Are you embroiled in a particular scandal where people or companies are accusing you of fraud? It’s easy to face a fraud claim and assume that you can handle everything yourself. It’s just a misunderstanding, you think, this will all blow over after I explain myself. You don’t gauge the severity of the situation until it’s too late.
Or, you might face potential fraud charges and think that you should wait until you are formally charged before seeking legal guidance. You wrongly assume that this is the right time to reach out and request a fraud solicitor to help your case – but it’s too late and the damage could already be done.
Both of these examples show instances when you fail to contact a fraud solicitor at the right time, and it usually leads to your downfall. When is the right time to contact a fraud solicitor? Let’s find out.
To put things as simply as possible, the right time to contact a fraud solicitor is the moment you’re aware of any claims against you. This could be a call from the police force, a letter from a company’s legal team or anything else that indicates an investigation will happen because you’re suspected of fraud.
Even if there’s nothing formal in place yet, you should contact a fraud solicitor just to be safe.
Solicitors are at their best when they join you right at the start of an investigation. The sooner you have them on board, the sooner they can work with you to prevent you from putting your foot in it, so to speak. If you assume that you can handle this yourself by making a statement or submitting evidence, then there’s a very high chance you’ll do something that works against you and leads to a worse outcome.
Likewise, if you wait until you’ve been formally charged with fraud and a court case is about to happen, then you’ve missed out on potentially weeks or months of help from a solicitor. Again, it leaves you in a situation where you’re likely to see the worst possible outcome from the case.
Now, it might be worth contacting a fraud solicitor if someone close to you is under investigation and you believe you’ll be implicated in one way or another. This is common if you have a business partner who’s been accused of fraud – the first person they’ll likely look at is you.
The same goes if you’re in a relationship with someone who has fraud claims levied against them – or even a work colleague.
If there’s even the slightest chance that you might be caught up in everything – regardless of whether or not you’re innocent – then it’s worth getting in touch with a fraud solicitor. Hopefully, they don’t have to do much (other than prove you have nothing to do with the investigation into the other person), but it’s always advisable to accept their legal help.
Some people think that contacting a fraud solicitor early on is just an excuse to pay them more money. What will they do for me in the early stages of an investigation? That’s what some people question – and the assumption is that solicitors only play a role when the investigation goes to court.
That’s false.
Solicitors play important roles from the very beginning, and here’s a breakdown of what they can do and why it’s crucial to contact them early:
One of the biggest reasons to contact a fraud solicitor early on is so they stop you from saying the wrong things. All it takes is one wrong sentence and you could incriminate yourself. You need to be wary of everything you say – and this starts with your correspondence after figuring out you’re under investigation. Talk to a lawyer and they will draft up statements that you can use to avoid making serious mistakes.
This is why you should never go through a fraud investigation on your own. Prosecutors or other parties may demand that you hand over certain things as evidence. They could even send people to your workplace or home to take particular documents or data files. You willingly hand everything over because you think it’s the right thing to do – but is it?
The truth is, you’re not always legally obliged to hand over evidence. It depends on who requests it, what the evidence is, and how they ask for it. If you’re hit with a valid court order to hand over evidence, then your hands are tied. However, if someone who’s conducting the investigation simply asks or demands that you give them documents, you don’t have to. A fraud solicitor will help you understand when to give evidence to the opposition and when you have the right to refuse.
This stops you from giving away unnecessary evidence that will be used against you.
When a fraud investigation begins, there will usually be some sort of interview. If an authority (like a bank) suspects you of fraud, they might request that you attend a formal meeting with them. What’s more common is that you get arrested for fraud (but not charged), and you must have a police interview under arrest.
They will record this interview and use it as evidence in court, which means you must know how to conduct yourself in this situation. It’s a bit like the evidence collection mentioned in the previous paragraph in that you’re not always obliged to answer questions in an interview.
A fraud solicitor will advise you throughout the interview, and also give you help beforehand. Listen to everything they say and you will avoid saying or doing anything that will be used against you during a police interview.
In conclusion, you should contact a fraud solicitor the moment you’re aware of any investigations against you, or if you suspect you’ll be incriminated by someone else’s investigation. The sooner you call them, the better. With that in mind, if you need help managing a fraud claim and defending yourself, please contact ABV Solicitors.
Top Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Fraud Solicitor
Fraud Investigation Timelines – A Solicitor’s Guide
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