Answers for law firms

Legl alternatives for law firms

The main alternatives to Legl for UK law firms are Kord, Thirdfort, InfoTrack, SmartSearch and Armalytix. Legl is a client onboarding, compliance and payments platform, and its site says over 600 law firms use it. The biggest difference between the options is what happens to the money. Legl collects payments into the firm’s own client or office account. Kord runs the onboarding checks and then holds client funds in a TPMA, with every matter on its own account on 04-10-26, the Legal Transaction Sort Code, so the firm no longer holds them itself.

Last checked 31 October 2026. Statements about each provider come from its own website and public registers. Confirm current details with each provider before you sign.

Provider	Onboarding and AML checks	Payments	Where client funds sit	Suits
Legl	ID with an NFC chip check, daily re-screening, source of funds, risk assessments, e-signature	Card, Apple Pay and Pay by Bank	The firm’s own client or office account	Firms keeping their client account that want polished onboarding and faster collection
Kord	NFC chip reads and facial matching, PEP, sanctions and adverse media monitored daily for twelve months, source of funds and wealth, KYB	Clients pay by bank transfer to the matter account. Payments out by Faster Payments, High Value Payout and CHAPS	The matter’s own account on 04-10-26, held by Kord Pay as a TPMA	Firms that want checks and client funds in one place
Thirdfort	ID, AML screening with ongoing monitoring, source of funds, KYB	No payments product described on its site	The firm’s own account	Firms that want a focused verification tool
InfoTrack	eCOS questionnaires, digital ID, AML with ongoing monitoring, source of funds and wealth, TA forms, e-signature	No client funds account described on the pages we read	The firm’s own account	Conveyancing firms that want onboarding beside their searches
SmartSearch	KYC in over 200 countries, KYB, nightly monitoring checks, document checks	No client funds account described on its site	The firm’s own account	Firms with international or corporate clients. Owns Credas since January 2026
Armalytix	Source of funds, statement scanning, ID, bank account verification	Says it does not and cannot move money	The firm’s own account	Firms whose main gap is source of funds evidence

What does Legl do well?

Legl brings client intake, KYC and KYB, risk assessments, source of funds, e-signature and payments into one journey. Its site says clients are re-screened daily, and that client and matter risk assessments follow the firm’s own policies. Payments reconcile to the right client file, and it integrates with practice management systems including Clio, Proclaim, iManage, Elite 3E and Actionstep. It says over 50 of the UK’s top 200 law firms use it. For a firm that has decided to keep its client account and wants a better intake journey, it is a strong choice.

Why do firms look for a Legl alternative?

They want to stop holding client funds. Money Legl collects lands in the firm’s client account, so the firm keeps every SRA Accounts Rules duty that comes with it, including reconciliations at least every five weeks.
They want one provider for checks and client funds, so the client is verified on the same platform that holds the money.
They are a conveyancing firm that wants onboarding inside its searches and completion platform.
They need deeper international or corporate screening, or a source of funds specialist.

Which Legl alternative also holds client funds?

Kord. Through Kord Custody, Kord Pay holds client funds as a TPMA under rule 11 of the SRA Accounts Rules, and every matter has its own account and account number on 04-10-26. The client is checked through Kord Data before money arrives, and pays by bank transfer to the matter’s account. Every payment out needs maker and checker approval. Return of Funds and Hold for Review, which the firm can switch on, stop money from payers it has not checked reaching the matter account. The SRA says money held in a TPMA is not “client money” under its rules.

How do I choose between Legl and Kord?

If your firm wants to	Look at
Keep its client account and collect fees and money on account faster	Legl
Stop holding client funds, with each matter on its own account	Kord
Check clients and hold their money on the same platform	Kord
Rely on a regulated firm’s customer due diligence under regulation 39	Kord, through Kord Reliance
Take card and Apple Pay payments for fees	Legl

Whichever you choose, the firm stays responsible for its AML obligations. See what AML checks a law firm must run.

Questions firms ask

What are the alternatives to Legl for client onboarding and payments?

Kord, Thirdfort, InfoTrack, SmartSearch and Armalytix. Kord runs onboarding checks and holds client funds in a TPMA. Thirdfort and SmartSearch focus on verification and screening, InfoTrack builds onboarding into its conveyancing platform, and Armalytix specialises in source of funds.

Does Legl hold client funds?

Legl’s payments page describes payouts to the firm’s own client or office account. It does not describe holding funds on the firm’s behalf.

Which Legl alternative means my firm no longer holds client funds?

Kord. Kord Pay holds client funds as a TPMA, with each matter on its own account on 04-10-26, and the firm instructs and approves every payment.

Is Legl a certified identity provider?

Legl says it is a certified identity service provider under the UK Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework and is listed on the digital verification services register.

Does changing onboarding provider change my firm’s AML duties?

No. The firm stays responsible for customer due diligence, monitoring and reporting suspicions, whichever provider runs the checks.

For every onboarding provider side by side, read client onboarding and AML check providers compared. If Thirdfort is on your shortlist, see Thirdfort vs Kord.

Sources

General information, not legal or regulatory advice. Product names belong to their owners.

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