents
- Meet applicable legal obligations, including court requirements
We use software to support tasks such as calculations and document handling. Paper Monkey staff remain responsible for accepting assignments, reviewing charges, and deciding how to carry out the work.
6. No Consumer Eligibility Screening
Paper Monkey Legal Services provides process serving and related legal-support services. We do not provide reports or screening services to determine eligibility for:
- Credit
- Employment
- Insurance
- Housing
- Government benefits
- Any similar consumer eligibility decision
7. Sale or Sharing of Personal Information
We do not sell personal information.
We do not share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising.
8. Disclosure of Personal Information
We disclose personal information only as reasonably necessary and lawful.
We may provide legal papers, service records, or assignment updates to clients, their authorized representatives, courts, and recipients of service, as appropriate to the assignment. Information supplied for the server only is not included in the materials served.
A. Service Providers and Contractors
Including:
- Independent process servers
- Investigators
- Financial institutions or payment processors when a separately authorized payment is used
- IT and hosting providers
Access is limited to the information reasonably needed for the assigned function, subject to applicable agreements and law.
B. Legal Compliance
We may disclose information in response to:
- Subpoenas
- Court orders
- Lawful governmental demands
- Statutory obligations
Where lawful and practicable, we may attempt to notify affected clients prior to disclosure.
C. Enforcement and Protection
We may disclose personal information to:
- Enforce agreements
- Prevent fraud
- Protect safety
- Defend against legal claims
D. Billing and Payment Matters
We may share billing and payment information with financial institutions or payment processors as reasonably necessary for separately authorized payments or billing disputes.
9. Field Documentation and Recording
Depending on the assignment, field documentation actually collected by Paper Monkey may include:
- Written observations and attempt notes
- Time or location information recorded for the assignment
- Exterior photographs or audio/video from available equipment, when lawful and appropriate
No particular recording, photograph, or location tool is promised or used on every assignment. Audio/video recording is not the default.
Any recording occurs only when the equipment is available and the recording is lawful, appropriate to the assignment, and permitted by any applicable court directive, facility rule, and safety requirement. Required notice or consent must be addressed before recording.
Any release or disclosure of field documentation is limited to lawful purposes and may be redacted as legally appropriate.
We do not collect biometric identifiers such as fingerprint templates, facial recognition templates, or voiceprints.
10. Data Minimization
We collect and process only the personal information reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy.
We do not intentionally collect excessive or unrelated personal information.
11. Data Retention and Disposal
How long we keep a record depends on its purpose and any need or obligation to preserve it.
We keep declarations and core service records indefinitely. Full client document packets come up for review three years after an order closes. They are not automatically deleted; we check ongoing work, disputes, and retention obligations before deciding whether material can be removed.
If an inquiry does not become an order, we review it after a year of inactivity. We delete it only when it is no longer needed and no ongoing work, dispute, or retention obligation requires us to keep it.
We review routine login and security logs after 90 days. We delete them only when they are no longer needed to investigate an incident, resolve a dispute, or meet a retention obligation.
We keep customer contact details, billing history, and other business records indefinitely. We delete them only after a deliberate review confirms they are no longer needed and no retention obligation requires us to keep them.
The private link sent with your order expires 90 days after the order closes. Link expiry does not delete the records we retain.
Archiving a record does not delete it. Permanent deletion requires a separate, deliberate decision after checking for ongoing work, disputes, or other reasons the record must be kept.
12. Security Safeguards
We use encrypted website connections, staff sign-in, and access controls to help protect your information. Private order links show limited order information and can expire or be disabled. No system can guarantee absolute security.
Google Drive backups
PMY Legal Backups is an owner-only connection for protecting business records. Customers do not need to connect a Google account. When enabled, it uses the owner's Google account identifier and email address to confirm the backup account, and stores encrypted authorization credentials so backups can continue without an open browser.
The connection accesses only Drive files created through the app or specifically made available to it. Google receives encrypted backup files and the file information needed to store and retrieve them. We keep connection and backup records for operation, security and recovery. We do not sell this information or use it for advertising.
The owner can remove the app's permission through Google Account settings. Removing permission does not itself erase existing backups or records. Deletion requests remain subject to applicable retention requirements and holds described in this policy.
13. Security Incidents and Required Notice
We review suspected security incidents involving information we hold and take reasonable steps to limit harm. We provide notices when and as required by law.
14. Privacy Rights
Depending on applicable law, you may have rights to access your personal information, request correction or deletion, receive a portable copy, and exercise your privacy rights without unlawful discrimination. You can also ask us to stop any marketing communications.
Send privacy requests to Service@PaperMonkeyLegal.com or call (509) 339-9881. We review requests individually and may need to verify your identity or a representative’s authority before providing, correcting, or deleting personal information.
We respond under applicable law, including its deadlines and exceptions. Our review considers other people’s privacy and any legal need to preserve records or evidence. Submitting a request does not automatically change or delete a record.
15. California Residents (CCPA / CPRA)
Where the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), applies to our handling of a California resident’s personal information, its protections include rights to:
- Know what personal information was collected, its sources, the purposes for using it, and the categories of recipients to whom it was disclosed.
- Request correction or deletion, subject to applicable exceptions.
- Opt out of the sale of personal information or its sharing for cross-context behavioral advertising, where applicable.
- Limit the use and disclosure of sensitive personal information to purposes permitted by the CCPA, where applicable.
- Exercise these rights without unlawful discrimination.
To submit a request, use the contact information in section 14. We handle requests under the requirements, deadlines, and exceptions that apply to each request.
16. Children’s Privacy
Our Site and direct customer intake are not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly solicit personal information directly from them.
Legal papers and case-related materials provided by adult customers, courts, attorneys, or other authorized parties may nevertheless contain information about minors. We handle that information only to provide the requested legal-support service and under the same access, retention, security, and disclosure controls described in this policy.
17. Cross-Border Transfers
If you access our Site from outside the United States, your information may be transferred to and processed in the United States.
18. Relationship to Terms of Use
The Privacy Policy describes how we handle personal information and forms part of the Terms of Use. If the two documents conflict about our handling of personal information, the Privacy Policy controls. Neither document overrides applicable law or limits rights that cannot lawfully be waived.
19. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy. We will post the revised policy here with an updated effective date.
We will provide any additional notice and obtain any consent required by applicable law before applying a change. Posting a revised policy does not by itself permit new uses of previously collected information that conflict with the privacy commitments made when it was collected.
20. Contact Information
Paper Monkey Legal Services
A branch of Paper Monkey Small Business Systems.
PO Box 245
Palouse, Washington 99161
Service@PaperMonkeyLegal.com