Q: Is it legit for a lawyer to ask for a social security number through email?

A: Research the law firm and confirm the name, identity, and reputation of the attorney. If it comes back legit, then you have nothing to worry about. You can also search the attorney's name in the Maryland case search to see what kind of cases they have handled (keep in mind not all attorneys practice in court, but if this one claims to do so you should be able to find him or her in the case search). Double-check with your boyfriend about the attorney's name and information, and get confirmation from him that it is okay to speak with the attorney. Finally, it is possible that the attorney is requesting the sensitive information without taking into account the lack of security of sending it via e-mail. While that is concerning, it's not a cause for alarm. Simply, call the attorney's office after you have verified his or her identity, and speak with them about the use of the information. Ask them to explain to you their confidentiality policy, etc., and then if you feel comfortable you can let the attorney know you will provide them with the information over the phone only. You should request copies of the document that the attorney is submitting, and if you don't feel comfortable receiving them via e-mail, ask the attorney to mail them to an address you feel comfortable sharing. Again, I do not suggest that you send sensitive and personally identifying information via e-mail. If you feel comfortable with sharing your information over the phone after you've done some verification, then it should be fine to do so.

Maryland case search link: https://casesearch.courts.state.md.us/casesearch/

Best of Luck!

A: It really isn't clear what you mean by "next of kin paperwork." Do you mean the attorney is designating you in estate planning documents? While it is very common to request addresses and phone numbers of beneficiaries, it would be quite unusual to ask for a beneficiary's photo ID or run "background checks" just to designate you in planning documents. Sometimes financial institutions will ask for a beneficiary's SSN.

As another attorney posted, if getting any questionable requests from someone who says they are a lawyer first verify that they are in fact a licensed attorney (in MD check with the Maryland Court of Appeals to see if the lawyer is licensed in this state and that the phone numbers, etc. match). Some attorneys who practice estate planning will not actively handle other types of cases (litigation) so they may not show up in the Maryland Judiciary Case Search which lists attorneys who have handled litigation cases in Maryland courts (but does not list attorneys handling estates). Every attorney though will show up in the Court's list of licensed attorneys: https://www.mdcourts.gov/attysearch

If this request in fact comes from an actual licensed attorney it is perfectly reasonable to ask them why they need the information. It is also perfectly reasonable to insist that a full SSN only be relayed through encrypted/password protected documents and not through email.

While not legal advice, I hope this general information helps!