WEBSITE TERMS, CONDITIONS, AND PRIVACY POLICY
Effective Date: July 14, 2026
This Website Terms, Conditions, and Privacy Policy (“Policy”) governs your access to and use of recovery-law.com and any webpages, forms, features, content, or services made available through that website (collectively, the “Site”).
The Site is owned and operated by Law Office of Matthew L. Johnston, PC, a California professional corporation (“Firm,” “we,” “us,” or “our”).
By accessing or using the Site, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to this Policy. If you do not agree, you should not use the Site.
PART I
WEBSITE TERMS AND CONDITIONS
The materials available through the Site are provided for general informational and educational purposes only. They are not intended to constitute, and should not be relied upon as, legal advice concerning any specific person, entity, transaction, dispute, or factual situation.
Legal rules and their interpretation may change over time and may vary depending on the applicable jurisdiction and particular facts. You should not act or refrain from acting based solely upon information appearing on the Site.
Nothing on the Site constitutes a guarantee, prediction, or assurance regarding the outcome of any legal matter.
Accessing the Site, reviewing Site content, submitting an online form, sending an email, scheduling a consultation, leaving a voicemail, communicating by text message, or otherwise contacting the Firm does not, by itself, create an attorney-client relationship.
An attorney-client relationship is formed only after the Firm has completed any necessary conflict review, expressly agreed to provide legal services, and the Firm and client have entered into an applicable written engagement agreement.
The Firm is not obligated to accept any matter or provide representation merely because information has been submitted through the Site.
Until the Firm confirms in writing that it represents you, you should not assume that the Firm is protecting your interests, monitoring legal deadlines, preserving claims, or taking action on your behalf.
The Firm handles information received from prospective and existing clients in accordance with applicable law and professional obligations. However, ordinary website forms, email, voicemail, and standard text messaging may not be completely secure.
You should not submit highly sensitive information through the Site unless the Firm specifically instructs you to do so through a secure method.
Highly sensitive information may include Social Security numbers, financial account credentials, complete medical records, trade secrets, privileged documents, government identification numbers, or information concerning an imminent legal deadline.
Submitting information does not prevent the Firm from representing another person or entity in the same or a related matter unless applicable law or professional obligations provide otherwise.
The Firm may need to complete a conflict review before discussing the substance of a potential matter.
Communications submitted through the Site are not continuously monitored and should not be used for emergencies or time-sensitive matters.
Submitting a message does not constitute service of process, legal notice, filing, preservation of a claim, initiation of representation, or compliance with any statute of limitations, court deadline, administrative deadline, contractual notice requirement, or other legal obligation.
If you are facing an immediate deadline, emergency, or threat to your safety, you should contact the appropriate court, agency, emergency service, or independently retained attorney.
The Site may constitute attorney advertising under applicable law.
Any descriptions of the Firm’s experience, representative matters, practice areas, prior results, testimonials, endorsements, or client experiences are provided for informational purposes only.
Prior results do not guarantee or predict a similar outcome in any future matter.
The Firm does not claim to be a certified specialist in any area of law unless that designation is expressly stated and authorized by the appropriate certifying authority.
Matthew L. Johnston is licensed to practice law in California.
Unless expressly stated otherwise in a written engagement agreement, the Firm’s legal services are limited to matters involving California law or matters for which the Firm is otherwise authorized to provide services.
The Site is not intended to solicit legal employment in any jurisdiction where the Firm’s activities would violate applicable professional rules or licensing requirements.
Accessing the Site from another jurisdiction does not establish that the Firm is authorized to practice law in that jurisdiction.
The Firm attempts to provide useful and accurate information but does not represent or warrant that Site content is complete, current, error-free, or applicable to any particular situation.
The Firm may change, update, remove, or discontinue any portion of the Site at any time without notice.
Content may become outdated after publication, and the Firm has no obligation to update previously published materials.
Any article, blog post, checklist, guide, video, or other educational material should be understood in the context of its publication date.
Subject to this Policy, the Firm grants you a limited, revocable, nonexclusive, and nontransferable license to access and use the Site for personal or internal business informational purposes.
