Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how we ("we," "us," or "our") collect, use, disclose, and protect your personal information when you use our child support calculator service (the "Service"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data transparently and securely.

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with our policies and practices, do not use the Service.

Important: This Service is designed for use by individuals in the United States. If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

Calculator Inputs

When you use our child support calculators, you provide financial and family information, which may include:

• Income information (gross income, deductions, self-employment income)
• Employment details (employer name, pay frequency)
• Custody arrangements (parenting time percentages, overnight counts)
• Number of children and their ages
• Health insurance costs and coverage details
• Childcare expenses
• Other child support obligations
• State of residence

Anonymous Usage: Calculator inputs are processed in real-time to generate estimates. If you do not submit a lead form, your calculator inputs are not permanently stored and are not linked to your identity.

Lead Form Information

If you choose to connect with a legal professional through our Service, we collect:

• Full name
• Email address
• Phone number
• Postal code / ZIP code
• Optional message or case details
• State where you used the calculator
• Complexity factors that triggered the referral opportunity

Calculation Snapshots

When you submit a lead form, we may store a snapshot of your calculation inputs and results to:

• Provide context to law firm partners
• Assess lead quality and case complexity
• Improve our calculators and services

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

Usage Data

We automatically collect certain information when you access the Service, including:

• IP address
• Browser type and version
• Device type and operating system
• Pages visited and time spent on pages
• Referring website or source
• Date and time of access
• State calculator accessed

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

We use cookies and similar tracking technologies to enhance your experience and analyze Service usage:

• Essential Cookies: Required for the Service to function (e.g., session management, security)
• Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors use the Service (Google Analytics 4, Vercel Analytics)
• Performance Cookies: Monitor Service performance and speed (Vercel Speed Insights)

You can control cookies through your browser settings. However, disabling essential cookies may affect Service functionality.

Bot Protection Data

We use hCaptcha to protect against automated abuse. hCaptcha collects hardware and software information (e.g., device data, browser data) and sends it to hCaptcha for analysis. See the hCaptcha Privacy Policy for details.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

3.1 To Provide the Service

• Process calculator inputs and generate child support estimates
• Display step-by-step calculation breakdowns
• Identify case complexity factors
• Provide state-specific guidance and information

3.2 To Connect You with Legal Professionals

• Share your contact information and case details with vetted law firm partners
• Send you confirmation emails when you submit a lead form
• Notify law firms of new lead opportunities
• Facilitate attorney-client connections

3.3 To Improve and Analyze the Service

• Analyze usage patterns and trends
• Monitor Service performance and reliability
• Identify and fix technical issues
• Improve calculator accuracy and user experience
• Develop new features and services

3.4 For Security and Fraud Prevention

• Detect and prevent fraudulent activity
• Protect against automated abuse (bots, scrapers)
• Enforce our Terms of Service
• Comply with legal obligations

3.5 For Communications

• Send transactional emails (lead confirmations, service updates)
• Respond to your inquiries and support requests
• Notify you of changes to our policies or Service

4. How We Share Your Information

4.1 Law Firm Partners (Lead Sharing)

This is our primary business model. When you submit a lead form requesting to connect with a legal professional, we share your information with vetted law firm partners who practice family law in your state and geographic area.

Information Shared:

• Your name, email, phone number, and postal code
• Your message or case details (if provided)
• State where you used the calculator
• Complexity factors identified by the calculator
• Calculation snapshot (inputs and results)

Important: Once we share your information with a law firm, that firm's use of your information is governed by their own privacy policy. We are not responsible for how law firms use or protect your information after it is shared.

Referral Fees: We may receive referral fees from law firms when they engage you as a client. This does not affect the cost of legal services to you.

4.2 Service Providers

We share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf:

• Google Analytics: Website analytics and usage tracking
• Vercel: Hosting, analytics, and performance monitoring
• Resend: Transactional email delivery
• hCaptcha: Bot protection and security
• Upstash Redis: Rate limiting and abuse prevention
• Neon/PostgreSQL: Database hosting and storage
• Sentry: Error tracking and monitoring

These service providers are contractually obligated to use your information only to provide services to us and to protect your information.

4.3 White-Label Partners

We offer white-label versions of our Service to law firms and legal service providers. When you use a white-label version (identified by a custom domain or subdomain), your information is shared with the white-label partner who operates that version of the Service.

4.4 Legal Requirements and Protection

We may disclose your information if required to do so by law or in response to:

• Valid legal process (subpoenas, court orders, warrants)
• Government or regulatory requests
• Requests to protect our rights, property, or safety
• Requests to protect the rights, property, or safety of others
• Investigations of fraud or security issues

4.5 Business Transfers

If we are involved in a merger, acquisition, sale of assets, or bankruptcy, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email and/or prominent notice on the Service of any change in ownership or use of your information.

