Unexplained Wealth Orders (UWOs) aren’t the final step but the starting point.
They’re a powerful investigative tool used at the beginning of proceedings to compel individuals to explain how they acquired high-value assets that don’t match their income.
In our first UWO case, we required Claire Schools to explain how she could afford her five-bedroom Lake District property ‘Hope Springs House’. Our investigators traced the funds back to her ex-husband Timothy Schools’ multi-million-pound fraud scheme.
When individuals can’t adequately explain their wealth, the evidence gathered can then be used in civil recovery proceedings, where law enforcement must prove, on the balance of probabilities, that the property was obtained through unlawful conduct.
The £1.1 million recovery from the Claire Schools case demonstrates how UWOs can successfully expose hidden criminal assets, even when fraudsters attempt to conceal proceeds through family members.
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