Practice Areas

Privacy

When Privacy Becomes a Legal Matter

Privacy invasions take many forms: a neighbor recording conversations in your home, an ex-partner sharing intimate details publicly, a business using your likeness in advertisements without consent. If someone has crossed the line from inappropriate to unlawful, J. Haskins Law can help you understand your options and chart the best path forward.

With attorneys licensed in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina, we understand that threats to privacy cross state lines—and we’re equipped to pursue them wherever they occur.

Understanding Privacy Law

Each state protects privacy differently, but most recognize several core categories of invasion:

1. Unlawful Recording of Conversations
States prohibit recording verbal communications without consent, but the rules vary significantly. Florida requires all parties to consent before recording a conversation. Georgia requires only one party’s consent. These differences matter when determining whether a recording violated your rights.

2. Public Disclosure of Private Facts
Broadcasting private information—medical records, financial details, intimate relationships—may qualify as invasion of privacy if the disclosure is highly offensive to a reasonable person and lacks legitimate public interest. Courts apply these standards differently depending on jurisdiction and context.

3. Misappropriation of Name or Likeness
No one can appropriate your name, photograph, or likeness for commercial benefit without your permission. This protects against unauthorized use in advertising, endorsements, or other commercial exploitation.

4. Intrusion Upon Seclusion
The law protects against prying eyes and ears in places where you have a reasonable expectation of privacy—your home, private conversations, personal spaces. But what counts as “reasonable” varies by state and circumstance.

5. False Light
Some states, like Georgia, recognize false light as a distinct privacy violation—depicting someone in a misleading way that would be highly offensive to a reasonable person. Florida treats similar harms as defamation by implication rather than privacy invasion. Understanding these distinctions is crucial to building your case.

Beyond the Courtroom

Litigation is one option, but not always the best option. Lawsuits themselves become public record, which may compound rather than resolve privacy concerns. Through comprehensive consultation, we identify every available path—demand letters, negotiations, strategic takedown requests, litigation—and give you an honest assessment of the benefits and risks of each approach.

Privacy law is complex. The harm is real. J. Haskins Law will help you navigate the legal landscape and pursue the solution that best protects your interests.

Ready to discuss your situation? Schedule a consultation to get clear answers about your options.

Protect your personal and professional reputation. Our attorneys are here to advise you about your options, and guide you on the best path forward.

Do You Have a Defamation Case?

Once you complete our online form, our team will be in touch to have a detailed, productive discussion about your defamation issue. The fee for the initial consultation is $400.

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