You may print or download a reasonable number of pages for those purposes, provided that you retain all copyright and proprietary notices and do not modify the material.
You may not:
Use the Site for an unlawful, fraudulent, deceptive, harassing, or abusive purpose.
Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Site, its servers, the Firm’s systems, the client portal, or another user’s information.
Interfere with the Site’s security, availability, operation, or performance.
Upload malicious software, code, viruses, or other harmful material.
Use automated tools to scrape, copy, harvest, index, or extract Site content or personal information without the Firm’s written permission.
Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity, authority, affiliation, or purpose.
Use Site content to train an artificial-intelligence system, create a competing legal product, or commercially redistribute the content without written authorization.
Use the Site to transmit spam, unsolicited advertising, or unlawful communications.
Unless otherwise indicated, the Site and its content, including text, graphics, logos, page designs, photographs, videos, downloadable materials, and other original content, are owned by or licensed to the Firm and are protected by applicable copyright, trademark, and other intellectual-property laws.
“Law Office of Matthew L. Johnston, PC,” “Recovery Law,” the Firm’s logos, and associated branding may not be used without prior written authorization.
No ownership rights are transferred to you through your use of the Site.
The Site may contain links to or integrations with third-party websites and services, including scheduling platforms, client-portal providers, payment processors, mapping services, analytics services, social-media platforms, Google reCAPTCHA, and other technology providers.
These third parties operate independently and may have their own terms and privacy practices.
The Firm does not control and is not responsible for the content, availability, security, accuracy, or practices of third-party services.
A link does not constitute an endorsement or guarantee of the third party.
The Firm may provide existing clients with access to a third-party client portal or case-management platform.
Portal access may be subject to additional provider terms, security requirements, and authentication procedures.
You are responsible for safeguarding your login credentials and for promptly notifying the Firm if you believe your account has been compromised.
The availability of a portal does not alter the terms of any written engagement agreement.
By contacting the Firm electronically, you consent to receive communications in response through email, telephone, voicemail, secure portal, text message, or another method reasonably related to your inquiry, subject to applicable law and your stated communication preferences.
Electronic communications may be delayed, intercepted, misdirected, corrupted, or accessed by unauthorized persons.
The Firm does not guarantee that ordinary email or text messaging is completely secure.
Existing clients should use the Firm’s secure client portal when requested to do so.
14.1 Program Description
The Firm may operate a text-messaging program through which prospective clients, clients, former clients, vendors, and other contacts may receive conversational or transactional messages.
Messages may concern:
Responses to inquiries.
Consultation scheduling and confirmations.
Appointment reminders.
Requests for information or documents.
Client-service and matter-related communications.
Notifications that information is available through a secure client portal.
Billing, payment, or administrative communications.
Office closures, scheduling changes, or other service-related notices.
The Firm will not send marketing text messages unless it has obtained any consent required for those messages.
14.2 Consent
You may consent to receive text messages by checking an SMS-consent box on a Firm form, expressly requesting text communication, initiating a text conversation with the Firm, or otherwise providing legally sufficient consent.
By opting in, you authorize the Firm and its communications-service providers to send text messages to the mobile number you provided.
Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of purchasing or receiving legal services.
Your consent applies only to communications from the Firm concerning the purposes disclosed when consent was obtained.
14.3 Message Frequency
Message frequency varies depending on your interactions with the Firm, your scheduled appointments, and whether you are a current client.
14.4 Charges
Message and data rates may apply.
Charges are determined by your wireless carrier and mobile-service plan.
The Firm is not responsible for charges imposed by your carrier.
14.5 Opting Out
You may opt out of text messages at any time by replying STOP.
The Firm may send one final confirmation message acknowledging your opt-out.
The Firm may also recognize other commonly accepted opt-out commands, including CANCEL, END, QUIT, or UNSUBSCRIBE.
After opting out, you may continue to receive communications through email, telephone, mail, the secure client portal, or another method permitted by law and any applicable engagement agreement.
To resume text messages, you may provide new consent or reply START when supported by the messaging platform.
