Anti-Money Laundering Checks for Solicitors & Legal Firms

Over 37% of the top 200 Legal Firms use SmartSearch

There is a reason why more than 1 in 3 of the UK’s top 200 firms use SmartSearch for their AML Compliance, get in touch now!

End-to-End Solution

Our platform completes AML and KYC checks all in one place - and can even integrate with your existing system.

Quick & Accurate Results

Our platform works in real-time, completing AML checks in a matter of seconds, automatically triggering any Sanction or PEPs.

Multi-Award-Winning Platform

Best Anti-Fraud Service 2022
Credit Connect UK Awards 2021 - Compliance Regulatory Technology Solution
FT 1000 fastest growing business in Europe 2021

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98% Customer Retention Rate
Highest Match & Pass Rate on The Market
Run Sanctions and PEP Checks on Your New and Existing Clients
International and Domestic Checks All in One Place

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Ensuring Solicitors are AML Compliant

As The Law Society says, ‘compliance with money laundering obligations is one of the greatest challenges for solicitors in the UK today’. AML checks for solicitors can be an expensive, time-consuming task, and manual checks can often prove inaccurate, as they’re open to human error.

The SmartSearch platform is the most efficient and cost-effective way of carrying out money laundering checks for solicitors. We offer the only AML solution with full sanction and PEP screening, and ongoing monitoring. Our electronic verification is fast and reliable, and all our checks are automatically saved, so you can retrieve them on demand for audits and regulatory visits. New and existing clients can be onboarded in bulk, so you remain compliant at all times.

What our clients say

We have been using Smartsearch for our AML and ID verification for approximately 2 years and I have to say, I’m extremely impressed and more than satisfied with the products that are available. The one-stop-shop dashboard is extremely easy to use. This simplifies the client onboarding process no end, regardless of where the client is residing

Stephen Molden

Judge & Priestley

TThey provide a superb AML compliance service, which is quick, comprehensive, efficient and streamlined, and we have found it to be of great benefit in helping us meet our AML obligations.

Mr G W Thompson

Benson Wood

The platform saves us a huge amount of time over collecting documents manually, and being able to carry out individual, business and ID document checks all on one platform is fantastic. Combine that with the constant monitoring for PEPs/Sanctions and, again, the easy to use Due Diligence dashboard and it really makes life easy.

Gail Kirrage

Kounnis and Partners

Since the introduction of SmartSearch we have been incredibly impressed with the results. Not only is the process incredibly easy but it integrates with our back office system, allowing us to conduct robust KYC checks on new and existing clients with the click of a button. This ease of use has proved a huge hit with both Prism’s Financial Advisers as well as our administrative staff

James Redhead

Prism Financial Advise Ltd

Tower Leasing Limited use SmartSearch for Beneficial Owner identification as part of our financial crime screening process when onboarding customers. Their system is easy to use, reduces search time and identifies any potential risks at the touch of a button. The reports are clear, concise and the monitoring function is great for alerting us if customers’ Sanctions or PEP status changes.

Faye Winfield

Tower Leasing Limited

One of the main reasons SmartSearch searches are so effective is due to them checking against two different credit agencies for client verification, and the SmartSearch customer service are always avilable if i need any guidance using the system.

Mr Levent Altin

Easy Properties London Ltd

Overall I would highly recommend Smartsearch as a system as it quite simply is so easy to use. Speed and accuracy are the key within an financial capacity and Smartsearch as system allows AML checks to be performed with these two key factors in mind. We look forward to using the tool within in our daily roles in the years to come.

Adam Swordy

Bruton Knowles

Before we joined SmartSearch 5 months ago, we were conducting all our AML checks manually, using paper documents. The difference for our compliance in terms of time and effort between then and now is staggering. We have been so impressed with the platform and customer service so far. The platform itself is really user friendly, carrying out our AML checks is now so quick and easy.

Rutland Elms

Elms Estates

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Customer Due Diligence and KYC

KYC (Know Your Customer) checks, are background checks that should be carried out as part of your risk-based approach. The KYC process involves the verification of the customer's identity, using documents like photographic ID, proof of date of birth and proof of address. This can be done manually, with physical documentation, but it's faster and more reliable to do it electronically, with data sourced online.

Customer due diligence (or CDD) is a longer process which continues after the customer has been onboarded, and includes checks like sanctions and PEP screening, to continuously assess the risk-level that a customer poses to a business.

