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Legl Client and Matter Risk Assessments

This guide contains example Client & Matter Risk Assessment templates.

Shanté Simpson avatar
Written by Shanté Simpson
Updated this week

About these templates

This guide includes example Client and Matter Risk Assessment templates. Your live version in Legl will be configured to your firm’s setup. Use these examples for guidance and review them alongside your firm’s AML/Compliance policy.

How to use them (step by step)

  1. Download the example templates (Client & Matter).

  2. Customise fields, options, and risk ratings to match your firm’s risk logic and policies (add any conditional questions you need).

  3. Share the completed template with our Support Team.

  4. We configure & test your risk assessments in your Legl environment and confirm the setup.

  5. Publish & go live - your team can start using the assessments in Legl.

Tip: If you already use risk assessments in Legl, use this guide to request updates or changes to your current template.

Client Risk Assessment

Section

Question

Input type

Input options

Risk rating

Notes

General

(1) Is this risk assessment for an individual or an entity?

Dropdown

Individual

------------

Entity

-

-------------

(2) What is the entity type?

Short text

-

-

Appears when ‘Entity’ is selected for (1)

(3) Is this a risk assessment for a new client or an existing client?

Dropdown

New

-------------

Existing

-

------------

-

(4) What date was the CDD check last carried out?

Date

-

-

Appears when ‘Existing’ is selected for (3)

Client risk

(1) Is it unusual for this type of client to instruct us?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

(2) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears when ‘Yes’ is selected for (1)

(3) Do you have any concerns about the client?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

(4) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears when ‘Yes’ is selected for (3)

(5) Is the client a politically exposed person (PEP), or a family member/close associate of a PEP?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

Phrasing is amended for entity clients to “Are any of the beneficial owner(s) a politically exposed person (PEP), or a family member/close associate of PEP?”

(6) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (5)

(7) Do you have any concerns that the client is subject to financial sanctions, or has links to a country subject to sanctions?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------Low

Phrasing is amended for entity clients to “Do you have any concerns that the client or a beneficial owner is subject to financial sanctions, or has links to a country subject to sanctions?”

(8) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (7)

(9) Is there any adverse media about the client?

Y/N

Yes

-------------No

Medium

------------Low

Phrasing is amended for entity clients to “Is there any adverse media about the client or beneficial owners?”

(10) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (9)

(11) Is the structure of the entity complex or unusual?

Y/N

Yes

-------------No

Medium

------------Low

Only appears for an entity client

(12) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (11)

(13) Does the client own, manage, or direct a business or activity that falls within a higher risk sector?

Y/N

Yes

-------------No

High

------------

Low

Only appears for an entity client

(14) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (13)

(15) Do you have any other areas of concern?

Y/N

Yes

-------------No

Medium

------------

Low

--

(16) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is answered to (16)

Jurisdiction risk

(1) Where is the client based?

Short text

-

-

(2) Do you have any concerns about the client’s location?

Y/N

Yes

-------------No

Medium

------------

Low

(3) Please provide additional details

Long text

Long text

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (2)

(4) Is it unusual to receive instructions from this location?

Y/N

Yes

-------------No

Medium

------------

Low

(5) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (4)

Delivery channel risk

(1) Will you meet the client in person?

Y/N

Yes

-------------No

Low

------------Medium

(2) Are you satisfied that the client is who they say they are?

Y/N

Yes

-------------No

Low

------------High

Appears if ‘No’ is selected for (1)

(3) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘No’ is selected for (2)

Due diligence review

(1) What steps have you taken to verify the client and any instructing third party’s identity?

Long text

-

-

(2) What steps have you taken to identify and verify ultimate beneficial owners?

Long text

-

-

Only appears for an entity client

(3) Provide details of beneficial owners, shareholders/controllers including percentages of shareholdings

Long text

-

-

Only appears for an entity client

(4) Have you identified any reportable discrepancies?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

Only appears for an entity client

(5) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (4)

(6) Have you checked the register of overseas entities?

Dropdown

Yes

-------------

No

-------------

Not applicable

Low

------------

Medium

------------

Low

Only appears for an entity client

Matter Risk Assessment

Section

Question

Input type

Input options

Risk rating

Notes

Matter details

(1) What is the matter reference?

Short text

-

-

(2) Please provide a description of the work

Long text

-

-

Matter risk

(1) Is a third party instructing?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Low

------------

Low

(2) Do we have evidence of their authority to act?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Low

------------

Medium

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (1)

(3) Do you have any concerns about the third party?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (1)

(4) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (3)

(5) Are there overseas elements?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

(6) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears when ‘Yes’ is selected for (5)

(7) Do we usually carry out this type of work?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Low

------------

Medium

(8) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears when ‘Yes’ is selected for (7)

(9) Does the matter involve creating a complex structure?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

(10) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears when ‘Yes’ is selected for (9)

(11) Does it involve a cash-intensive industry?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(12) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (11)

(13) Does it involve a high-risk industry?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(14) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (13)

(15) Does the matter involve a risk of proliferation financing?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(16) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (15)

(17) Are there any other AML or Counter Terrorist Financing risks?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(18) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (17)

(19) Is the matter transactional?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

(20) Does the transaction arrange for the movement of funds or assets?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

Appears if ‘No’ is selected for (19)

(21) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (20)

(22) Are we receiving funds from overseas?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

(23) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (22)

(24) Are we receiving funds from a third party?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

(25) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (24)

(26) Will the matter be funded by digital assets?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Medium

------------

Low

(27) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Source of Wealth

(1) Do you need to check for source of wealth?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

-

(2) Do you have evidence of source of wealth?

Dropdown

Yes

-------------

No

-------------

Awaiting

Low

------------

High

------------

Medium

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (1)

(3) Is the amount and source of wealth/funds consistent with what you know about the client?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Low

------------

High

(4) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘No’ is selected for (3)

Source of funds

(1) Is a source of funds check required for this matter?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

-

(2) Do you have evidence of the source of funds?

Dropdown

Yes

-------------

No

-------------

Awaiting

Low

------------

High

------------

Medium

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (1)

(3) Please provide a description of the source of funds

Longtext

-

-

Appears if ‘No’ is selected for (1)

Enhanced due diligence

(1) Does it make sense for the client to instruct us on this transaction?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

Low

------------

High

(2) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘No’ is selected for (1)

(3) Does the matter involve any party linked to the transaction who manages or directs a business or activity that is cash intensive?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(4) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (3)

(5) Does the matter involve any party established in a high-risk third country or high-risk or jurisdiction?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(6) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (5)

(7) Is any party linked to the transaction a politically exposed person (PEP), family member or a close associate of a PEP?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(8) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (7)

(9) Do you have concerns that any party linked to the transaction is subject to financial sanctions or has links to a country subject to sanctions?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(10) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (9)

(11) Will this matter involve a country subject to sanctions?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(12) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (11)

(13) Is the transaction unusually complex or large?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(14) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (13)

(15) Does this transaction form part of an unusual pattern of transactions?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(16) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (15)

(17) Does the transaction lack an apparent economic or legal purpose?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(18) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (17)

(19) Are there other factors that could mean a higher risk of money laundering or terrorist financing?

Y/N

Yes

-------------

No

High

------------

Low

(20) Please provide additional details

Long text

-

-

Appears if ‘Yes’ is selected for (19)

(21) What level of customer due diligence will you apply?

Drop down

Basic

-------------

Standard

-------------

Enhanced

-

(22) What is the rationale behind your choice of due diligence level?

Long text

-

-

(23) Please detail any issues which have been referred to the MLRO

Long text

-

-

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