14.6 Help
For assistance, reply HELP, call (855) 855-8200, or email mjohnston@recovery-law.com.
14.7 Number Reassignment
You represent that you are the subscriber or customary user of the mobile number you provide.
You agree to notify the Firm promptly if your number is changed, disconnected, or reassigned.
14.8 Delivery
Text-message delivery is subject to the availability and operation of wireless carriers and communications providers.
Delivery is not guaranteed, and carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages.
14.9 SMS Privacy
Mobile information, text-message opt-in information, and consent records will not be sold or shared with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes.
The Firm may disclose such information to service providers that assist the Firm in delivering communications, provided those providers are authorized to use it only to provide services to the Firm or as otherwise required by law.
14.10 Text Messaging Is Not a Secure Portal
Text messaging should not be used to transmit extensive confidential documents, account passwords, Social Security numbers, complete financial account information, or other highly sensitive information.
Text messages do not create an attorney-client relationship and do not modify an existing engagement agreement.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Site and its content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis.
The Firm disclaims all express and implied warranties concerning the Site, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, noninfringement, accuracy, availability, and security.
The Firm does not warrant that the Site will operate without interruption, that defects will be corrected, or that the Site or its servers will be free from harmful components.
This disclaimer applies only to the Site and does not limit any duty imposed upon the Firm in connection with an attorney-client relationship.
To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Firm and its shareholders, attorneys, employees, contractors, and service providers will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages arising from or related to your access to or use of the Site.
This limitation includes damages arising from reliance upon Site content, loss of data, interruption of access, third-party conduct, unauthorized access, or communications that are delayed or not received.
Nothing in this Policy limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited or any duty arising from an attorney-client relationship established through a separate written engagement agreement.
To the extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless the Firm and its attorneys, employees, contractors, and service providers from claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, losses, and reasonable costs arising from your unlawful misuse of the Site, your violation of this Policy, or your infringement of another person’s rights.
The Firm seeks to make the Site reasonably accessible.
If you experience difficulty accessing Site content, please contact the Firm at (855) 855-8200 or mjohnston@recovery-law.com so that reasonable assistance or an alternative format may be considered.
This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.
Any dispute arising solely from use of the Site shall be brought in a state or federal court having jurisdiction in San Diego County, California, unless applicable law requires another forum.
This section does not govern disputes arising from legal services provided under a separate engagement agreement.
If any provision of this Policy is determined to be unlawful, invalid, or unenforceable, that provision will be enforced to the greatest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions will remain in effect.
The Firm’s failure to enforce any provision of this Policy does not constitute a waiver of that provision or any other right.
This Policy constitutes the entire agreement concerning your use of the Site.
It does not replace or modify any written attorney-client engagement agreement.
PART II
PRIVACY POLICY
The Firm respects your privacy.
This Privacy Policy explains how the Firm collects, uses, retains, discloses, and protects information in connection with the Site and related digital services.
This Privacy Policy applies to visitors, prospective clients, existing clients, former clients, vendors, and other individuals who interact with the Firm through the Site, email, telephone, text messaging, online scheduling, a client portal, or related services.
Depending on how you interact with the Firm, we may collect:
Identifiers and contact information.
Professional or business information.
Communications and documents you provide.
Appointment and scheduling information.
Internet, browser, and device information.
Approximate location information.
Information concerning a potential or existing legal matter.
The Firm collects this information to respond to inquiries, evaluate requests for legal services, conduct conflict checks, schedule consultations, communicate with prospective and existing clients, provide legal and administrative services, maintain security, comply with legal and professional obligations, operate the Site, and improve services.
The Firm may disclose information to service providers that assist with website hosting, email, text messaging, scheduling, client portals, case management, document storage, analytics, security, payments, and related business operations.
The Firm does not sell personal information for monetary compensation.
Mobile information, text-message opt-in information, and consent records are not sold or shared with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes.
This Privacy Policy applies to information collected through:
The Site.
Contact and consultation-request forms.
Email communications.
Telephone and voicemail communications.
Text or multimedia messages.
Online scheduling services.
Client portals and case-management systems.
