Privacy Collection Notice
This privacy collection notice from Cohen Legal (ABN 35 611 751 181) outlines why we collect your personal information, what we collect, how we collect it and who we share it with. Cohen Legal is committed to protecting your privacy and handles personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles.
Why we need to collect your information
We collect your personal information to comply with the ‘Customer Due Diligence’ requirements in the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act). This includes to:
- establish and verify your identity before providing certain services to you or the person you are acting on behalf of
- assess and manage potential money laundering, terrorism financing, proliferation financing risks or related compliance risks associated with the provision of our services
- make reports required by law under the AML/CTF Act
- meet record keeping obligations under the AML/CTF Act.
More generally, we also collect, hold, use and disclose your personal information to conduct our business, to provide and market our services, to communicate with you about our services, and to comply with our other legal obligations.
What personal information we collect
We collect the following types of personal information:
- your full name, date of birth, residential address
- photo ID and unique identifier, such as a passport or driver’s licence number
In the course of providing our legal services more generally, we may also collect your contact details, occupation, personal preferences, payment details, employment history, education and qualifications, testimonials and feedback, and other information that assists us in conducting our business and meeting our legal obligations.
We also collect the following sensitive information including whether you are a member of any political, professional or trade associations, which may be used to verify your occupation or determine whether you are a politically exposed person
In some cases, we may also collect other sensitive information, such as information about your criminal record or your health, where it is relevant to the services we provide and permitted by law.
How we collect your information
We will generally collect your personal information:
- directly from you, when you provide your details to us in person or through forms, emails, telephone conversations, interviews and meetings;
- from a third-party identity verification service, where we use one to collect and verify your identity information on our behalf;
- from other sources, such as registers of companies, trusts, or public records (such as court records, regulatory filings, land registries), financial institutions or professional intermediaries.
More generally, we may collect your personal information indirectly. For example, through emails, forms, face-to-face meetings, interviews, seminars, business cards, telephone conversations, and through our website or social media channels.
In some instances, we may collect personal information about you from third parties, such as a report from a medical professional or an employment reference.
Who we may share your information with
We usually disclose your identity and verification information to third parties who assist us with our AML/CTF obligations, including identity verification and secure record storage.
We may also share your personal information with AUSTRAC to meet our legal and regulatory obligations under the AML/CTF Act or the AML/CTF Rules.
More generally, we may use or disclose your personal information for the purpose for which it was collected, to third parties as part of providing our services to you (for example, obtaining an expert report), and where the law requires us to do so.
What happens if we cannot collect your information
If you do not provide us with your personal information, we may not be able to verify your identity and provide you (or the person you are acting on behalf of) with the services you have requested.
How we store and protect your information
We may hold your personal information in hard copy or electronic form. We take reasonable steps to protect it from misuse, loss and unauthorised access, modification or disclosure, including through physical security and restricted access to electronic records, and our personnel are required to respect the confidentiality of personal information. Where we no longer require your personal information, we take reasonable steps to destroy it. If you become aware of any security breach, please let us know immediately.
Accessing and correcting your information
Subject to the exceptions in the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth), you may request access to, and correction of, the personal information we hold about you by contacting us. We will ask you to verify your identity and to specify the information you require. If a fee applies for providing access, we will advise you of the likely cost in advance.
Making a privacy complaint
If you have any questions about privacy or wish to complain about how we have handled your personal information, please contact us immediately. We may ask you to put your complaint in writing. We will investigate your complaint without delay and notify you of our decision as soon as practicable, usually within 14 days.
If we are unable to resolve your complaint, you may refer it to:
Office of the Australian Information Commissioner
GPO Box 5218
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone 1300 363 992
Website: www.oaic.gov.au
Changes to this notice
We may review and update this notice from time to time. Any updated version will be published on our website at www.cohenlegal.com.au.
Your privacy rights and our privacy policy
Our Privacy Policy contains further information about how we will handle your personal information and how you can access and correct your personal information. It also outlines how to lodge a complaint and how that complaint will be managed if you are concerned about how we handled your information. You can view our Privacy Policy at https://cohenlegal.com.au/privacy-policy/ or request a copy from our office.
How to contact us about your privacy
If you have any questions about your privacy, or wish to make a request or complaint, please contact us:
Cohen Legal
80–82 Denham Street, Townsville Qld 4810 (PO Box 959, Townsville Qld 4810)
Phone: 07 4721 0264
Email: info@cohenlegal.com.au
Last updated: 22 July, 2026