From 1 July 2026, changes to Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws will affect the way some documents are ordered and delivered through Law Central.

These changes are part of the AML/CTF reforms applying to certain professional and business services. Law Central is updating its systems and processes so that we can continue to provide documents efficiently while meeting our compliance obligations.

What documents will be affected?

AML/CTF checks will not apply to every Law Central document.

They will only apply where the document being ordered is considered to facilitate a designated service under the AML/CTF regime.

Examples may include documents relating to the creation or restructuring of companies, trusts or other entities, and other documents where AML/CTF obligations are triggered. We will provide further guidance as the rollout progresses.

What this means when ordering affected documents

For documents that are subject to AML/CTF requirements, Law Central will need to complete identity and AML/CTF checks before the document can be delivered.

This means:

• users ordering affected documents will need to complete identity and AML/CTF checks;

• Law Central may also need to conduct identity and AML/CTF checks on certain parties and their beneficial owners or controllers named in the documents we produce;

• additional questions may be included during the document-building process so we can assess the risk of the transaction;

• the cost of some documents will increase to reflect the additional compliance checks required; and

• affected documents will not be delivered until the required checks have been completed.

We understand that this introduces an additional step into the document ordering process. Our objective is to make the process as simple and practical as possible while ensuring that Law Central complies with its obligations.

Returning customers

In many cases, checks will not need to be repeated every time a returning customer orders an affected document.

Where a user is enrolled with AUSTRAC, Law Central will rely on the relevant identity check for up to 3 years.

For other individuals or entities identified through the document process, Law Central will rely on the relevant identity check for up to 1 year.

This means that, where the relevant check is still current and there has been no material change, the same person or entity may not need to complete the same check again for each future order.

Additional questions during the document process

For affected documents, you may notice additional questions appearing during the document interview.

These questions are designed to help Law Central assess the risk associated with the transaction and determine what level of checking is required.

The questions may relate to matters such as the parties involved, the purpose of the document, the nature of the transaction, and whether any higher-risk factors are present.

Reliance Membership — coming soon

Law Central will soon be offering a Reliance Membership option for customers who are enrolled with AUSTRAC.

Where a customer has already completed the required identity and AML/CTF checks on the relevant document parties, and the necessary requirements are satisfied, Law Central may be able to rely on those checks rather than requiring the parties to complete the process again through Law Central.

This is intended to reduce duplication for professional customers who already have AML/CTF processes in place.

Further information about Reliance Membership, eligibility and how the process will work will be released soon.

What you should do now

To prepare for the changes, we recommend that members:

• consider whether they or their firm will be enrolled with AUSTRAC;

• review their own client identification and AML/CTF processes;

• ensure that individuals associated with companies, trusts and other entities have current identity documents available;

• allow additional time for affected documents to be completed and delivered; and

• watch for further Law Central updates as we finalise our AML/CTF processes.

Our commitment

Law Central is committed to making these changes as smooth as possible for our members.

While AML/CTF checks will add steps, time and cost to some document orders, our goal is to keep the process clear, efficient and proportionate.

We will provide further updates before the changes commence, including more detail about affected documents, pricing, the identity checking process and Reliance Membership.