Johnson Astills are authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and are proud members of the Law Society’s Conveyancing Quality Scheme (CQS). All solicitors are legally required to verify client identities to comply with Money Laundering Regulations; this cannot be done without proof of all clients’ identities. All solicitors must be confident that the transactions they are acting on are legitimate and not associated with any illegal activity.
Johnson Astills are recognised as expert conveyancers and to ensure this high standard of practise is maintained, it is essential that all clients identities are verified at the start of their transaction. We need to check that you are legal entitled to sell or purchase the property in question.
The main reason that solicitors require ID from clients is to prevent fraud. Conveyancing involves large sums of money being transferred between third parties and at Johnson Astills we aim to ensure that the transactions are safe and successful for all. Clients’ compliance with our ID requests is pivotal in ensuring a smooth and timely transaction. Johnson Astills are not able to act for parties that cannot provide the required ID.
What is the required ID?
You will need to provide a minimum of two different forms of ID, both photographic and evidence of proof of address. For example, your photo ID could be your current signed passport or driving license and your address ID could be your current driving license or a recent utility bill or bank statement, ideally dated within the last three months. However, your driving license can not be both your photographic ID and proof of address.
Who needs ID checks?
If you are buying, selling, transferring or re-mortgaging a property using Johnson Astills, we will need to verify your identity. If you are financially contributing towards a property – eg using your own savings, or gifting a deposit to your child, we will also need to verify the source of funds. Any third party gifting monies will be required to satisfy the same ID requirements as our client themselves. It is important that solicitors can identify where all monies have come from before they are transferred to third party accounts. It may be that additional source of funds evidence is requested to satisfy regulations, including documentary evidence such as bank statements to confirm the funds are held in the relevant person’s name.
Do the documents need to be originals?
At Johnson Astills if you are not able to provide original documents, you will be required to obtain certified copies of the relevant original document from a firm of solicitor local to you and send the certified copies to the solicitor with conduct of your conveyancing matter.
Johnson Astills also accepts electronic copies of your ID, however we do request that you provide us with a picture of you holding your photographic ID so that we can confirm a true likeness, a picture of your ID and picture of your proof of address.
Johnson Astills can assist with the sale and purchase of residential properties. Transfer of equity or re-mortgaging of properties.
Please get in touch with Johnson Astills today and we would be more than happy to discuss your requirements further. Please call us at our office in Leicester on 0116 255 4855 or our office in Loughborough on 01509 610 312 and ask to speak to a member of the Property Team. Alternatively, you may prefer to email us at legal@johnsonastills.com or fill in our enquiry form.
