Account Freezing Order
Asset and Account Freezing Orders (AFO), or the highly publicised Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWO) can be hugely disruptive for you personally and your business. Cartwright King’s astute Account Freezing Order Lawyers will help you fight an AFO fast to minimise inconvenience and maximise the chances of overturning the order.
Get in touch now for reliable legal advice and action against an Account Freezing Order.
How Cartwright King Can Help You Overturn an AFO
Overturning an Account Freezing Order requires a solid strategy and the right legal argument to ensure that your case is properly presented. Cartwright King’s specialist AFO Lawyers are meticulous, picking holes in the evidence against you and using it to your advantage to clear you of wrongdoing and protecting your reputation.
We can help with:
- Drafting a response to requests for information – failure to provide full and accurate information can lead to an application for forfeiture and losing all your funds
- Specialist advice from Fraud & POCA Lawyers on the best course of action while considering your personal circumstances and objectives
- Reliable, pro-active advice if you have been served with a Freezing Order. We will guide you through any requirements that you must comply with and we can advise on whether the Freezing Order can be challenged
Unique Advocacy Services
You need a law firm that can represent you at any stage at a moment’s notice. That’s exactly what our advocacy services give you!
If you’re arrested or charged with criminal activity, whether you need representation at a police station right up to the Supreme Court, we’ll be there. You won’t get passed off, we’ll push to defend you all the way.
Benefit from a Free, Initial Telephone Conversation
If you or your business face having your accounts and assets frozen, having the right law firm on your side is the difference in successfully overturning an AFO.
Benefit from a free, initial telephone call with a Cartwright King AFO Lawyer. Explaining your situation to a specialist will increase your confidence in fighting against an AFO and empower you to prove your innocence and protect your personal or business reputation.
There really is no substitute for speaking to a specialist solicitor for advice on overturning an AFO .
For immediate action, contact us for your free* initial discussion.
The discussion is completely informal and confidential, and is an opportunity for us to:
- Get to know you
- Understand your situation
- Agree how you want to proceed
Why Choose Cartwright King for AFO Issues?
Cartwright King’s AFO Lawyers are calm and collected even in the most complex of cases. We’re used to dealing with intensive investigations and the authorities, enabling us to properly prepare you for the process and how to respond to the demands made of you – without incriminating yourself or the business.
When faced with your assets and accounts being frozen, you need a solicitor that knows what they’re doing, understands the law concerning the process and knows how to protect your legal rights.
We’ll launch a legal offence in your defence, facing your case with you head-on. Whenever and wherever you need us, we’re here to represent you!
We listen, we understand and we genuinely care about what happens to you and your business. AFOs can be immensely disruptive and stressful, not to mention that they can ruin reputations and potentially leave your penniless or put you out of business.
Having a law firm on your side that really understands what’s at stake for you, means that you can trust that we’ll do what we can to protect you, your business and your financial future.
Our advice is backed by experience of dealing with many high-profile AFO cases, with a proven track record in and out of the Courtroom. You can trust this experience to endure throughout your fight against an AFO.
Our specialist solicitors go above and beyond to give you the support you need, for added peace of mind that your case is in good hands.
Working with a specialist Cartwright King solicitor gives you the assurance of having access to legal counsel who will advise you at every stage of your case. We’re a trusted, resourceful Legal 500 top tier law firm with specialist solicitors committed to defending your legal rights and doing everything we can to clear you of any wrongdoing. When you need us most, our AFO Lawyers rise to the challenge.
We're here for you.
Frequently asked questions.
What is an Account Freezing Order?
Account Freezing and Forfeiture Orders came into force following changes to the Criminal Finances Act 2017. Such orders give authorities additional powers through amendments made to the Proceeds of Crime Act.
The latest legislation was introduced to recover ‘ill-gotten gains’ from criminal activity. Authorities are using these orders as an alternative to bringing criminal charges.
The legislation takes previously existing powers, which allow for the seizure, detention and forfeiture of cash, and modifies those powers to cover the contents of a bank account.
The orders are made ex parte (without notice). The first you will be made aware of an account being frozen is when you are served with the order or when you have difficulty accessing your account.
The threshold is identical to that set out for the seizure of cash with a minimum of £1,000 and no maximum in order to freeze an account.
If a bank becomes suspicious about the source, activity or intended use of funds within a bank account, they are under a duty to submit a suspicious activity report (SAR) and lodge this with the NCA. It is likely that the NCA will request a local economic crime investigation unit to consider applying for an Account Freezing Order.
How can an Account Freezing Order Affect Me?
The impact of an Account Freezing Order can be damaging and stressful. Your bank will prohibit you from managing your account as you normally would.
Your direct debits and standing orders will be cancelled, and day to day banking facilities such as internet banking, bill payments and cash withdrawals will be suspended, causing chaos.
Despite funds belonging to you, only by making an application to the Court, will you be allowed to withdraw a minimal sum each week to live on.
You will more than likely be invited for an interview with the investigating body and asked intrusive questions about your assets, income and the specific financial transactions relating to your bank account. There is nothing to stop the police deciding to turn the matter into a criminal investigation.
An Account Freezing Order can have a detrimental effect on your business and your personal life. Being unable to access your own funds can leave you in financial difficulty
How do I pay living and legal expenses if my accounts are frozen?
Unlike POCA Restraint Orders, an Account Freezing Order can be varied to allow you to cover living expenses and your legal fees. For help applying for an AFO to be varied, get in touch with Cartwright King immediately.
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