We’ve come to the end of another month at Harriss Jones Lawyers so it’s time for another update on what we’ve been up to.

We hope you all survived the Easter holiday period and if you were tasked with keeping the family busy during school holidays, we hope you were able to also get a break of your own.

While we don’t have any major updates this month, we do have some news about changes coming which will have some minor impacts on our clients who may be thinking about purchasing property or considering selling. This will also affect clients who are inheriting property or dealing with property in the course of administering an estate as an executor.

In November 2024, the Federal Government passed legislation which would bring changes to the way some businesses verify a person’s identity and that the funds they are using. The obligations for entities like law firms will take effect as of 1 July 2026.

What does this mean for you? As of 1 July 2026, we will now be required to implement processes and procedures which will involve increased due diligence on clients when processing transactions like those associated with the buying and selling of property. This will occur during the identity verification process which all persons engaging in property transactions are already required to undertake. Much of this information will be reported back to AUSTRAC and used to assist in monitoring and combatting money laundering.

This isn’t all as scary as it might seem and you will likely not notice a major change in the way you interact with our team and the identity verification process, however, those who have not used the digital verification process will now be required to do so and the paper process will be phased out. Each of our team has been briefed on the changes and will be enrolled in the new system which aims to bring a safer transacting process for all our clients.

Our receptionist Nicole has also recently been sworn in as Justice of the Peace and will be able to witness and certify documents such as passport applications or copies of original documents. Please do not hesitate to contact our office and speak with Nicole to confirm availability. Congratulations Nicole!

We’d also like to extend our congratulations to all our clients who have recently purchased property or sold and moved into new homes. Our conveyancing team is hard at work as always, ensuring our clients have a smooth experience in buying or selling. We are grateful for your trust and are always here to support you with your legal needs as you move forward in life.

Our team remains committed to providing high-quality legal services to all our clients. Whether you need assistance with a property transaction, will or business-related matter, we’re here to help.

We’d also love to hear from you! If you’ve worked with us recently, we’d appreciate your feedback. Feel free to leave a Google or Facebook review or drop us a note at admin@hjlaw.com.au. From all of us at Harriss Jones Lawyers, thank you for your continued support. We look forward to helping you navigate the legal landscape in the months ahead.