AML Legislation

WHY DO WE NEED YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION?
From 1 July 2018 all law firms must meet the requirements of the Anti- Money Laundering and Countering Financing of Terrorism Act 2009. This means we must obtain and verify information about all new and existing clients (no matter how long we have known you for) and obtain additional information, such as source of wealth for Trusts and other entities. This is what the Act calls “customer due diligence” (‘CDD’).

We require verification of identity (to obtain full name, date of birth and proof of address) and will need to retain a copy of either:

• your current passport; or
• firearms licence; or
• certificate of identity

If you do not have either of these then:

• NZ or overseas driver’s licence; or
• 18+ Card

And:

• birth certificate; or
• bank statement; or
• debit/credit card

For proof of street address, we require either:

• utility bill; or
• rate’s bill; or
• bank statement.

If you are coming to see us about a company or trust then we will require the above information and identification for all trustees, directors, and shareholders as well as company identifier or registration number. For beneficiaries of trusts or estates we will require their name and date of birth. In addition to this if we are assisting in a property transaction, we will also need your IRD number and source of wealth of the Trust.

If we cannot complete CDD on you, or cannot verify identification you have provided, then we are not permitted to act for you under this legislation.

If you have any concerns at all, please do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected]