Every year it pulls senior staff away from fee-earning work, exposes gaps in fragmented data, and turns compliance into a last-minute scramble. While the Law Society of Scotland is streamlining the process for 2026, one truth remains: firms without centralised AML systems will still feel the pressure – just over a longer deadline. The firms that won’t? They’re already ready. In this article, we explore why AML certification keeps hurting, what’s really changed for 2026, and how forward-thinking Scottish firms are turning an annual headache into a controlled, confidence-driven process.

Read more to see the difference operational readiness makes.