4.6 Aggregated and De-Identified Data

We may share aggregated, de-identified, or anonymized data that cannot reasonably be used to identify you. For example, we may share statistics about calculator usage, average child support amounts by state, or trends in case complexity.

5. Data Retention

5.1 Calculator Inputs (No Lead Form)

If you use the calculator without submitting a lead form, your inputs are processed in real-time and are not permanently stored. Session data may be temporarily cached for performance but is not linked to your identity.

5.2 Lead Information

When you submit a lead form, we retain your information for:

• Active Leads: Until the lead is marked as sold, expired, or invalid
• Sold Leads: Up to 7 years for business records and legal compliance
• Expired/Invalid Leads: Up to 2 years, then deleted or anonymized

5.3 Analytics and Usage Data

Analytics data is retained according to our service providers' retention policies:

• Google Analytics: 14 months (configurable)
• Vercel Analytics: 90 days
• Server Logs: 30 days

5.4 Deletion Requests

If you request deletion of your information (see Section 8), we will delete or anonymize your data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain it for legal or regulatory compliance.

6. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical, administrative, and physical security measures to protect your information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include:

• Encryption: Data in transit is encrypted using TLS/SSL; sensitive data at rest is encrypted
• Access Controls: Role-based access controls limit who can access your information
• Authentication: Admin accounts use strong password requirements and secure authentication
• Monitoring: We monitor for security incidents and unauthorized access
• Rate Limiting: Protection against brute force attacks and abuse
• Bot Protection: hCaptcha prevents automated data harvesting

Important: No method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You use the Service at your own risk.

7. Third-Party Links and Services

The Service may contain links to third-party websites, including law firm websites, state government resources, and legal information sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these third-party sites.

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party sites you visit. This Privacy Policy applies only to information collected by our Service.

8. Your Privacy Rights

8.1 General Rights (All Users)

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Opt-Out: Opt out of marketing communications (we currently do not send marketing emails)

8.2 California Residents (CCPA/CPRA Rights)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA):

• Right to Know: Request details about the categories and specific pieces of personal information we collect, use, and disclose
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of your personal information
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale/Sharing: Opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of your personal information
• Right to Correct: Request correction of inaccurate personal information
• Right to Limit Use of Sensitive Personal Information: Limit our use of sensitive personal information
• Right to Non-Discrimination: Not be discriminated against for exercising your privacy rights

CCPA Notice: We may "sell" or "share" personal information as defined by the CCPA when we share lead information with law firm partners. You can opt out by not submitting a lead form or by contacting us to request deletion of previously submitted information.

Categories of Personal Information Collected (CCPA):

• Identifiers (name, email, phone, IP address)
• Commercial information (lead status, calculation data)
• Internet activity (usage data, browsing history on our Service)
• Geolocation data (postal code, state)
• Inferences (case complexity, lead quality scores)

8.3 Other State Privacy Rights

Residents of Virginia (VCDPA), Colorado (CPA), Connecticut (CTDPA), Utah (UCPA), and other states with comprehensive privacy laws have similar rights to access, correct, delete, and opt out of certain data processing activities.

8.4 European Residents (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including:

• Right of access, rectification, erasure, and restriction of processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing
• Right to withdraw consent
• Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR): We process your information based on:

• Consent: When you submit a lead form
• Legitimate Interests: To operate and improve the Service, prevent fraud
• Legal Obligations: To comply with applicable laws

8.5 How to Exercise Your Rights

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at:

• Email: TODO_PRIVACY_EMAIL
• Subject Line: "Privacy Rights Request"

Please include:

• Your full name and email address
• Description of your request
• State of residence (for state-specific rights)
• Verification information (we may ask for additional information to verify your identity)

We will respond to verified requests within 30-45 days (depending on applicable law). We do not charge a fee to process or respond to your request unless it is excessive, repetitive, or manifestly unfounded.

9. Children's Privacy

The Service is not intended for use by individuals under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 18. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us immediately, and we will delete such information.

10. International Users

The Service is operated in the United States and is intended for users in the United States. If you are accessing the Service from outside the United States, please be aware that:

• Your information will be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States
• US privacy laws may differ from the laws of your country
• By using the Service, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. When we make changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Post the updated policy on this page
• Notify you via email (if you provided an email address) for material changes
• Display a prominent notice on the Service for material changes

Your continued use of the Service after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

We will respond to your inquiry within a reasonable timeframe, typically within 5-10 business days.

13. California "Shine the Light" Law

California Civil Code Section 1798.83 permits California residents to request information about our disclosure of personal information to third parties for their direct marketing purposes. We do not currently share personal information with third parties for their direct marketing purposes. If our practices change, we will update this policy and provide an opt-out mechanism.

14. Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers support a "Do Not Track" (DNT) feature that signals to websites that you do not want your online activities tracked. The Service does not currently respond to DNT signals because there is no industry standard for how to interpret and respond to such signals.