Bill Jones represents ML Solutions 4U

It may not be news to law firms that, as of the anti-money laundering (AML) regulations 2007, all solicitors, legal support and administration staff must comply with certain regulations and be properly trained. However, a new form of online training from ML Solutions 4U (www.mlsolutions4u.co.uk) may now make this much easier to achieve.

For anyone who isn’t aware of the extent of the regulations and how they affect law firms, we’ll start with a quick re-cap.

How the regulations affect law firms: re-cap

The anti-money laundering regulations 2007 affect all solicitors and law firms in the UK, and compliance with them is serious business; in fact, failure to comply is a criminal offence.

The regulations require that law firms ensure their employees are:

• made aware of the law relating to money laundering and terrorist financing; and
• regularly given training in how to recognise and deal with transactions and other activities which may be related to money laundering or terrorist financing.

It’s fair to say that many organisations have found it difficult to understand exactly what is required i.e. the logistical aspects of ensuring that all staff receive initial training and refresher training. They may also not fully understand the serious implications if things go wrong.

Dirty money sticks

Online AML training

After extensive research, firms like ML Solutions 4U (www.mlsolutions4u.co.uk) have provided dedicated online training platforms that provide the right level of online training dependent on job role, are easy for the firms themselves to access and manage and are cost effective.

These online training solutions put the power in the hands of the law firms, as opposed to a third party, giving them all the tools necessary to manage their own training.

It’s a highly flexible solution to the issues tied up with AML training for law firms, with online training providing benefits like a choice of two different levels of training for fee earners and administration and support staff, optional refresher courses to ensure your firm complies with the requirement for ongoing training and the ability to download and print relevant course content and certificates.

Online modules also provide user firms with the ability to monitor, manage and control their employees’ training, giving them the power to set up reminders, deadlines and schedules for completion of specific sections of training.

It gives participating firms full control over their training, meaning partners and other senior staff can quickly and easily ensure their firm is fully compliant with all existing employee training regulations and is not breaking the law.

A cost-effective alternative?

Companies like ML Solutions 4U provide easy to understand price guides that allow firms to work out exactly how much online training will cost based on the number of fee earners, administration and support staff which require training, so it should be immediately evident whether online training will prove cost-effective for your firm.

However, regardless of cost, the relative ease and level of control providing by online training solutions make it a desirable alternative for the vast majority of law firms.

Ensure your firm complies with AML Regulations

Don’t run the risk of non-compliance, as the repercussions could be extremely serious for your firm; these can include civil, monetary and criminal penalties, increased regulatory attention, and reputational damage. In light of this, it really is worth every law firm’s while to ensure they are fully complaint, and there’s no easier way to do so than online training.

Online training: further information

If you’re interested in learning more about online AML training, visit the ML Solutions 4U website. Find out more about the company’s online anti-money laundering training.

Bill Jones is the Managing Director of ML Solutions 4U. He is also the Managing Partner of JMW Solicitors LLP a major UK law firm and a member of the Law Society’s specialist anti-money laundering panel. He has helped organisations all over the UK to set up compliant and cost effective systems and he regularly provides in-house and external AML training. Bill can be contacted by telephone on 0845 872 7361 or email info@mlsolutions4u.co.uk