Cutting the cost of client verification

Dickinson Dees is one of the top 50 law firms in the UK. To comply with current money laundering regulations from the JMLSG and Law Society of England and Wales, they needed to verify each client's identity and address.

They had been using manual systems and procedures that required paper documentation from each client, including proof of identity and address. These important original documents were often sent by post, a situation that is far from ideal. Once received, the information had to be captured and recorded before work could be undertaken on behalf of the client.

To help Dickinson Dees save time and money, Callcredit suggested CallML, an electronic client verification service. It uses a wide range of data sources, including the Electoral Roll and a full credit database, to almost instantly confirm identities - 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

CallML was easily integrated into the case management system and allowed Dickinson Dees perform the vast majority of all necessary client identity checks within seconds, rather than days. This meant that they could immediately start helping their clients.

CallML is fully compliant with the current money laundering regulations from the JMLSG and Law Society of England and Wales and helps legal practices reduce the costs of client verification, in terms of staff time and the cost of obtaining satisfactory information from clients. It also saves clients the worry and cost of sending important original documents, such as passports and driving licenses, by post.