French source of funds: bank statements and notarial deeds for UK solicitors

Why UK solicitors request French bank statements and notarial deeds

When a UK property purchase, probate matter or other transaction is funded by assets held or realised in France, the solicitor may need to establish where the money came from, how it was accumulated and why it is available for the proposed transaction. A bank balance may show that funds exist; it does not, on its own, explain their legitimate economic origin.

Regulation 28(11)(a) of the Money Laundering Regulations 2017 requires ongoing scrutiny of transactions, including source of funds where necessary, consistent with a risk-based approach. The Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) explains that the file should show how the client's account of events is supported by the actual evidence. Depending on the facts, that evidence might include a French deed of sale, notary's completion statement, bank statements, inheritance records, a loan agreement or corporate documentation.

FrancoLegal's role is to coordinate the requested French-to-English documentary preparation and translation. The instructed regulated firm remains responsible for legal judgment, AML/KYC enquiries and deciding whether the evidence is satisfactory.

Three months, six months or several years: what does the law actually require?

There is no universal statutory six-month bank-statement rule. The SRA says firms must go back as far as needed to understand how transaction funds were accumulated. Its client and matter risk template explicitly observes that six months may suffice in some matters, while several years may be needed in others.

• Three months: may show recent account activity but may not explain substantial savings built up over a longer period.
• Six months: can show recurring earnings, movements between accounts and receipt of proceeds from a sale. Many firms use such a period as a practical starting point, not because it is mandatory in every case.
• A longer history: can be justified where wealth accumulated gradually, there are gifts or third-party contributions, funds cross several banks or countries, or the source is otherwise unclear.

Before commissioning a large translation bundle, ask the receiving solicitor which dates and accounts are required, and whether they need every entry translated or only specifically identified passages. Do not shorten a six-month request without the receiving firm's agreement.

Which French documents may support a source-of-funds explanation?

• French property sale: acte authentique de vente, notarial completion or settlement statement, supporting proof of the net proceeds and statements showing receipt of the funds.
• Employment and savings: consecutive statements, relevant payslips or tax evidence, and transfers between savings and current accounts.
• Inheritance: suitable notarial or succession records, distribution documentation and the statement recording payment to the beneficiary.
• Gift or loan: deed or signed agreement, proof of transfer and, where appropriate, evidence about the donor's or lender's own funds.
• Company disposal: share or business sale documents, proof of payment and any company records the solicitor requests.

The list is not a compliance checklist applicable to every transaction. The solicitor decides what evidence is sufficient for the matter. The SRA's source-of-funds thematic review warns against collecting documents as a tick-box exercise without actually scrutinising them.

Preparing French records for a UK firm's evidential review

1. Agree scope and certification before translation starts

Ask whether the firm needs every statement page, a defined period or a clearly identified selection of entries supported by the complete French original. Also confirm whether a signed translator's certificate, a certified copy or additional notarisation is requested. A translation alone does not authenticate the underlying source document.

2. Preserve the audit trail

Source records should be legible, complete and in a consistent order. The translation should permit clear matching of dates, account holder names, sums, currencies, running balances, payment references and page numbers. For multi-document instructions, it can help to supply a bilingual document index and retain the original beside the corresponding translation. These are good documentary practices, not universal legal formatting requirements.

3. Do not silently condense or redact relevant information

A summary must not be presented as a full translation. Unusual credits, account-to-account transfers and annexes may be significant to the receiving solicitor. Agree any selective translation or redaction with that firm in advance. Translating a statement does not establish that the transaction is lawful or that the underlying information is true.

4. Choose certification the receiving firm can evaluate

There is no general SRA-issued accreditation stamp for bank-statement translations. The Law Society's AML guidance notes that solicitors should ensure they understand foreign-language evidence and consider engaging a translator where appropriate. For certified translations, GOV.UK describes a written declaration of accuracy, the date, and the translator's full name and contact details. Individual firms may specify extra requirements; a notarial certification should not be assumed necessary in every case.

Worked example: French property sale proceeds used for a UK purchase

Illustrative example, not a client case. A client sells an apartment in France, receives the net proceeds in a French account, then transfers part of the proceeds to the UK to fund a purchase. The UK solicitor requests the French deed, the notary's financial statement and bank statements tracing receipt and onward transfer.

A well-prepared pack makes each document's purpose clear: the deed records the sale, the notarial settlement explains the net amount, and the bank evidence shows the money's movement. Consistent translation of names, dates and figures helps the receiving firm reconcile the records. If funds passed through another account, that missing step may require additional evidence. The pack supports the solicitor's analysis; it does not pre-approve the client's source of funds.

Translation costs and turnaround times

FrancoLegal advertises standard French–English certified translations from £59. That starting figure is not a fixed price for six months of bank statements. French notarial deeds and multi-month financial-record bundles are quoted individually, in writing, before any paid work begins.

Price depends on document volume, word count, transaction density, scan quality, required table reproduction, certification format, annexes and urgency. Where relevant, the written quote distinguishes FrancoLegal's fees from additional professional, certification and delivery charges.

We confirm each case's estimated turnaround in the written quotation after assessing the document volume, the translator's availability and the receiving firm's requirements. Multi-statement source-of-funds packs cannot be treated as standard single-page translations. We do not guarantee delivery dates or third-party acceptance before establishing the necessary scope.

Confidentiality and secure document handling

At the initial enquiry stage, share only the document types, approximate page count, language pair, receiving organisation and deadline. Do not upload complete bank statements, passports or other sensitive identity evidence through a public contact form or WhatsApp. A suitable private exchange method can be arranged once the matter has been scoped.

FrancoLegal coordinates the agreed documentary services, not the solicitor's regulatory compliance checks. The solicitor remains accountable for source-of-funds scrutiny, legal assessment and the sufficiency of the documents for that transaction.

Frequently asked questions

Does a certified translation make bank statements automatically acceptable to the SRA?

No. The SRA regulates solicitors and does not operate a universal translation-approval process. Certification describes the translator's work. The receiving firm decides whether the documents and any further corroboration are adequate.

Do French bank statements need an apostille for source-of-funds checks?

Not automatically. Apostilles, certified copies, translation certification and AML evidence are different matters. Ask the receiving professional to confirm exactly what is required; do not purchase legalisation without first verifying the document's eligibility.

Can only the relevant transactions be translated?

Possibly, if the solicitor expressly agrees the limited scope. The original pages and the extent of the translation should still be easy to identify. An unapproved partial translation can create further enquiries.

Who decides the relevant statement period?

The professional carrying out the risk-based review. Six months is neither a universal legal minimum nor proof that compliance requirements have been met.

Official and professional sources

• Money Laundering Regulations 2017 — Regulation 28 (check current amendments on legislation.gov.uk).
• SRA — Source of Funds and Wealth Q&A.
• SRA — Client and matter risk template (six months may suffice in some matters, longer in others).
• SRA — Thematic review of source-of-funds compliance.
• Law Society — AML guidance for the legal sector.
• GOV.UK — Certifying a document and a translation.