Overview
When your firm sends a Source of Funds request, your client receives a secure link by email. This article explains what the client sees and is asked to do at each stage of the process, so you can set expectations before sending and understand why a client might contact you with questions.
What the client receives
Your client receives an email containing a secure, personalised link to complete the Source of Funds request. They do not need a Legl account or a login. The link takes them directly to their request.
The link is specific to their request and cannot be completed by anyone else.
Step 1: Transaction details
After selecting Get started, the client answers two questions:
What best describes the transaction you need to make? (I am purchasing a property, or Other)
What is the total value of this transaction?
If your firm entered a transaction amount when sending the request, it is pre-filled. If you ticked Lock this amount, the client cannot change it.
Step 2: Funding details
The client describes in their own words how they intend to fund the transaction, for example a mortgage and a gift from their parents. Legl then asks follow-up questions based on their answer, such as whether a mortgage has been approved or whether a loan needs to be repaid. They are only asked questions that are relevant to them.
Step 3: Adding sources
Based on their answers, the client sees a list of suggested sources, followed by every other source type. They can add as many sources as they need. For each one, they answer a few questions and upload supporting evidence. A bar at the top of the page shows the transaction value and how much they have accounted for so far.
If mandatory document collection is turned on for your workflow, the client cannot save a source until they upload evidence for it. This is turned off by default.
ℹ️ Further guidance
For full details on what is captured for each source, see:
Step 4: Providing bank statements
For each source where the client has already received the money, they need to provide bank statement evidence. They can do this in one of two ways:
Connect their bank accounts online: the recommended option. The client connects through TrueLayer, which shares their account details, balance and transactions with Legl for 90 days. They can connect more than one account. No money is moved, and their login details are never shared with Legl or your firm.
Upload statements manually: the client enters the account provider, account name, account number, sort code and balance, then uploads statements covering the period your firm set. PDFs and image files are accepted.
The client then matches each source to the bank account the money is in.
Step 5: Follow-up questions on transactions
If Legl finds unusual or higher-risk transactions in a connected account, such as cash deposits, non-GBP transactions or cryptocurrency activity, the client is asked to explain them before they continue. Their answers are included in your Source of Funds review.
ℹ️ Important
Automated follow-up questions (SoF Signals) only apply where the client has connected via open banking. Clients who upload bank statements manually will not receive these follow-up questions.
Step 6: Reviewing and submitting
The client sees a summary of each source they added, its amount, and whether evidence was provided, with their total declared funds against the transaction amount. They can edit or remove a source, or add another. Once the sources cover the full amount, they select Agree & submit to confirm the information is true to their knowledge.
If the sources do not cover the full transaction amount, the client is asked to explain the outstanding amount, or add more sources, before they can submit.
After the client submits
The client sees a confirmation screen showing that their submission has been received, that final checks are running and that it is being routed to their matter handler. They do not need to wait, and Legl will email them when it is done.
Your firm's Source of Funds review is generated automatically once the client submits. Where AI analysis of their bank statement is successful, the results will be included in the review.
Important information
The secure link is unique to each client and request. It cannot be transferred or reused.
Clients who use open banking may receive automatic follow-up questions for flagged transactions. They do not need to contact your firm to respond to these.
If a client uploads a document that is not a bank statement, AI analysis will not be possible. See What to do if a client's bank statement analysis fails.
Whether evidence is required for each source depends on your workflow settings.