New Client Intake Form Template for England and Wales

A New Client Intake Form is a crucial document that establishes the foundation of your professional relationship with new clients in England and Wales. This comprehensive form ensures you collect all necessary information while complying with strict UK data protection laws and regulatory requirements. You'll use this form to gather personal details, understand service requirements, and obtain proper consent for data processing.

When do you need this document?

You need a New Client Intake Form whenever you're establishing a new professional relationship with a client. This applies whether you're a solicitor taking on a new case, an accountant providing financial services, a healthcare provider registering a new patient, or any business offering professional services. The form is particularly important in regulated industries where you must verify client identity, assess risk factors, and maintain detailed records for compliance purposes. You'll also need this form when switching from informal client relationships to formal service agreements, ensuring you have all required information documented properly.

Key legal considerations

Your intake form must include a comprehensive data protection notice explaining how you'll collect, use, store, and protect personal information under UK GDPR. You need explicit consent for processing personal data, with clear opt-in mechanisms rather than pre-ticked boxes. The form should include identity verification requirements to comply with Money Laundering Regulations where applicable, and accessibility provisions under the Equality Act 2010. You must also consider consumer protection requirements if dealing with individual consumers, ensuring transparency about your services and any associated costs. Include clear declarations where clients confirm the accuracy of provided information and understand their rights regarding data processing.

Legal requirements in England and Wales

Under UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018, you must provide clear information about your lawful basis for processing personal data and inform clients of their rights including access, rectification, and erasure. The Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations require specific consent for electronic marketing communications. If you're in a regulated profession, you may need additional information for professional body compliance, such as conflict of interest checks for legal services or risk assessments for financial services. Consumer protection legislation requires clear, prominent disclosure of terms and conditions when dealing with individual consumers. You must also ensure your form design allows reasonable adjustments for clients with disabilities and doesn't discriminate based on protected characteristics under equality law.