Published on Monday 01 June, 2026
These changes are designed to help prevent money laundering, terrorism financing and other serious financial crime. They also bring Australia more closely in line with international standards.
For clients, this means we may need to collect and verify additional information before we can start, or continue, work on some matters.Depending on the type of legal service you need, we will be obliged to ask you to provide additional information as part of our client onboarding process.
This may include:
These checks are a legal requirement and are part of our broader responsibility to help protect clients, the community and the integrity of the legal system. Some of this information was already required for certain matters.
The new requirements may apply to certain matters involving:
Not every legal matter will require the same level of information. We will let you know what is needed for your matter.
We understand that providing additional information may feel unfamiliar or inconvenient. Our team will make the process as clear and straightforward as possible.
Any information you provide will be handled in accordance with our confidentiality obligations, privacy requirements and internal security processes.
Where these checks are required, we may not be able to begin or continue work until the necessary information has been provided and verified. Completion of these processes can take several days.
The new anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws require certain professional service providers, including law firms providing designated services, to complete customer due diligence checks. This includes taking reasonable steps to confirm a client’s identity.
No. The requirements are more likely to apply to matters involving property, businesses, companies, trusts, funds or other assets. We will tell you if the requirements apply to your matter.
This may include documents such as a driver’s licence, passport or other approved identification. In some cases, we may ask you to complete an electronic identity check.
In some matters, yes. We may need to ask where funds are coming from, particularly where a transaction involves property, business assets, trusts, companies or larger transfers of money.
If the required information is not provided, we may be unable to start or continue acting in your matter. We will explain what is needed and work with you to make the process as practical as possible.
Possibly. Existing clients may still need to provide updated or additional information, depending on the type of matter and the information we already hold.
Your information will be handled in accordance with our legal obligations, confidentiality duties, privacy requirements and internal data security processes.
Law firms can sometimes be involved in transactions that criminals try to misuse, such as property transfers, business structures or movement of funds. The new laws are intended to reduce that risk and strengthen Australia’s financial crime protections.
Please contact your lawyer or our team if you have questions about what information is required for your matter.
If you need advice or direction from a lawyer, please contact us on (08) 8321 1110 or get in touch online.
The content of this article is intended to provide a general guide to the subject matter. Specialist advice should be sought about your specific circumstances.
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