Client & matter due diligence
Verify clients and assess the risk of each matter before you act, so retainers and file openings are backed by documented checks. Matching is tuned to keep false positives low across individuals, companies, and trusts.
Industry solution
AML Compliance for Law Firms
Run client and matter due diligence, verify source of funds into trust accounts, and screen for sanctions and PEP exposure without breaching client confidence.
Last updated
What MemberCheck covers
- Client & matter due diligence
- Source-of-funds verification
- PEP & sanctions screening
- Trust account risk review
- Confidential recordkeeping
The challenge
Why AML matters in Law Firms.
Law firms and conveyancers handle client money through trust accounts, advise on property and corporate transactions, and set up entities, all of which can be used to launder funds. Tranche 2 reforms bring legal practitioners into the AML/CTF regime, so firms have to run client and matter due diligence, screen for sanctions and PEP exposure, and report suspicious activity while still meeting their duties of confidence.
The tension for legal teams is real. Obligations to verify clients, understand source of funds, and report suspicious matters have to coexist with privilege and confidentiality. Checks also need to be proportionate to the matter, since a straightforward will is not a cross-border property purchase.
MemberCheck gives firms a way to run this consistently: verify and risk-rate clients at file opening, screen the parties behind trust-account funds, escalate higher-risk matters into enhanced due diligence, and keep the whole record in a controlled, auditable store.
How MemberCheck helps
All solutions →Built into how your team already works.
Source-of-funds checks
Support the review of funds flowing into trust accounts by screening the parties involved and flagging PEP or sanctions exposure. Evidence sits against the matter file for later inspection.
PEP & sanctions screening
Screen clients, opposing parties, and connected entities against sanctions, PEP, and adverse-media data. Higher-risk parties are surfaced before money or instructions move.
Enhanced due diligence
Escalate politically exposed or high-risk clients into deeper review with adverse-media and ownership checks. Decisions are recorded so partners can see the basis for accepting a matter.
Confidential recordkeeping
Retain screening results and due-diligence decisions in a controlled, auditable record that respects privilege. Records are available for regulator or audit review when required.
What you need to cover
The obligations MemberCheck supports.
- Client due diligence before providing designated legal services
- Matter risk assessment and enhanced due diligence
- Source-of-funds and source-of-wealth verification
- PEP, sanctions, and watchlist screening
- Suspicious matter reporting alongside confidentiality duties
- Record keeping for clients and matters
1,000+
Global watchlists screened
<1s
Average screening response
24h
Watchlist refresh cycle
195
Countries covered
FAQ
Common questions.
Does Tranche 2 apply to law firms and conveyancers?
Yes. Tranche 2 reforms extend AML/CTF obligations to legal practitioners and conveyancers providing designated services, including client due diligence, screening, and reporting.
How does screening handle client confidentiality and privilege?
Screening runs inside your firm against MemberCheck's data. Records are held in a controlled, auditable store, and reporting obligations sit alongside, not against, your confidentiality duties.
Can MemberCheck help with source-of-funds review on a matter?
Yes. You can screen the parties behind funds entering a trust account and flag PEP or sanctions exposure, with the evidence retained against the matter file.
Can we screen opposing parties and connected entities, not just clients?
Yes. You can screen any individual or entity relevant to a matter, including counterparties and beneficial owners, against sanctions and PEP data.
See MemberCheck for Law Firms.
Book a walkthrough with our compliance team and screen a real case in the first session.