Keeping everything forever creates work and risk rather than safety.
The law says personal data should be kept no longer than necessary, and every subject access request, breach and dispute is made worse by data you did not need to hold. But deleting the old material collides with real obligations, such as limitation periods, tax records, regulatory requirements and employment claims.
The answer is not hoarding or purging, it is deciding deliberately how long each type of data earns its keep, and being able to show the reasoning.
A retention schedule sets how long you keep each category of data and why.
We help with:
- retention schedules covering customer, employee and supplier data;
- the legal and commercial justification for each period;
- what deletion means across live systems, archives and backups;
- holds and exceptions where a dispute or investigation is live; and
- making the schedule operational rather than theoretical.
Retention quietly reduces every other data protection problem you have, such as having a smaller breach exposure, faster subject access responses and cleaner due diligence. It is also one of the most common gaps we find in a Data Protection Health Check, precisely because nobody owns it.
Our Approach
Legal advice that makes running and growing your business easier.
We start with your business, not the law.
Before we open a document, we want to understand what you are trying to do commercially. The legal answer is only useful if it serves that.
We get to the point.
You get a clear view of what matters and what does not, in plain English, with the real risks separated from the noise.
We give you an answer.
Not a menu of options and a shrug. We tell you what we would do, why, and where there is a genuine judgment call for you to make.
We stay available.
Whether you work with us on a single project or on a subscription, we are here for the follow-up question. We would always rather you asked.
Ways of working together
Fixed-fee projects
A single, defined piece of work for an agreed fixed fee, communicated before we engage. Reviewing a contract, drafting your terms, handling a negotiation.
No surprises and no hidden fees
Flagship Subscription
Ares Access
Ongoing support on a fixed monthly subscription, for businesses that need commercial legal input regularly rather than as the occasional one-off.
- Dedicated lawyer
- Fixed monthly fees
- Commercial advice on demand
From £500 plus VAT per month
Data Protection Health Check
No surprises and no hidden fees
Any questions?
Phone: 02382 420035
