Charles Legal Group

13/07/2026

From 1 July 2026, a new Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing (AML/CTF) measures have been enforced in accordance with legislative reforms. This is now a legal requirement to complete.

Under the AML/CTF Amendment Act 2024, professional in the sectors of law, real estates and accountants will need to:

➡️ Verify customer identity
➡️ Monitor transactions or unusual or suspicious activity
➡️ Report suspicious activity to relevant authorities

As a conveyancing seller or buyer or estate executor, this mean you will be asked for more detailed information and documentation throughout the matter. We are not being painful, this is now the law. We are required to confirm where funds for conveyancing matters are coming from and much more.

As part of the identity verification process clients will be sent a link to complete verification. In this link you will have to upload copies of your identification like passport, driver licence, medicare card, marriage and birth certificates, Immigration Certificates etc.

If you refuse to provide the information requested, then we are legally prohibited from acting on your behalf. It will also trigger a suspicious matter report with governing bodies. This is not something that we are taking lightly as we can be fined for not completing the requirements.

We ask that you give us a little time, this change is big and we all need to work together to protect ourselves and our clients.

If you have any further queries, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

20/04/2026

26/03/2026

Fuel Prices Are Rising — But Can you be Charged Extra?

South West Queensland businesses are feeling the squeeze as fuel costs surge. Transport, delivery, farming, tourism — every kilometre is costing more. But before you add a “fuel surcharge” or increase your prices, make sure you’re on the right side of the law.

🚨 What You Can Do
Businesses can adjust prices or introduce surcharges — but only if it’s done transparently and lawfully. The ACCC requires that any extra fees must be clearly disclosed, not misleading, and not unfairly applied. If you have terms and conditions where you set the price, you may be stuck.

⚠️ What You Can’t Do
Hidden fees, unclear pricing, or sudden unexplained increases can expose businesses to legal risk, penalties, and reputational damage.

Practical Tips
Most people understand that costs are increasing as a result of the crisis. Maybe you could agree to fuel surcharge rather than a fee increase. That way, when the fuel costs go down, you can more easily monitor the cost. If it is a price increase – they might just become the new norm.

16/03/2026

Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney – are they worth the hassle and cost?

If you’ve got:
✅a house that you think of as your castle,
✅a mob of cattle, or
✅some cash buried in the back yard, or
✅treasures collected over a lifetime, or
✅a tractor you love more than most people,or
✅a dog that thinks it owns the place…

…then you’ve also got something worth protecting.

A Will isn’t just for city folk in shiny shoes – it’s how you make sure your hard work goes where you want it to go, not where the law guesses it should.

And an Enduring Power of Attorney? That’s the “just in case” plan for when you’re crook, injured, mentally impaired, or temporarily out of action and someone needs to:
✅pay the bills
✅deal with the bank
✅keep the farm, business, or household running

Because leaving things “we’ll sort it out later” often leads to family meetings that feel more like a clearing sale… but with less agreement and more lawyers.

If you can plan for drought, floods, paying electricity bills, and machinery breakdowns, you can plan for this too.

📍 Local. Practical. No legal waffle.

Message our team if you want it done properly.

12/02/2026

Charles Legal Group were in Quilpie this week supporting Quiplie Shire Council with their wellbeing week for staff. We were able to catch up with some awesome people to discuss estate planning, carbon projects and succession planning for rural properties. Quilpie is an awesome community and it was great to be able to spend a few days in town.

17/11/2025

Is your business running you, or are you running your business?

As a business owner, you're so busy with the day-to-day that you don't have time for thinking about growth, or even how you might eventually get out through sale or succession.

This is a common scenario with many businesses, particularly those in rural and regional areas where it is sometimes hard to get staff. At Charles Legal Group, we have seen this on many occasions and have seen what does and does not work. Putting your head in the sand is not a solution we recommend! From time to time you need to step back and work on your business, rather than in it. Give us a call today on (07) 4654 1144 and we are happy to have a free initial consult on the types of things that might work for you.