Due diligence is the step where you test whether a counterparty is acceptable before you rely on it. The useful evidence usually sits across ownership, directors, filings, sanctions, and reputation signals rather than in one source.
Start with the record
Read the legal name, company number, status, and filing trail first. Those fields should tell one consistent story before you treat the record as settled.
What to review
- the entity should be verified before you rely on it
- screening should include ownership, directors, and reputation
- uncertainty should trigger a deeper evidence review
When to escalate
Escalate when the record is incomplete, contradictory, or harder to attribute than it first appears. At that point you need the filing trail, ownership chain, or linked records before you rely on the result.