Addisons’ approach to AML/CTF
Our obligations
From 1 July 2026, Addisons and all other Australian law firms (and many other professional service providers) must comply with Australia’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) regime.
AML/CTF laws have applied to some Australian organisations such as financial institutions for many years. The Australian Government has now extended the regime to include the activities of Australian law firms and other professional services organisations to protect against money laundering, terrorism financing, proliferation financing and other criminal activity.
Under the updated AML/CTF regime, all regulated businesses such as Addisons must collect and verify certain information about our clients before we provide certain services, known as ‘designated services’, even if they have an existing relationship with us.
The AML/CTF process
How this impacts our clients
Where our engagement involves or is expected to involve the provision of a designated service, we will need to conduct ‘customer due diligence’ (CDD). This will involve collecting certain relevant information (referred to below).
We will also be required to verify the identity of certain individuals involved with our clients (e.g. key contacts, ultimate owners or controllers).
We are using market-leading software for this purpose and have designed our AML/CTF process to be as seamless and efficient as possible for our clients to complete.
What information we will ask for
Information requests are tailored to individual clients based on client structure and legal requirements. In most cases, information required will include:
Individuals: a form of government‑issued photo identification, such as a passport or driver’s licence. You will be asked to upload a clear photograph of them as part of the verification process and in some circumstances, we may need to sight original documents. Unfortunately, screenshots of digital IDs are not accepted. The software contains a user-friendly interface for doing this on a mobile or desktop device.
Companies, trusts, SMSFs and partnerships:
- key formation or governing documents, together with basic details about the entity
- information about the individuals who own or control an entity
Funds and financial information: in some circumstances, we may be required to request information about sources of funds.
How CDD checks work
- Share your details: We will request identity information and any relevant documents. Please expect an email request which will include instructions and a link to take you to our third-party platform software to upload documents and insert information.
- We verify your information: Identity and ownership details are checked securely through the platform and public databases.
If further documents or explanations are needed, we’ll let you know. - Complete the assessment: Once you have completed the request, we review the information required and confirm all required checks have been completed.
- Begin working with you: Once checks are complete, we proceed with your matter.
Our commitment to responsible data handling
We take privacy and data security seriously. Personal information you provide to us is handled in accordance with:
- the Australian Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and our privacy policy
- Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act) regulatory requirements
We have engaged FirstAML to conduct electronic identity verification, to verify or authenticate documents and conduct compliance checks for CDD purposes. Data collected by FirstAML will be collected, used and disclosed in accordance with its privacy policy available at Privacy Policy | First AML.
If you have any concerns or questions, please email: [email protected]