From 1 July 2026, changes to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) Act will result in certain legal services being subject to new regulatory obligations. To ensure we are prepared to continue working with you without disruption, we may need to ask you to provide additional documentation when we act for you on certain matters. These checks help protect the financial system and the community.
Australia’s AML/CTF law is designed to stop illegal funds from entering the financial system. It is estimated that more than $68 billion worth of crime-related money is cleaned through Australia every year. The new law obliges lawyers to obtain information from clients about their identity and source of wealth or funds in certain circumstances.
The new regulatory obligations will apply when our firm provides specific ‘designated services‘ to clients. This includes when we assist with property or business transactions, handle client money or assets, and assist with the formation or restructuring of companies, trusts or partnerships.
If you require any of these ‘designated services’, we may need to complete Client Due Diligence (CDD) checks before we can proceed. These checks will be mandatory for all law firms.
CDD includes collecting and verifying identity documents using reliable, independent sources. As part of our CDD process we may ask for information that will help us verify our client’s identity and, if relevant, the identity of anyone who controls or benefits from the client, such as trustees or beneficial owners. In some cases, you may also need to provide additional documents and allow us to complete identity verification of certain individuals.
We are committed to supporting our clients under the new AML/CTF regulatory framework and ensuring the smooth and uninterrupted continuation of our services. If you need any further clarification, please do not hesitate to contact the lawyer working with you.
Any personal information collected as part of the AML/CTF checks process will be handled securely and in accordance with our confidentiality and privacy obligations. This includes information relating to relevant client representatives, beneficial owners or other individuals connected with your client entity.
We only collect what is reasonably necessary to comply with our AML/CTF obligations. Further information is available in our privacy policy.
