How law firms can collect client ID and documents securely

What firms usually collect at intake

• Full legal name, address, phone, occupation and employer
• Government-issued photo ID
• Other parties' names for the conflict check
• Retainer and consent signatures
• Supporting documents: agreements, statements, correspondence, photos

Client identification rules, briefly

Canadian law societies follow the Federation of Law Societies' model rules: lawyers must identify clients (record basic information) and, in many matters involving funds, verify identity using approved methods — and keep those records for years. Each law society publishes its own current version and the verification methods it accepts, including for clients you never meet in person.

A safer intake workflow

1. Send the client identification form and the legal intake form in one secure link.
2. The client uploads ID photos and documents; files are malware-scanned.
3. Run your conflict check from the answers PDF.
4. Verify identity per your law society's methods; record it in your practice management system.
5. Mark the request filed — the copy in the upload tool is deleted, so the matter file is the only record.

Why not email?

ID images in email linger in multiple inboxes and are a target for fraud. A deleting, audited upload link keeps the trail clean: who sent, opened, uploaded and downloaded.

General information for Canadian businesses, not legal advice. Laws and professional rules change — check the current version with your regulator or lawyer.