Document-upload systems.
Cookies, analytics tools, and similar technologies.
This Privacy Policy does not govern the independent privacy practices of third-party websites or services accessed through an external link.
Submitting information through the Site does not, by itself, create an attorney-client relationship.
Information received from a prospective or existing client may also be subject to duties imposed by applicable law, rules of professional conduct, attorney-client privilege, the attorney work-product doctrine, a written engagement agreement, or other legal protections.
Where those obligations provide greater protection than this Privacy Policy, the Firm will comply with the applicable professional or legal obligation.
You should avoid sending highly sensitive or extensive confidential information through an ordinary website form, email, or text message unless the Firm instructs you to use that method.
27.1 Information You Provide Directly
The Firm may collect information that you voluntarily provide, including:
Your name.
Email address.
Telephone or mobile number.
Mailing or business address.
Company, employer, professional license, or job-title information.
Information about your legal needs, business, transaction, dispute, or potential matter.
Names of individuals or entities relevant to a conflict review.
Appointment requests and scheduling preferences.
Communications you send to the Firm.
Documents, photographs, recordings, or other files you upload.
Billing, payment, or transaction information.
Communication preferences and SMS consent records.
Information necessary to verify a privacy request.
Other information you elect to provide.
Information submitted in connection with a potential legal matter may contain sensitive information, including financial information, health information, government identifiers, employment information, litigation information, or the contents of private communications.
27.2 Information Collected Automatically
When you use the Site, the Firm or its service providers may automatically collect:
Internet Protocol address.
Browser type and version.
Device type and operating system.
Internet-service provider.
Pages viewed and links selected.
Date and time of access.
Referring and exit pages.
Approximate geographic location derived from an IP address.
Cookie identifiers and similar technical information.
Information concerning Site performance, errors, and security events.
27.3 Information From Other Sources
The Firm may receive information from:
Referral sources.
Existing or former clients.
Attorneys, accountants, consultants, or other professionals.
Online scheduling, client-portal, communications, and payment providers.
Public records and governmental sources.
Publicly available websites or professional directories.
Other parties involved in a transaction, dispute, or legal matter.
The Firm may use personal information to:
Respond to inquiries and requests.
Determine whether the Firm can consider a potential engagement.
Conduct conflict checks.
Schedule and manage consultations, meetings, and appointments.
Provide legal services to clients.
Communicate concerning an inquiry, appointment, legal matter, invoice, or Firm service.
Send requested information, documents, or portal notifications.
Authenticate users and maintain account security.
Process payments and maintain financial records.
Administer client files and business records.
Operate, maintain, troubleshoot, and secure the Site.
Understand Site usage and improve Site functionality.
Prevent fraud, misuse, unauthorized access, and security incidents.
Comply with court orders, subpoenas, professional obligations, tax requirements, recordkeeping obligations, and other laws.
Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
Enforce agreements and policies.
Protect the rights, safety, and property of the Firm, its clients, and others.
Send marketing or informational communications where permitted by law and consistent with your preferences.
The Firm may use information for another purpose disclosed when it is collected or with your authorization.
The Site may use cookies, pixels, tags, scripts, local storage, analytics tools, and similar technologies.
These technologies may be used to:
Enable essential Site functionality.
Remember preferences.
Maintain security.
Identify and diagnose technical problems.
Understand how visitors use the Site.
Measure traffic and Site performance.
Evaluate the effectiveness of outreach or advertising.
You may be able to accept or reject nonessential cookies through the Site’s cookie banner.
You may also adjust browser settings to limit or delete cookies.
Disabling cookies may affect Site functionality.
The Firm may use third-party analytics providers to understand Site usage and improve performance.
These providers may collect device, browser, cookie, and usage information under their own privacy policies.
The Firm does not sell personal information for monetary compensation.
Some state privacy laws may characterize certain disclosures involving advertising cookies or cross-site tracking as “sharing,” “targeted advertising,” or a “sale,” even where no money is exchanged.
Where those laws apply and the Firm engages in those practices, the Firm will provide legally required choices through cookie controls or another appropriate mechanism.
