I have been acting on my elderly mother's behalf in liaising with her solicitor with regard to a flat purchase for her.

Matters seem to have stalled because my mother cannot supply any of the requested ID documentation required by the solicitor.

The reason for this is that she is currently undergoing respite care after a fall.

When she left her own home it was an emergency and she gave all her personal documents to a neighbour for safe-keeping.

This neighbour has since gone on a prolonged overseas trip and I will not be able to get access to the file in the forerseable future.

Even though the solicitor has acted for my mother in the past and actually holds her will they are adamant that she has to produce the required documentation.

I do not want to get into an argument with the solicitor but are there any workarounds that I could put to them that would allow matters to progress?

I would be most grateful for any advice that is forthcoming.

Can she not request urgent copies of documents from whoever e.g Pension document, utility bill etc.

If everything had been destroyed in a fire for example, it must be possible to get hold of copies of important documents.

unclebulgaria's suggestion seems the best solution. Does the solicitor give you a list of acceptable ID? Get copies of the documents that are easiest to obtain. For proof of address for example it should be easy to get a copy of this year's Council Tax Bill.

The solicitor is correct to ask for details. Under money laundering regulations the requirements keep getting more onerous. My solicitor told me that current regulations require him to go through the full ID checking process even though he had done it all just 18 months ago.

Thank you unclebulgaria and Ethel Street.

I am OK for the address document as my mother left behind a bank statement in her house.

It is the "Identity" document that is problematic.

None of the possible options listed on the Solicitor's List could be be quickly retrieved as duplicates and we are under some time pressure to proceed.

I do understand that the solicitor is only doing their job but I would have thought there were some workarounds for quirky cases such as this?

Post an urgent note through the neighbours letterbox just in case someone is regularly the house while they are away, asking them to contact you.

Its usually a Passport that they require...and all that is required to suffice.

Andy

Thanks, Andy, but all her photo ID has expired (she is 97!) and the documents have to be unexpired so I am informed by the solicitor.

Bus pass.....Birth certificate.....benefit documents ?

Just explain the situation to the Solicitors asking for their help.

Explain that if they can't assist, that if your Mum is in a position where her identity at 97 cannot be confirmed, then she cannot be indentified as the person responsible for the Solicitors bill when it is presented.

The Solicitors must have some helpline ( law society or other) they can phone when they are in this position. There is probably a process they can use to ensure they can do the work requested and still comply with the law.