For conveyancers and property lawyers, AML/CTF obligations under Tranche 2 became a live requirement from 1 July 2026. Enrolment with the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) opened on 31 March 2026, and firms spent the months before obligations commenced on 1 July 2026 working out what compliance would involve (enrolment itself was due by 29 July 2026). For small firms, AML/CTF compliance meant building a new way of working with only a handful of people. This is how The Conveyancing Group, a boutique practice on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, prepared using the triSearch Compliance Centre, told through the experience of licensed conveyancer Lauren Haines.
What did the new AML/CTF regime mean for a small conveyancing firm?
For a three-person firm, AML/CTF meant enrolling with AUSTRAC, having a risk-based AML/CTF program in place, appointing an AML/CTF compliance officer, running customer due diligence before providing a designated service, reporting suspicious matters, and keeping records. The Conveyancing Group is a boutique team of two licensed conveyancers and a support staff member, handling residential and commercial sales and purchases, off-the-plan property, family transfers, and commercial leases across New South Wales.
The early months were defined by uncertainty. Guidance firmed up slowly, software providers were calling well before anyone knew exactly what would be required, and the prospect of penalties for a missed step made it feel high stakes. As Lauren puts it, when the regime was first announced, “it was quite scary for a lot of practitioners, because we didn’t really know what it was going to mean to us on a practical level, day to day.” So the firm held off committing until it understood how a solution would fit its workflow.
Why choose a compliance solution built for conveyancers?
Rather than adapt a general compliance tool, the firm wanted one built around the way conveyancers work. That’s what drew Lauren to triSearch.
“One of the important things with my interest towards triSearch was that they already understand the conveyancing process inside and out,” she says. “They understand what we do on the front line and the core of what we do on a day-to-day basis, so the Compliance Centre fitted in well with what we already do.”
Data security mattered just as much. Under AML/CTF, firms hold more sensitive client information than before, from identity documents to, where the risk calls for it, source of funds information and bank statements. Knowing that data is stored in Australia, on an ISO 27001-certified platform, gave the firm comfort about where that information sits.
What does AML/CTF compliance look like day to day?
Because the Compliance Centre sits inside the firm’s existing conveyancing software, compliance runs alongside each matter rather than in a separate system. The team set its policies and procedures at a firm level, then let those flow through to individual staff, so everyone was working to the same process.
Having everything in one place also made training and daily use more straightforward. Client onboarding, verification of identity (VOI), and customer due diligence live in the same workspace the team already works in, which means no juggling extra logins to complete the checks on a matter.
What AML/CTF support is there when you get stuck?
For a small team, the timing was tough. Enrolment coincided with end of month and end of financial year, and Lauren credits triSearch’s guided help with getting the firm across the line.
“Ally from triSearch sat down with me from beginning to end and got me set up,” she says. “It was an absolute lifesaver. I wouldn’t have done it without her.”
Beyond onboarding, the firm has found triSearch’s regular AML/CTF check-ins valuable, hearing how other conveyancers are handling real situations and getting questions answered. Confidence built gradually, matter by matter, as the team worked through company structures, powers of attorney, and everyday files.
What would you tell a firm that hasn’t started?
Lauren’s message to other practitioners is that the work is manageable.
“It’s important for conveyancers to know that they don’t have to do this alone, that there is a Compliance Centre,” she says.
A few months in, she says, the fear has eased. For Lauren, working through the process is what gives the firm confidence it is meeting its obligations.
See the Compliance Centre for your firm
Whether your firm is already enrolled or still working through its AML/CTF obligations, a walkthrough with our team is the clearest way to see if the Compliance Centre suits your practice. Book a demo of the Compliance Centre and see how it works alongside your firm’s matters.
triSearch provides software solutions for conveyancing processes. Users remain responsible for compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
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