What the 2026 privacy and AML changes mean for our clients

Two important legal changes are arriving in 2026 that affect how we work with you. The first is a new set of anti-money laundering obligations that will apply to many law firms from 1 July 2026. The second is a series of updates to Australia's privacy laws. This article explains what they mean in practice. It is general information only and not legal advice.

New anti-money laundering checks from 1 July 2026

From 1 July 2026, the Commonwealth anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) regime is being extended to cover legal practices that provide certain services. These reforms apply across the profession and bring Australia into line with international standards.

Where these rules apply to your matter, we may need to carry out some additional checks before we can act for you, receive or transfer funds, or complete a transaction. Please be assured this is a legal requirement that applies broadly across the profession — it is not a reflection on you personally.

What this means when you instruct us

In practice, you may be asked to provide identification so that we can verify who you are; to help us understand the ownership or control structure where a company or trust is involved; and to provide information about the source of funds for a transaction.

Having these documents ready when you contact us helps us open your matter without delay. If we are unable to complete the checks the law requires, we may not be able to act, receive funds, or proceed with a transaction.

Your privacy and how we handle your information

We have updated our Privacy Policy to explain clearly what personal information we collect, how we use and disclose it, how long we keep it, and how we protect it. You can read the current version on our website.

You have the right to ask for access to the personal information we hold about you, and to ask us to correct it if it is wrong. If you ever have a privacy concern, you can contact our Privacy Officer, and our policy explains how to make a complaint.

A note on automated decisions

From 10 December 2026, new privacy rules require organisations to be transparent about significant decisions made using automated systems. We are reviewing the tools we use so that our Privacy Policy reflects these requirements before they take effect.

Your confidentiality is still protected

None of these changes weaken the strict duty of confidentiality we owe you, or the legal professional privilege that protects your communications with us. Where the law requires us to collect or share information, we do so carefully and only to the extent required.

If you have any questions about how these changes affect your matter, please get in touch — we are happy to talk it through.