April 12 was another COVID milestone here in the UK. You might have had a haircut yesterday or even a drink in a pub garden (if you were wrapped up warm)!
The relaxation of measures we all felt yesterday was another sure and steady step towards normality. But will everything be as it was pre-COVID?
Here at Alpha Legal, we don’t believe that verifying a client’s ID will ever be the same again. The days of asking clients to bring in passports, driving licences and bank statements to be checked and photocopied are numbered. The future is electronic ID verification using Alpha Legal or similar systems to capture & transmit ID documents easily, safely and securely without the need to examine a physical document.
The government are now recognising that the world has moved on. The important UK government document “How to prove and verify someone’s identity” (see https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/identity-proofing-and-verification-of-an-individual/how-to-prove-and-verify-someones-identity) lists the ways you can check. Electronic is now top of the list!
HM Land Registry is also exploring new ways of working. They are looking to encourage digital identity checking in conveyancing (see https://hmlandregistry.blog.gov.uk/2020/11/17/encouraging-digital-identity-checking-in-conveyancing/) and here at Alpha Legal we will be ensuring that our processes are compatible and compliant with every new standard that is issued.
Finally, is asking for a digital ID check a barrier to dealing with the older generation? Should that be a concern? Not any longer. Take a look at this blog post showing how the older generation’s use of the Internet has flourishing during the COVID outbreak as they have found new ways to keep in touch with friends and family.
This article was submitted to be published by Alpha Legal as part of their advertising agreement with Today’s Wills and Probate. The views expressed in this article are those of the submitter and not those of Today’s Wills and Probate.
