Detail matters in financial allegations.

Make a complex situation easier to understand

A financial allegation may involve years of records, several people or more than one organisation. It can be difficult to know which part of that history needs attention first. Start by identifying who has contacted you, what they have requested and the date by which a response is expected.

AB Mackenzie’s criminal defence work includes fraud and financial allegations. We assist people in Lewisham who need advice about investigations, interviews and court proceedings.

Preserve the context, not just selected documents

Keep original emails, account records and agreements. Tell your solicitor where material is stored and who has access to it. A useful explanation distinguishes what you personally know from an assumption about someone else’s actions.

Prepare a short timeline of the events you consider relevant. It need not argue the entire case. Its purpose is to help your adviser locate the records and identify points needing closer investigation.

Advice before responding

Do not treat a request for an explanation as a reason to send an unreviewed bundle of material. Ask your solicitor how to respond lawfully and appropriately. Different requests and powers can require different treatment, and advice must be specific to the document received.

Discuss the work and its funding

Complex evidence may require substantial preparation. Ask how the proposed work will be organised, which professionals may be involved and what the agreed fee or funding arrangement covers.

For related support, visit our police station advice and court representation pages.

Organise information without changing it

It can help to prepare an index identifying the documents you have, their dates and the accounts or organisations they relate to. Keep that index separate from the original records. If information is held by an employer, accountant or former business partner, tell your solicitor rather than assuming you have authority to retrieve it yourself.

Distinguish between records you already hold and material you think may exist elsewhere. The team can then consider what enquiries are appropriate and how evidence should be handled.

Raise any business or employment deadline alongside the criminal matter. It may require separate advice, but your criminal solicitor should understand the wider practical position.