Anti-Money Laundering Guidance for the Legal Sector 2021

The Legal Sector Affinity Group (LSAG), which includes all UK legal sector professional bodies and supervisors, has completed an extensive revision and redraft of its AML guidance. This replaces previous versions of the guidance and is published in draft pending approval by HMT.

Read the guidance: AML Guidance for the Legal Sector 2021

This is the main AML guidance for the legal sector. It builds on previous AML guidance released after the implementation of the Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Transfer of Funds (Information on the Payer) Regulations 2017 (MLRs) and incorporates subsequent amendments made by:

• The Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) Regulations 2019 (implementing 5MLD)
• The Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2020.

This guidance is subject to review by Her Majesty’s Treasury (HMT). Any content may be amended before the final version which will only be published with HMT’s full approval in the coming months. The authors accept no liability for the contents of the guidance.

The final HMT-approved guidance will be released in two parts. This is the first of the two parts and is the main part of relevance for practices we supervise for AML.

Added in April 2021, Part 2 Guidance

LSAG Guidance Part 2a Barristers Advocates CMC

LSAG Guidance Part 2b TCSPs

LSAG Guidance Part 2c Notaries

You can consider this to be formal CLC guidance until a HMT-approved version is available. The HMT approved version will also be reliable upon under provisions in the regulations e.g. regulation 21(10)(b)(ii) – determining what is appropriate with regard to the size and nature of your business.