The Firm does not use mobile information, text-message opt-in data, or SMS consent records for third-party or cross-context behavioral advertising.
31.1 Service Providers
The Firm may use service providers for:
Website hosting and maintenance.
Email and telephone systems.
SMS and communications services.
Online appointment scheduling.
Client portals and case management.
Cloud storage and document management.
Payment processing.
Accounting and billing.
Analytics and Site performance.
Cybersecurity, fraud prevention, and technical support.
Professional support and records management.
These providers may access information only as reasonably necessary to perform services for the Firm, subject to applicable contractual and legal restrictions.
31.2 Professional Advisers and Legal Personnel
The Firm may disclose information to attorneys, co-counsel, experts, consultants, accountants, insurers, investigators, vendors, or other professionals when reasonably necessary to evaluate or perform services, manage risk, or protect legal interests.
Any disclosure of client information will remain subject to applicable professional obligations and the terms of the relevant engagement.
31.3 Legal and Regulatory Requirements
The Firm may disclose information when it reasonably believes disclosure is necessary to:
Comply with applicable law.
Respond to a subpoena, court order, warrant, or governmental request.
Comply with professional or regulatory obligations.
Protect the security or integrity of Firm systems.
Investigate suspected fraud, abuse, or unlawful activity.
Protect the rights, property, or safety of the Firm, its clients, or others.
Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims.
31.4 Business Transactions
If the Firm undergoes a merger, reorganization, restructuring, financing, transfer, or similar business transaction, information may be disclosed as reasonably necessary to evaluate or complete that transaction, subject to applicable professional and legal duties.
31.5 With Your Direction or Consent
The Firm may disclose information when you direct it to do so or provide consent.
When you opt in to text messages, the Firm may collect:
Your mobile telephone number.
The date, time, method, and source of your consent.
The content and timing of messages.
Delivery and error information.
Your communication preferences.
Opt-out and HELP requests.
The Firm uses this information to respond to inquiries, manage appointments, provide requested communications, communicate with clients, maintain consent records, and comply with messaging requirements.
Message frequency varies.
Message and data rates may apply.
You may opt out by replying STOP.
You may request assistance by replying HELP, calling (855) 855-8200, or emailing mjohnston@recovery-law.com.
Mobile information, text-message originator opt-in information, and consent records will not be sold or shared with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes.
The Firm may disclose mobile information to communications providers and other service providers that assist with sending or managing messages.
Those providers are authorized to use the information only to provide services to the Firm or comply with law.
Text messaging is not a secure document-delivery system.
Do not send highly sensitive information by text unless the Firm specifically instructs you to do so.
The Site may link to or use third-party scheduling, client-portal, case-management, payment, map, analytics, social-media, or security services.
When you interact with a third-party service, that provider may collect information directly from you under its own privacy policy.
You should review the provider’s terms and privacy disclosures.
The Firm is not responsible for the independent privacy practices of third-party websites or platforms.
Forms on the Site may use Google reCAPTCHA to reduce spam and automated abuse.
Information collected through reCAPTCHA is processed by Google in accordance with Google’s applicable privacy policy and terms.
The Firm retains personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Policy, including to:
Respond to and document inquiries.
Conduct and document conflict checks.
Provide legal services.
Maintain client and business records.
Comply with professional, legal, accounting, insurance, and tax obligations.
Resolve disputes and enforce agreements.
Maintain security and prevent fraud.
The applicable retention period depends upon the nature of the information, the relationship involved, legal obligations, professional responsibilities, and operational requirements.
Information concerning prospective-client inquiries may be retained to document the inquiry, maintain conflict records, protect legal interests, and comply with professional obligations even when the Firm does not accept the matter.
The Firm uses reasonable administrative, technical, and physical measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorized access, loss, misuse, alteration, or disclosure.
No website, database, email system, text-messaging service, or internet transmission can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
You provide information electronically at your own risk.
Existing clients should use the secure client portal or another secure transmission method when directed by the Firm.
37.1 Email Communications
You may unsubscribe from promotional emails by using the unsubscribe method included in the communication or by contacting the Firm.
