4.7
Client Identification - What Must You Do?

If you are retained by a client to provide legal services and are not exempt, what are you required to do?

Individuals 

If the client is an individual, you must obtain and record the client’s:

  • full name;
  • business address and business telephone number;
  • home address and home telephone number; and
  • occupation.

You are not required to keep a copy of the client’s identification (e.g. driver’s license). Retaining a copy without authorization from the client may be an unauthorized collection under PIPA.

Organizations

If the client is an organization, you must obtain and record the client’s:

  • full name, business address and business telephone number;
  • incorporation or business identification number and the place of issue of its incorporation or business identification number, if applicable, unless the client is a financial institution, public body, or reporting issuer; and
  • the general nature of the client’s business, unless the client is a financial institution, public body, or reporting issuer.

Note that “financial institution”, “public body” and “reporting issuer” are defined terms. (See Rules of the Law Society of Alberta, Rules 119.45(e),(k),(l)).

If an individual is authorized to instruct you on behalf of the organization, and instructs you in a matter for which you are retained, obtain the individual’s:

  • name;
  • position; and
  • contact information.

You must date all client identification records. 

Last modified: Monday, 21 August 2023, 9:26 AM