A Restraint Order or freezing order is an order made by the Crown Court which prevents either an individual or a company from dealing with their own property.
Such orders can be obtained long before sufficient evidence has been gathered to justify a charge or a prosecution. They allow the prosecution to launch a pre-emptive strike against a suspect, paralyzing his everyday business activity.
Applications for restraint orders are almost always made without notice to the suspect. In addition, restraint orders often have additional clauses which require the suspect to make full disclosure of his assets within a designated period of time and/or a requirement that the suspect retains his assets in the UK.
Hogan Brown has been advising clients subject to a restraint orders for many years. We have been successful in applying to the Crown Court to have the order varied or in some cases removed altogether.
Sad to say, all too often these orders are obtained very easily from a Crown Court Judge despite the fact of their crippling effect. We are able to provide expert advice and a quick response in assisting any client served with such an order.