Preparing for Your Appointment

Going to see a solicitor for the first time can be daunting, but don’t worry; we’ll do our best to make you feel at ease. There are some documents we’ll need to see before we can start acting on your behalf. Gathering these in advance will mean we can make the most of your initial appointment.

Proof of identity

We will need to verify your identity before we can start working together. We are generally able to do this independently using your full name, address and a photo/scan of your photo ID (e.g. passport or driving licence). However, in some cases we may need you to provide us with additional ID.

If asked, please provide us with either:

  • One item from List A and one item from List B
  • OR two items from List B

If you don’t have access to these items, let us know and we’ll do our best to find a solution.

List A

  • Passport.
  • EU Member State identification card.
  • UK photo card driving licence.
  • H.M. Forces identity card.

List B

  • UK driving licence.
  • Bank account or credit card statement (less than three months’ old).
  • Firearm and shotgun certificate.
  • Utility bill (less than three months’ old – but not a mobile phone bill).
  • Council Tax bill (from the current year).
  • Mortgage statement (for the mortgage accounting year just ended).

Any of the above items in List B must show your current address. If you need any further information please get in touch.

If you are a UK business

If you’re instructing us to act on behalf of your UK company, partnership, or other business structure, we will need to see proof of identity for the director(s), partner(s) or other person(s) with authority to instruct us in your matter.

Where there is more than one such person involved in the company, we will require identification from at least two people. In many cases we will need to see ID for everyone involved.

We will also need to see ID for anyone who has a 25% or more share in the business.

If your company is registered, we will need your company number to carry out a Companies House check.

If you are a business outside the UK

If you are instructing us to act on behalf of a business outside the UK, we’ll need to carry out certain checks to meet our professional obligations.

What we are required to do will depend on who you are and where you are based, as well as the nature of your instructions. We’ll let you know what we need from you at the time to carry out these checks.

Additional information & documents

In order to get started on your matter we will need some additional information and documents from you. What you will need to prepare depends on the type of work you are meeting with us about.

Please see the guidance below for what we’ll need from you for many of the services we offer. The more of this information you’re able to provide at the start, the smoother the process is likely to be.

If your meeting with us is by videocall, please make sure you have the required information and documents with you during the appointment.

Not sure what to bring?

If in doubt, please bring any and all documents you think might be relevant. We can go through them together to find what we need.

We’re always on hand to answer any questions you may have about this. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch before your appointment if you need to.

Scroll to Top