Sorry, this is very long. I didn't want to dripfeed. Looking for some advice on a possible data breach by a solicitor- I'm in Scotland.
I have been identified as a connected person in an action for damages.
I have been completely estranged from the entire side of the family that the action relates to for over 30 years (since I was a young child). My name was changed and we moved due to safety. I have no doubt that I would have suffered physically and mentally if the estrangment hadn't happened - what i saw as a child still causes distress. I've had to have therapy to help process it.
I've taken lots of steps over the years to ensure my anonymity from the wider family. My name has been changed 3 times since then, I live several hours away, I keep all social media completely locked down and don't allow people to share anything about me or my children - specifically to maintain the estrangement.
I was made aware that the action was happening and that members of the estranged family were trying to find me or get my contact details. They approached some cousins at their homes and workplaces, asking for my phone number and address. They refused, for obvious reasons.
To ensure there was no contact, I contacted their solicitor directly and made it clear I did not want to join the action Or have anything to do with it. I also discussed with him in detail that I was estranged from the entire family, why I was estranged and the importance of keeping my personal details from them. I was quite upset during the call and he seemed very kind, empathetic and understanding - he assured me that he would not share my contact details with anyone and that he would use a C/O address in any official documentation. This was months ago and there's been no further contact from the solicitor.
This week, I received a form 43.15 Form of notice of intimation to connected person in an action for damages.
This document lists me and two other people as connected parties. It lists my new surname and full address, it also lists their details.
The two named people were both involved in violent incidents which I witnessed.
I called the solicitor to confirm whether thise 2 people received the same documentation as me with my personal details listed - he confirmed that they did. He had been informed by his clients that I had a relationship with these people.
He stated that the information had to be on there legally. Had I been aware of this possibility or even this part of the process, I would have got my own legal advice.
I am hugely distressed that they now know who I am and where I live. I dont know enough about their current personalities to know if they might act on the information or share it with others - but it is a possibility.
I don't think there is anything I can do now - they have my details.
But I'd really like to understand if this breaches my data privacy or protection rights in any way?
I'm going to formally complain to the solicitors firm (a no win, no fee type firm) so that I have a written record but I'm not sure if they have done anything wrong or if I could ever have prevented this from happening.
Does anyone have knowledge of a situation like this and know if there is anything I should be flagging to the solicitor?
From a completely non-legal standpoint, it feels so incredibly unfair that decades of anonymity can be destroyed just because someone decided to sue someone!