09/06/2026
From 1 July 2026, Australian law firms providing certain legal services will be subject to new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing obligations. These obligations apply to designated services, including many property, business, company, trust, financing and client money transactions.
As a result, we may need to collect and verify information about your identity, the purpose of the matter, the source of funds, and for companies, trusts or other entities, the individuals who ultimately own or control the client.
These checks are mandatory legal requirements. They are not a reflection of any concern about you personally. Similar checks are already common in the banking and financial sectors.
To avoid delays, please provide requested identification and supporting documents as early as possible. In some matters, we may be unable to commence or continue regulated work until required AML/CTF checks have been completed.
Information provided to us will be handled in accordance with privacy laws, our professional obligations and our privacy policy. Legal professional privilege remains protected.
At Donovan Oates Hannaford we are committed to making these changes as seamless as possible for you. We value your trust and are here to answer any questions you may have.
Read the full breakdown on our latest blog https://www.dohlaw.com.au/new-aml-ctf-laws/