Define the company, date and question
List the client, counterparty and related entities separately, with identifiers, research questions and relevant dates. Choose incorporation details, a dated annual return or a Company Particulars Report, then identify any additional change filings needed.
Companies Registry: specified forms and completion notes ↗Companies Registry: annual return FAQ ↗
Trace ownership one documented layer at a time
Start with member information in a complete NAR1 and obtain separate records for any corporate holders. Retain sources, dates, share classes and unresolved questions for each layer. Similar names do not establish identity, and registered holders do not by themselves establish ultimate beneficial ownership.
Companies Registry: specified forms and completion notes ↗Companies Registry: Significant Controllers Register ↗
Hand over a question with its evidence gap
The worksheet keeps the matter reference, entity, relevant date, source page and next action on one row. Write the proposition first, then its supporting evidence. Leave unsupported values unresolved and assign a next step rather than marking them verified.
Scroll sideways to see all columns; focus the table and use arrow keys on a keyboard.
| Question | Evidence available | Unresolved conclusion | Next action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Who are the direct holders on the relevant date? | Complete NAR1 member schedules and relevant date | A capital total alone does not identify holders | Obtain member schedules and record source pages |
| Who holds the corporate shareholder? | Separate dated records for that corporate holder | The target company’s NAR1 alone does not answer this | Open a separate row; leave unknown layers unresolved |
| Do two records refer to the same entity? | Name, original identifier label, jurisdiction and source | Identical or similar names alone do not establish identity | Record discrepancies for the matter owner to resolve |
Companies Registry: specified forms and completion notes ↗Companies Registry: annual return FAQ ↗
Worked matter: an older filing for a later transaction date
This is an entirely fictional document exercise, not a client matter. The matter owner needs A’s recorded holders and directors on 2024-10-15. The available NAR1 describes 2024-08-01 and was downloaded on 20 October. Begin with separate columns for the question’s date and the evidence date, before drawing an ownership chart.
Suppose the member schedule names B and a director page names an individual. You can record what that dated filing says; you cannot silently turn it into a finding for 15 October. List the intervening questions and ask the matter owner which further filings, client records or other evidence are required.
Create a separate entity record for B, retaining its source name, identifier label and jurisdiction. If you only have a two-page excerpt for A without members, stop at “member pages missing”; B cannot be inserted into the chart from assumption. That explicit stopping point makes the next handover actionable.
- State the matter question, relevant date and roles to establish.
- Inventory each original, record date, page scope and receipt date.
- Separate directly transcribed observations from propositions needing judgment.
- Draw only sourced edges; leave unresolved layers in the issue list.
Companies Registry: annual return FAQ ↗Companies Registry: specified forms and completion notes ↗
Turn discrepancies into reviewable issues
Preserve both versions instead of overwriting one with the apparently newer value. Record the document references, dates, pages, conflicting text, affected question and owner. “Name mismatch” is too vague: identify exactly which part of the contract heading differs from the company name on page 1.
Keep legacy company numbers, BRNs and overseas identifiers under their original labels. Do not merge people or entities solely because their names match. An unresolved identity match should remain explicit so the ownership diagram does not connect the wrong entities.
Keep unresolved issues in the deliverable rather than only in a chat thread. Use statuses such as “dated filing required”, “corporate identity unresolved” or “source unreadable”. These describe document work; they do not determine legal effect or admissibility.
What a matter handover should let another reviewer reproduce
A reproducible handover can include the original-file index, field or relationship register, timeline and issue list. Retain received originals separately from rotated, OCR-processed, split or redacted working copies. Record both PDF position and printed page number when they differ.
A fictional finding could read: “D-01, page 3, record date 2024-08-01, lists B as a holder of a specified class in A; the transaction-date position remains unconfirmed.” Do not shorten that to “B controls A”: it introduces a conclusion the transcription has not established.
Ask a second reviewer to locate the same file, page and value using only the register. Add missing references, split rows that mix dates and return unsupported diagram edges to the issue list. This checks the handover itself rather than whether the spreadsheet looks complete.
Frequently asked questions
Does document extraction complete due diligence?
No. The service organises selected filings and agreed fields. Ownership investigation, identity verification and legal assessment require separate work.
References
- Companies Registry: specified forms and completion notes ↗
- Companies Registry: annual return FAQ ↗
- Companies Registry: Significant Controllers Register ↗
Use the checklists and examples to prepare your documents. When checking an official form, note which version the guide refers to.