CUSTOMER DUE DILLIGENCE
DFA Law are required by legislation to verify and identify all new clients of the firm. A failure to do so can lead to prosecution. This process is called Customer Due Diligence
It will sometimes be necessary for established clients to provide evidence of identity.
All solicitors firms have a legal obligation to carry out these checks and we hope that you will not find these necessary checks to be too intrusive.
Identification for individuals
We will need to see the original of one of the following:
- Current UK Passport
- Current photocard driver’s licence
If you do not have a Passport or Driving licence, we may be able to accept other forms of identification and you should speak to us to discuss this. Other forms include:
- Paper driving licence
- Government issued document
In addition to the above we will need a proof of address. Documents that we can accept include:
- Current year Council tax bill
- Bank or Building Society statement (including your address) not more than 3 months old
- Utility bill, not more than 3 months old
Identification for Companies
It will be necessary to confirm the identity and address of each of the directors of the company. We will use Companies House records to identify the beneficial owners of a company
Electronic ID Check
In all property related transactions, and where we are not able to see the original documentation, we will use electronic ID verifications, which is a secure and efficient process.
To carry out electronic ID checks we use a company called Thirdfort. Thirdfort are FCA regulated and use end to end encryption, meaning that the data and information that you provide is as secure as possible.
If it is necessary for us to use Thirdfort it works with 3 simple steps:
- You will receive a text message from Thirdfort inviting you to download their app, to allow you to confirm your identity digitally
- After downloading the app, follow the instructions to upload your ID and any additional information
- Thirdfort verifies the ID and sends a report to us, allowing us to start work on your matter
Cost
Electronic ID checks start from £20 + VAT per person
Source of Funds Check
In some property transactions and if it is felt necessary, we may require you to complete an electronic ‘source of funds’ check in order to ascertain the source of those funds.
If any part of the funds are being received from a third party, for example a gift from a family member, then it might be necessary for us to ask the third party to complete a source of funds check with Thirdfort.
Source of Funds checks start from £25 + VAT per person.
Anti-Money Laundering
We have a dedicated Money Laundering Reporting Officer (MLRO) and it is their responsibility to maintain this firm’s anti-money laundering policy.
If we become aware that a party to a transaction might be attempting to launder money or a carry out a fraud of any kind we are obliged to make a report to the National Crime Agency. Should that be necessary, any report would have to be made without notification to you and the need to make this report would override the normal rules in relation to client confidentiality.