CLIENT ID VERIFICATION RULES
Lawyers are required to follow the client identification and verification procedures contained in Law Society Rules 3-91 to 3-102 when retained by a client.
Identification and verification are two distinct concepts. The client identification requirements apply whenever a lawyer provides professional services to a client. These requirements call for obtaining basic identification information about individual clients or organizational clients in every retainer, subject to certain exceptions.
The identity verification requirements are triggered where a lawyer receives, pays or transfers funds on behalf of a client or gives instructions for such activities on behalf of a client. A number of exceptions are included. For example, a lawyer is exempted from the verification requirements when the money is paid to the lawyer by a financial institution, public authority, or public company, or received from the trust account of another lawyer.
Lawyers must keep a record of the information and documents obtained to identify and verify a client's identity. Lawyers must also retain a copy of every document used to verify the identity of any individual client or organizational client when providing legal services in respect of a financial transaction.