The matter that cannot start
The client is keen, the engagement letter is ready, and the file is waiting on one thing: identification. A secretary emailed a request on Monday asking for a passport and a recent utility bill. On Wednesday the client sent a photo of a driving licence taken at an angle, and a bank statement from last year. Somebody has to write back, explain what is needed, and remember to check again on Friday.
Multiply that by every new matter, add company clients who need to show who owns and controls them, and the ID chase becomes a job in its own right that nobody was ever given.
Why the ID chase keeps dragging
The request itself is usually the weak point. A generic email does not tell a company director what the firm needs, does not explain why, and gives no easy way to send it securely. Clients reply with whatever they have to hand, often by ordinary email attachment, which creates its own problem.
Then there is ownership. The fee earner assumes the secretary is chasing, the secretary assumes compliance will flag it, and compliance only sees it when the matter comes up in a report. Your firm probably does use an electronic verification provider such as Thirdfort or a similar service, but the link gets sent by hand, and the result gets saved to the file by hand too.
| Client type | What typically slows it down |
|---|---|
| Individual, local | Wrong or out-of-date documents sent by email |
| Individual, overseas or elderly | No smartphone app, needs an alternative route |
| Company | Ownership and control details, several people to verify |
| Trust or estate | Several roles, documents held by other advisers |
The hidden cost of a stalled start
A client who has to be asked three times for the same document starts the relationship irritated. Some go elsewhere before work begins. Fee earners either wait, which delays the matter, or feel pressure to start before the check is done, which is exactly what your policy is there to prevent.
At file review time, compliance finds the evidence scattered: an email attachment in one place, a verification report in a download folder, a note saying 'ID seen'. Pulling that together is slow.
How we build the ID request and chase
- Trigger: when a matter is opened in your practice management system, the flow reads the client type and any risk flag your firm sets.
- The right request: individuals get a plain-English message with a link to your verification provider or a secure upload page. Company clients get a request tailored to the people and documents your policy asks for.
- Scheduled chasing: reminders go out on the intervals your firm chooses, by email and text message through a service such as Twilio, and stop as soon as the check is complete.
- Alternative route: where a client cannot use the app, the flow tells the fee earner and offers the in-person or certified copy route your policy allows.
- Result on the file: the outcome and the report are saved to the matter automatically and the matter's status is updated, so the fee earner can see at a glance whether they can start.
- Exceptions: mismatches, expired documents or anything the provider refers are sent to your compliance person with the evidence attached, not decided by the system.
What your team sees afterwards
Secretaries stop writing the same explanatory email and stop keeping a sticky note of who to chase. Fee earners get a clear status on each new matter. Compliance has one place to look for every client's ID outcome, with the date and the method recorded.
Clients get a clearer request, sent once, with a way to respond that does not involve emailing their passport.
Signs your ID process needs work
- Clients send passport scans by ordinary email.
- Verification links are sent and saved to the file by hand.
- Company client checks regularly take longer than individual ones.
- Nobody owns chasing outstanding ID.
- File reviews find ID evidence in several different places.