From 1 July 2026, new anti‑money laundering laws will apply to many Australian law practices, including those that provide services such as property transactions, trusts, companies and certain financial or commercial work.
These changes form part of a nationwide effort to prevent serious financial crime, including fraud and money laundering. While the new requirements affect how law practices operate behind the scenes, our focus remains the same: providing clear, practical and trusted legal advice.
Why are these changes happening?
Australia is updating its laws to align with international standards and to close gaps that criminals can exploit. Regulators have identified that certain professional services, including some legal services, can be misused for illegal activity if appropriate checks are not in place.
The new laws are designed to strengthen safeguards across the legal and financial system.
Will this affect all legal work?
No. The new requirements apply only to certain higher‑risk legal services, such as:
- buying or selling property
- setting up companies or trusts
- managing client funds
- some commercial and financial transactions
Many areas of legal work, including litigation and court‑based matters, are not affected.
What might clients notice?
For some matters, we may need to:
- request additional identification documents
- ask questions about the nature or purpose of a transaction
- carry out ongoing checks during longer‑running matters
These steps are now required by law and are similar to the checks clients may already be familiar with when dealing with banks or other financial institutions.
What are we doing to prepare?
Dobson Mitchell Allport is actively preparing for these changes by:
- reviewing our internal systems and processes
- training our staff on the new requirements
- ensuring compliance is handled efficiently and respectfully
Our aim is to make this transition as smooth as possible for our clients, with minimal disruption to your legal matters.
Need more information?
If you have questions about how these changes may affect your matter, we are happy to discuss them with you. Please feel free to speak with your lawyer or contact our office.
