Post-Charge Solicitors for Money Laundering Cases in the UK

Being charged with a money laundering offence changes everything. The pace picks up. The room feels smaller. Suddenly, every decision matters. We see it every week. Once the charge lands, there is no room for guesswork, delay, or vague reassurance. This is where a post-charge money laundering solicitor in the UK becomes essential, not as a box-ticking exercise, but as the person shaping what happens next.

Money laundering cases are rarely simple. They often intersect with criminal law, financial regulation, and inference. Usually, the allegation is not that you planned to commit a crime, but that you “knew or suspected” something you now strongly dispute. Those words matter. So does timing and strategy.

At Holborn Adams, we approach post-charge work with one priority: control. Control the narrative, the evidence, the timetable, and the pressure points in the prosecution case. We never rush for drama. We focus on outcomes.

What Does a Post-Charge Money Laundering Solicitor in the UK Actually Do?

Once you have been charged under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002, usually sections 327, 328, or 329, the case moves into a different phase. The police step back and the Crown Prosecution Service takes the wheel. Disclosure begins, court dates are set, and bail conditions tighten. The stakes are no longer theoretical.

Our role at this stage is practical and deliberate.

First, we stabilise your position. Bail conditions are reviewed and, where possible, challenged. Restrictions that quietly wreck careers or family life often get imposed without much thought. We do think about them, and we push back when they go too far.

Second, we take control of the evidence. Money laundering cases are document-heavy by design. Bank statements, transaction trails, phone downloads, expert schedules, disclosure logs. Buried in all of that is usually the real story. Our job is to find it, test it, and frame it properly.

Third, we plan forward. Not every case is heading to trial. Not every charge should survive scrutiny. Early decisions shape the options which will stay open later.

Is Money Laundering Always About Criminal Intent?

This is one of the most common misunderstandings we experience, and one of the most damaging.

The prosecution does not always need to prove that you knew money was criminal property in the everyday sense, suspicion can be enough. That’s a low bar, and it’s often where cases wobble.

Suspicion is not hindsight. It is not guilt by association. It is not someone who thinks you should have realised after the fact. We spend a lot of time pulling those strands apart. Context matters. Industry matters. Your role matters. What you were actually aware of at the time matters.

We have defended professionals, business owners, family members, and employees who were swept up because money passed through their hands. Sometimes legitimately. Sometimes unknowingly. Sometimes, with assumptions layered on later.

This is where calm, forensic work pays off.

What Happens After You Are Charged?

There’s a temptation to think the hard part is over once the charge arrives. In reality, it’s the point where careful defence work starts to count.

The court process moves quickly, especially in the Magistrates’ Court, before cases are sent to the Crown Court. Deadlines are real and missed opportunities stay missed.

We focus early on disclosure. Initial disclosure often looks thin. Continuing disclosure can alter the shape of a case entirely, but only if someone is asking the right questions and pressing at the right time.

We also start shaping the defence case from day one. That seldom means locking into a rigid position. It means understanding what the prosecution theory is and whether it stands up.

Sometimes the case turns on expert evidence. Sometimes, there are questions about how financial patterns are explained. Sometimes, assumptions quietly replace proof. Each case has its own fault lines.

How Do Post-Charge Solicitors Approach Evidence Review?

Carefully and with patience.

Money laundering prosecutions often rely on inference stacked on inference. A transfer looks unusual, a relationship seems close, a transaction appears unnecessary. The leap from “unusual” to “criminal” is where defence lawyers earn their keep.

We break the case down piece by piece.

Witness accounts are tested for consistency and contamination, financial schedules are checked against the source material, not accepted as gospel, and digital evidence is reviewed with a critical eye. We instruct experts where needed, such as forensic accountants and technical specialists.

Unused material is another area where cases can shift. Disclosure is a continuing duty under the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996, but it doesn’t enforce itself. We press where disclosure feels incomplete or selective.

This is not about theatrics. It’s about accuracy.

Can Money Laundering Charges Be Challenged Before Trial?

Yes, and they should be.

There are legal arguments around admissibility, abuse of process, and the proper application of the law. There are also practical arguments that persuade the CPS to rethink.

Representations can lead to charges being reduced or discontinued altogether. Sometimes the issue is the wrong defendant. Sometimes it’s the incorrect section of POCA. Sometimes the evidential threshold is not met.

We never make representations for the sake of it. We do it when there is a real point to make and a real prospect of movement.

When cases do proceed, we prepare with that same discipline. Defence statements are not generic. They reflect the case as it actually stands, not how it’s usually done.

What If the Case Goes to Trial?

Trials in money laundering cases demand focus and restraint. Juries never live in spreadsheets and they never respond well to noise.

Preparation is everything. Legal arguments on evidence exclusion under section 78 of PACE can make a stark difference. Cross-examination needs direction and experts need to be clear, not clever.

We work closely with trial counsel, chosen for the demands of the case, not the size of the courtroom. The aim is simple: Make the issues understandable, strip away the assumption, and let the evidence speak properly.

If the case resolves before the verdict, through plea discussions or agreed facts, that too requires care. Sentencing in money laundering cases can be severe, especially where lifestyle assumptions inflate figures beyond reality. Mitigation has to be grounded, credible, and properly supported.

Why Experience Matters After Charge

Post-charge work is not the place for learning the job. Deadlines are tight. Mistakes are expensive.

A post-charge money laundering solicitor in the UK needs to understand not only the law but also how these cases are built and where they tend to overreach. At Holborn Adams, we have witnessed patterns repeat. We have also seen how small early decisions can alter the outcome of an entire case.

We are direct with our clients. If a case needs defending, we prepare to fight it. If there is a sensible resolution that protects your future, we will say so. Sugar-coating helps no one.

We maintain open communication throughout, this means regular updates, straight answers, and 24/7 availability for when things feel heavy. These cases seldom sit neatly between nine and five.

Defend Yourself Against Money Laundering Allegations with Holborn Adams

Being charged with money laundering is unsettling. It carries weight far beyond the courtroom. Reputations, livelihoods, families are all affected.

What matters now is deliberate action - The right advice, the right pace, and the right pressure applied in the right places.

If you are looking for a post-charge money laundering solicitor in the UK, we are ready to step in, take control, and get to work. At Holborn Adams, we defend with clarity, precision, and a clear sense of what’s actually at stake.

No noise. No shortcuts. Just a sharp focus on defence when it matters most.