QES for Conveyancing

Major efficiency gain vs. CCES and wet ink

QES pre-verifies each signatory's identity through two layers of biometric assurance: NFC chip reading of a valid passport and a real-time biometric liveness check on mobile. Because identity is cryptographically confirmed before the signature is applied, there is no legal requirement for an attesting witness — a significant efficiency gain over both CCES and wet ink deed execution.

s.91 LRA 2002 compliant — no counterparts

All parties — buyer, seller, lender — sign the same single electronic document sequentially, rather than executing separate counterparts. This directly satisfies HMLR's requirement under s.91 LRA 2002, which does not permit counterpart execution for electronic deeds. One document, one audit trail, one submission.

eIDAS Qualified — the highest legal standard

Digidentity is a UK eIDAS Qualified Trust Service Provider — the highest certification level under the electronic signatures framework. Our QES provides cryptographic proof of identity, non-repudiation of the signed document, and an immutable audit trail. This goes significantly beyond the legal assurance offered by simple electronic signatures or CCES.

Full end-to-end digital workflow

Eliminate the full paper cycle: printing, witnessing, scanning, posting, chasing, re-scanning. A transaction that previously required days of co-ordination can now complete in under an hour. Clients sign on their mobile phone. The document is returned to you digitally, timestamped and cryptographically sealed.

UK DIATF certified — additional assurance

HMLR has signalled a strategic direction toward QES as the standard for electronic deed execution, and lenders including Nationwide have already begun accepting QES-executed charges. Adopting QES now positions your firm ahead of regulatory change, reduces risk of rework, and signals to clients that your practice operates at the frontier of digital conveyancing.

HMLR accepts Qualified Electronic Signatures from UK eIDAS Qualified Trust Service Providers (QTSPs). Digidentity is a QTSP, meaning our QES meets HMLR's legal and technical requirements for electronic deed execution under s.91 LRA 2002. We are also certified under the UK DIATF — the Digital Identity and Attributes Trust Framework — providing an additional layer of identity assurance recognised across public and private sector services.

Using Digidentity, your client verifies their identity once via our mobile app — an NFC scan of their passport followed by a biometric liveness check. The solicitor then prepares the deed in their preferred platform (eSGN, Adobe Sign, Docusign, Legalesign, or via API). All parties sign the same electronic document sequentially. The completed document carries cryptographic proof of identity and a full audit trail, and is ready for immediate HMLR submission.

Our platform is specifically designed to eliminate counterparts. All parties — buyers, sellers, lenders — sign the same single electronic document in sequence. This directly satisfies HMLR's s.91 LRA 2002 requirement and removes the legal and administrative complexity of managing counterpart execution. You end up with one document, one audit trail, and one submission.

No. QES pre-verifies the signatory's identity through two independent methods: NFC reading of a valid passport chip and a real-time biometric liveness check. This cryptographic verification eliminates the legal requirement for a witness to attest to the signatory's identity — which is required for both wet ink execution and CCES. This is one of the most significant practical efficiency gains QES offers for deed execution.

No. External clients and counterparties — buyers, sellers, borrowers, or their solicitors — can set up and complete their QES in under 5 minutes via the Digidentity mobile app, without any prior account. This is critical for residential and commercial transactions where you have no influence over the other side's choice of technology or provider.

Digidentity offers unlimited signing packages for Solicitors and custom signature bundles based on your usage, making it cost-effective for firms of any size. If you prefer to work within Adobe Sign, Docusign, or Legalesign, QES can be layered into those platforms. Different integration and setup options available. Contact us to discuss pricing for your firm's expected usage.