BladeLaw, like every other firm of solicitors, is required by law to check the identity of its clients. This is to prevent money laundering and financing of terrorism.
For more information on the reasons for these checks, please refer to the SRA website:
https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/resources/money-laundering/money-laundering/.
In order to comply with the regulations, you will be asked to provide sight of two pieces of ID. In most cases, a scan sent by email will be sufficient in the first instance, but you should bring the originals with you to our first meeting.
The two pieces of ID must fulfill the following criteria:
- One piece of ID must show your photograph. Generally a passport or driving licence can fulfill this criteria;
- The other piece of ID (and there must be two) must show your current home address. Usually your driving licence fulfills this criteria. A good alternative might be a utility bill or bank statement;
- The documents must be "official" documents, issued by a government regulated organisation; and
- The documents must be "current". If the documents have an expiry date, that just means they must not have expired. Otherwise, they need to have been issued within the last three months.
If you have any concerns about these requirements, please ask.