Disclosure: this article is written and published by DROZlegal, which competes in adjacent territory. Every claim comes from three public pages read on November 5, 2026 (a copy of the January 13, 2026 Dye & Durham press release, FCT’s announcement article and FCT’s Client ID Verification page) and is attributed to them. “Not stated” means the page was silent, not that the answer is no. We did not use the product, so we say nothing about how well it works. This article is general information, not legal advice, and reflects publicly available information as of November 5, 2026.
What the pages say
| Question | What the pages say |
|---|---|
| What it is | A “new Electronic ID Verification (E-IDV) feature” inside Unity, so firms can verify client identities “directly, rather than relying on manual checks or separate systems.” The press release says it can run at the start of a transaction, before the firm meets the client. FCT’s article says it is delivered through FCT. |
| Who runs the check | Legal professionals. FCT’s article refers to “lawyers’ and notaries’ day-to-day workflows.” FCT’s product page says it applies to in-person and remote transactions. |
| How the client completes it | FCT’s product page: on a smartphone, using the eID-Me Digital ID app. “Desktop completion is not supported.” |
| Methods named | FCT’s product page lists reading eligible passports from the embedded chip, authenticating each uploaded ID, and checking details against sources including “credit bureau and mobile account verification.” Accepted IDs listed include a chip-enabled passport, provincial driver’s licence, Canadian photo ID card, permanent resident card and NEXUS card. FCT’s announcement article names no methods. |
| Certification | FCT’s product page says the product “is certified under the Digital ID and Authentication Council of Canada” under its Pan-Canadian Trust Framework. This is the vendor’s statement; we have not checked it against the certifying body. |
| Law society rules | Not stated. The pages refer to know-your-client (KYC) and anti-money laundering (AML) obligations in general terms. The Law Society is not mentioned, and no rule or by-law is cited. |
| What the lawyer receives | Not described. FCT’s product page says results are reviewed in the FCT portal or the integrated platform; the content and format of the report are not stated. |
| Data storage and retention | Not stated on either FCT page. FCT says clients “control when their verified identity information is shared” and can save their verified digital ID on their device. |
| Pricing | No prices on any page. FCT says portal requests are invoiced through the firm’s FCT account, that requests through an integrated platform may be billed by the platform provider, and that no FCT title insurance policy is required. |
Sources, read November 5, 2026: the Dye & Durham press release of January 13, 2026 (a republished copy), FCT’s announcement article and FCT’s Client ID Verification page. Search results report that Dye & Durham later added a second identity-verification option (Treefort) on April 1, 2026; we could not open that release, so this article covers only the FCT option.
Five questions to put to the vendor
- Does a completed check satisfy our own client-verification record-keeping? The pages talk about KYC and AML in general. Ask what the report contains and whether it is the record your firm needs on file, then confirm with the Law Society’s published requirements or your own counsel.
- What happens when the client has no smartphone or no eligible ID? Desktop completion is not supported, so ask what the fallback is and who bears its cost.
- Where is the client’s identity data stored, by whom, and for how long? Neither FCT page says. Ask for the privacy terms in writing, including any storage outside Canada.
- What does each check cost, and who invoices it? The pages say billing runs through FCT or the platform provider, but give no amount.
- What is the certification, exactly? Ask for the certificate or the certifying body’s listing instead of relying on a marketing sentence.
If the answers are specific and written, the feature may save re-keying on residential files. If they are vague, that is the finding. For the wider picture on closing software, see our Ontario real estate closing software guide, the real estate practice management guide and the seven-vendor data-location matrix.