Remote work has changed how professional service firms work with clients. But has it changed how they verify them properly?
Many firms are now onboarding clients remotely, exchanging documents online, and handling approvals digitally. Yet identity checks often still rely on manual steps, scattered emails, and disconnected file requests. The way services are delivered has changed quickly. The real question is whether client verification processes have changed with it.
Checking a client’s identity is still often slower than it should be.
A document is requested. Then another. Someone emails a passport copy. Someone else checks a proof of address. A follow-up message asks for a clearer scan. The process works, but it is repetitive, slow, and easy to delay.
That matters because identity checks usually sit at the very start of the client relationship. If that stage feels clumsy, the whole service can feel less organised than it really is.
Digital identity is starting to move from policy discussion into practical use. In the European Union, digital identity wallets are being developed to support authentication, document sharing, and legally binding e-signatures. The UK has also introduced a digital verification services trust framework. More broadly, the World Bank’s ID4D initiative shows that digital identification is becoming an important part of service delivery in many countries, even though adoption still varies widely.
What does digital identity mean in practice
Digital identity is not just an online copy of a passport.
In practice, it means a trusted way for a person or business to prove their identity, share verified information, and complete certain actions electronically. Depending on the system, that may include authentication, document sharing, identity verification, and electronic signatures. The exact model will differ across countries, but the wider direction is clear: verification is becoming more digital, more structured, and more integrated into online service delivery.
Why this matters for professional service firms
For accountants, solicitors, consultants, brokers, advisers, and similar firms, identity checks are not a side issue.
They sit close to onboarding, compliance, document signing, access control, and the start of confidential work. When these steps stay heavily manual, the same problems tend to appear.
Clients are asked to resend documents. Verification takes longer than expected. Important files sit in inboxes rather than in controlled systems. Internal teams cannot always see clearly what has already been checked. The client experience feels slower and less professional than it should.
This is where the issue becomes both commercial and operational. It is not only about regulation. It is also about reducing friction, improving trust, and creating a more structured onboarding process.
Why this matters even beyond one country
This is not just a UK issue or an EU issue.
The EU is one of the clearest examples, as its digital identity wallet initiative is already tied to real-world use cases. The UK is also formalizing standards for digital verification. But the broader trend is international. The World Bank’s work on digital identification reflects a growing global movement toward trusted digital identity systems in both public and private services.
That means firms do not need to wait for a universal global standard to care about this topic. The practical point is that digital identity is advancing in multiple markets, and client expectations are likely to rise with it.
What still goes wrong with manual verification
Manual verification creates hidden admin work.
A staff member requests documents. Another checks them. A client sends one file by email and another through a shared link. Someone saves copies into a folder. Later, when the file needs to be reviewed again, the firm must search for what was already provided.
The bigger problem is not only speed. It is control.
When identity checks happen across inboxes, attachments, and disconnected tools, the business loses visibility. That makes it harder to show what was received, what was approved, and what still needs action.
For firms working with sensitive information, that is a workflow problem as much as a compliance problem.
What firms should start doing now
Professional service firms do not need to predict every future technical standard. They need to strengthen the parts of the workflow that will still matter regardless of which identity method becomes more common.
Start by mapping the current onboarding journey. Look at where clients are asked for ID, where documents are uploaded, who checks them, and how approval is recorded.
Then reduce unnecessary movement between tools. The more often a client is pushed from email to folders to forms to separate approval tools, the more likely the process is to feel slow and fragmented.
Next, tighten record-keeping. Even if digital identity becomes more common, firms will still need to know who uploaded what, who reviewed it, what has been approved, and what still needs action.
It also makes sense to review signing workflows. In markets where digital identity tools develop further, verification and signing are likely to become more closely connected.
What good preparation looks like
Good preparation does not mean waiting for the perfect future solution.
It means building a client workflow that is ready for more digital verification. That includes one controlled place for client communication, one structured place for file exchange, clear permissions and access control, and a visible record of uploads, approvals, and actions.
This is where digital identity and client portals start to connect.
Digital ID may make verification easier. But it will not remove the need for a secure client environment. Firms will still need a place where the verified client can communicate, upload documents, approve actions, and continue the relationship in a clear and organised way.
A simple example
Imagine a small advisory firm that still verifies clients mainly by email.
New clients are asked to send ID documents manually. Proof of address arrives later in a separate message. A manager approves the check, but the record sits partly in email and partly in a shared folder. When someone needs to confirm what was received, the team has to look in several places.
Now compare that with a more structured setup.
The client receives one onboarding route. Documents are uploaded into a controlled environment. Verification status is visible. Approval is recorded in the same system. Later service work continues in that same client space.
The identity method may evolve over time. But the benefit of a structured workflow is already clear.
Final thought
Remote work changed how professional service firms deliver services. Client verification now needs to catch up.
Identity, verification, document exchange, and signing are becoming more digital in many markets. Firms that still rely on scattered manual checks may find that their onboarding process starts to feel slower and less professional than clients expect.
The firms that prepare best will not just verify clients more efficiently. They will build cleaner, more trusted, and more scalable client workflows around that process.
