June 29, 2026

New Virtual Identity Verification Requirements for New Brunswick Lawyers Take Effect July 1, 2026

If you are a New Brunswick lawyer who has been verifying client identity remotely by video conference since the pandemic, holding an ID up to the camera and calling it done, that approach will no longer be acceptable. The Law Society of New Brunswick has published new guidance confirming that the temporary COVID-era workaround will end on July 1, 2026, and a more rigorous, technology-backed process is now required.

What Has Changed, and Why

During the pandemic, the Law Society temporarily permitted lawyers to verify client identity remotely through video conferencing as an alternative to in-person verification. While this provided necessary flexibility at the time, it was never intended to replace a secure identity verification process permanently.

Virtual verification through video alone creates vulnerabilities that can be exploited by fraudsters using stolen identities, altered documents, or sophisticated impersonation techniques.

Under subsection 6(6.1) of the Law Society of New Brunswick Rules on Client Identification, 2021, lawyers verifying identity virtually must now use a process or method that authenticates the government-issued photo ID. Simply viewing an ID over a video call is no longer enough.

The Bottom Line for New Brunswick Lawyers

If you have not already implemented a compliant authentication process, now is the time to do so.

The good news is that compliant authentication technology is available and reasonably affordable. The real cost is inaction: a verification process that falls short of the new rules creates unnecessary regulatory risk and leaves you more vulnerable to identity fraud.

To help members understand and comply with the new requirements, the Law Society of New Brunswick has published detailed guidance: Guidance for virtual verification of your client’s identity using government-issued photo ID and technology.

The guidance identifies Treefort as a bilingual (English/French) digital identity verification solution available to members seeking to meet the new virtual verification requirements and encourages members to select a provider that is approved or certified by the Digital Identification and Authentication Council of Canada (DIACC).

If you have questions about how Treefort’s identity verification technology can support compliance with the new virtual verification requirements, our team would be happy to help. Treefort’s customer support team is also available in both English and French to assist members throughout the verification process.

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