Identification obligation
On the basis of the Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Prevention) Act (Wwft) – formerly the Compulsory Identification Act (WID) – GMW Advocaten is obliged to identify clients and representatives of clients in the case of certain services, on the basis of passports or driving licences, extracts from official registers of companies or other documents indicated by the Wwft for this purpose. In addition, the Decree on administration and financial integrity (Vafie) applies from 1 July 2009. On the basis of this decree, a solicitor is obliged to identify every client. An obligation of identification applies for all matters and for the entire legal profession. For organizational reasons we adopt a policy that we identify all clients, irrespective of whether the service which is performed falls under the Wwft or not. The (copies of) identification documents are stored centrally. These personal data are used to observe the legal obligations to which GMW Advocaten is subject, as well as for the required services. Identification can be carried out as follows:
for legal persons:
- with the help of an (online) extract from the Register of Companies from the Chamber of Commerce and a copy of a valid identification document (passport/driving licence/identity card) of the representative of that legal person;
for natural persons;
- with the help of a copy of a valid identification document (passport/driving licence/identity card)
Therefore GMW Advocaten requests its clients to present these data to the lawyer who is dealing with the case, at the start of that case.