The Firm may continue to send nonpromotional communications concerning an inquiry, appointment, legal matter, invoice, security issue, or existing relationship.
37.2 Text Messages
You may opt out of text messages by replying STOP.
Opting out of text messages does not prevent the Firm from contacting you through another lawful method.
37.3 Cookies
You may manage nonessential cookies through the cookie banner or your browser settings.
37.4 Updating Information
You may request that the Firm update certain contact information by using the contact information below.
Depending on where you reside, the nature of the relationship, and whether an applicable privacy law covers the Firm or the information involved, you may have the right to request:
Confirmation that the Firm processes your personal information.
Access to categories or specific pieces of personal information.
Information about the sources, purposes, and recipients of personal information.
Correction of inaccurate personal information.
Deletion of personal information.
A portable copy of certain personal information.
An opt-out from the sale or sharing of personal information.
An opt-out from targeted advertising or certain profiling.
Limitation of certain uses or disclosures of sensitive personal information.
An appeal of a decision concerning a privacy request.
Freedom from unlawful discrimination for exercising a privacy right.
These rights are subject to legal exceptions.
For example, the Firm may retain information needed to provide requested services, maintain conflict records, comply with professional duties, protect legal rights, prevent fraud, satisfy recordkeeping requirements, or comply with law.
The California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended, applies only to businesses meeting statutory criteria.
Nothing in this Policy is intended to represent that the Firm is subject to a law that does not otherwise apply.
Nevertheless, the Firm may consider reasonable privacy requests even when not legally required.
Privacy requests may be submitted by:
Email: mjohnston@recovery-law.com
Telephone: (855) 855-8200
Mail:
Law Office of Matthew L. Johnston, PC
501 West Broadway, Suite 800
San Diego, California 92101
Please describe the nature of your request and provide sufficient information for the Firm to identify the information involved.
The Firm may need to verify your identity before completing a request.
Information collected for verification will be used only for verification, security, fraud prevention, or compliance purposes.
An authorized agent may submit a request where permitted by law.
The Firm may require evidence of the agent’s authority and may ask you to verify your identity directly.
The Firm does not sell personal information for monetary compensation.
The Firm does not sell or share mobile information, SMS opt-in data, or consent records for third-party marketing or promotional purposes.
To the extent the Firm is subject to a law recognizing browser-based universal opt-out signals, including Global Privacy Control, and engages in a practice covered by such a signal, the Firm will process the signal as required by applicable law.
California Civil Code section 1798.83 may permit certain California residents to request information regarding disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct-marketing purposes.
The Firm does not disclose mobile information or SMS consent information to third parties for their own direct marketing.
Questions concerning this section may be directed to mjohnston@recovery-law.com.
Some browsers transmit “Do Not Track” signals.
Because there is not a universally accepted standard for responding to these signals, the Site may not respond to ordinary Do Not Track signals.
Where legally required, the Firm will process recognized universal opt-out mechanisms as described above.
The Site is intended for adults seeking legal or business information and is not directed to children under 13.
The Firm does not knowingly collect personal information directly from children under 13 through the Site.
If the Firm learns that a child under 13 submitted personal information without appropriate authorization, the Firm will take reasonable steps to delete it, subject to applicable legal obligations.
The Firm is located in the United States.
Information submitted through the Site may be processed and stored in the United States, where privacy laws may differ from those in another country.
The Site is principally directed toward persons seeking information concerning California legal services.
The Site may contain links to third-party websites.
This Privacy Policy does not apply to information collected by those third parties.
The Firm is not responsible for the privacy, security, or content of an external website.
The Firm may revise this Policy periodically to reflect changes in its practices, technology, services, or legal obligations.
An updated Policy will be posted on the Site with a revised effective date.
Your continued use of the Site after an updated Policy is posted constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy, except where additional consent is required by law.
Questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Policy may be directed to:
Law Office of Matthew L. Johnston, PC
501 West Broadway, Suite 800
San Diego, California 92101
Telephone: (855) 855-8200
Email: mjohnston@recovery-law.com
California State Bar No. 352454