Both KYC and CDD are crucial aspects of AML compliance. Regulated firms must identify and verify anyone they work with, to ensure they identify any potential high-risk clients and making companies less vulnerable to money laundering, as well as other financial crime.

Firms in finance, property, law and insurance are legally obliged to comply with these AML regulations, as well as art markets and other high-value dealers. The compliance of these sectors contributes to the wider battle against financial crime, and protects firms within them from the risk of money laundering too.

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Just a few areas we can help you with

Know who you’re dealing with

We can verify the identity of your customers electronically in seconds, fulfilling your KYC requirements and provide automatic enhanced due diligence for any PEP or Sanctions matches.

Onboard customers

Our platform completes AML and KYC checks all in one place and can be integrated into your existing system, streamlining the customer onboarding process, improving client experience and reducing costs.

Remain compliant

Through our user-friendly platform, identification, verification and ongoing monitoring are quick and easy to perform, ensuring you always remain fully AML compliant.

Monitor your clients

We take updates every day from the Dow Jones Watchlist, the most accurate, complete, and up-to-date PEP and Sanctions list in the world, to offer our unique daily monitoring service. This alerts you if a client’s PEP or Sanction status changes ensuring you’re always fully AML compliant.

Prevent fraud

Our comprehensive range of anti-fraud services can be tailored to your specific requirements, creating a bespoke fraud-prevention solution for your firm.

Be audit ready

With our monitoring system, you are always audit-ready. From audit note trails to the ability to batch-upload existing customers, we ensure you can evidence your compliance whenever you need to.

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Have a question?

What is Anti-Money Laundering (AML)?

Money laundering is when criminals integrate their illegally-obtained cash into the financial system, so it looks like it was earned legitimately. ‘Anti-money laundering’ refers to the laws, regulations, and procedures designed to prevent money laundering.
What are Sanctions and PEPs?

Sanctions are restrictions used to stop individuals and entities who are involved in – or suspected of – illegal activities from engaging in certain industries. Government bodies and financial authorities both issue sanctions lists; these can be used to screen individuals and organisations for financial sanctions.

A PEP, or Politically Exposed Person, is someone who holds a prominent position in public life – for example a senior member of government or law enforcement – making them more vulnerable to bribery and corruption.

Sanctions searches and PEP screenings are a central component of your AML checks, as they confirm that your client doesn’t present a money laundering risk.
What is AML Monitoring?

AML monitoring is part of the Anti-Money Laundering procedures required of all regulated businesses. The money laundering regulations require that you do proper due diligence as part of your Know Your Customer procedures. This involves initial AML checks, which will identify and verify the client, as well as PEP and Sanction screening, which will alert you to whether or not the customer is more of a risk. If their name matches with a PEP, Sanction or RCA list you must then complete Enhanced Due Diligence to ascertain the level of risk that they may pose. AML monitoring is the process of keeping a regular check on the client going forward. Once initial checks have been completed, you must also monitor every client you have checked for any changes to their status and therefore, any heightened risk to your business.
When should AML checks be performed?

There are many different AML checks to carry out when you’re vetting a potential client or customer, starting with KYC and initial checks. These should be performed before any business dealings take place between yourself and your client, to ensure that you don’t jeopardise your AML compliance.
Is the SmartSearch service GDPR compliant?

SmartSearch is fully GDPR compliant please feel free to contact us if you need to see any specific GDPR compliant policy documents.

Anti-Money Laundering Checks for Solicitors & Legal Firms

Over 37% of the top 200 Legal Firms use SmartSearch

End-to-End Solution

Quick & Accurate Results

Multi-Award-Winning Platform

Get Started Today

Data powered by:

Ensuring Solicitors are AML Compliant

See it in action

What our clients say

Stephen Molden

TThey provide a superb AML compliance service, which is quick, comprehensive, efficient and streamlined, and we have found it to be of great benefit in helping us meet our AML obligations.

Mr G W Thompson

Gail Kirrage

James Redhead

Faye Winfield

One of the main reasons SmartSearch searches are so effective is due to them checking against two different credit agencies for client verification, and the SmartSearch customer service are always avilable if i need any guidance using the system.

Mr Levent Altin

Adam Swordy

Rutland Elms

Customer Due Diligence and KYC

Just a few areas we can help you with

Know who you’re dealing with

Onboard customers

Remain compliant

Monitor your clients

Prevent fraud

Be audit ready

Our Clients

Have a question?

See it in action