At First Law Solicitors, we act rapidly to preserve assets at risk of dissipation during divorce or financial proceedings. Our solicitors obtain Freezing Orders, previously known as Mareva injunctions, to prevent a spouse, partner, or third party from transferring, concealing, or spending assets before a financial settlement is reached.
Based in Manchester and advising clients across England and Wales, we are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID No: 665823). Each case is overseen by a senior solicitor with more than twenty years of experience in high-value injunctions, corporate asset tracing, and international enforcement.
A Freezing Order is a powerful interim injunction granted by the court to prevent the disposal or concealment of assets before final judgment. It is available under section 37 of the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973 and Part 20 of the Family Procedure Rules 2025.
The order may apply to a wide range of assets, including bank accounts and investment portfolios, domestic or overseas property and land, business shares, cryptocurrency and trust interests, as well as vehicles, yachts, or valuable art collections. Once made, the respondent is prohibited from dealing with the assets other than for ordinary living expenses or reasonable legal costs, and third parties such as banks or financial institutions are formally notified of the restriction.
A Freezing Order is an exceptional remedy and will only be granted where there is clear evidence that the other party holds assets either within the jurisdiction or abroad, that there is a genuine risk those assets will be dissipated before a final settlement is reached, and that the applicant has a substantive claim with a realistic prospect of success.
Our solicitors prepare robust, evidence-based applications that demonstrate urgency, proportionality, and full compliance with the duty of candour owed to the court. This careful approach is essential to securing the order and ensuring it withstands scrutiny at the return hearing.
The process begins with a rapid case assessment. We review all available documentation and financial trails, often within hours. Using secure access mechanisms authorised under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025, we identify assets through banking, company, and property records before they can be moved or concealed.
Where delay would defeat the purpose of the injunction, we make an urgent without-notice application to the court. This application is supported by a detailed affidavit or witness statement setting out the evidential basis for the order, the nature of the risk, and the location of the assets.
Once the order is granted, we move immediately to service and notification. The order is served on the respondent and on any relevant third parties, including banks, brokers, or land registries, so that enforcement takes effect without delay.
At the return hearing, the respondent is required to provide a sworn statement of assets. We then prepare for either the continuation of the injunction or its integration into enforcement or financial remedy proceedings, depending on the circumstances of the case.
Domestic Freezing Orders apply to assets located within England and Wales. We regularly obtain these orders to preserve property, business funds, or investment accounts pending the resolution of financial proceedings.
Where clients have international assets, we apply for Worldwide Freezing Orders. These are supported by reciprocal recognition mechanisms, including the Hague 2007 Convention and applicable bilateral enforcement treaties. Our litigation team works closely with overseas counsel to register and enforce the order abroad before dissipation occurs, ensuring protection extends beyond UK borders.
The court will only grant a Freezing Order where the application is fair, proportionate, and supported by compelling evidence. We prepare detailed statements addressing the value and location of the assets, the conduct giving rise to the risk of dissipation, and the appropriate scope and limits of the order.
This level of forensic preparation reduces the risk of the order being discharged for overreach or technical non-compliance and ensures that the injunction remains effective throughout the proceedings.
We employ advanced asset tracing methodologies using secure data sources authorised under the Data (Use and Access) Act 2025. This allows us to track rapid transfers between personal and corporate accounts, follow cryptocurrency movements using blockchain analytics, and uncover hidden ownership within layered corporate structures or offshore entities.
Our collaboration with forensic accountants and data analysts produces clear, admissible evidence that meets the Family Court’s evidential threshold and supports both interim relief and final settlement outcomes.
A Freezing Order is not an end in itself. Once secured, it is integrated into the wider financial remedy or enforcement strategy to ensure that preserved assets are ultimately reflected in the final settlement or consent order.
We coordinate closely with our Financial Settlement and Enforcement teams to maintain asset protection from the initial injunction through to final execution, ensuring continuity, control, and legal coherence throughout the lifecycle of the case.
The Family Procedure Rules 2025, particularly Part 20, codify the Freezing Order process and provide for digital filing and Qualified Electronic Signature authentication. The Data (Use and Access) Act 2025 enables lawful, real-time financial tracing through court-authorised data access orders.
The Supreme Court decision in Standish v Standish (2025) reinforces the requirement to distinguish between matrimonial and non-matrimonial assets when applying for injunctive relief, preventing over-freezing and ensuring proportionality. In addition, we use predictive enforcement modelling to anticipate likely judicial responses, focusing applications on high-success strategies and avoiding unnecessary or speculative litigation.
At First Law Solicitors, we approach Freezing Orders as instruments of strategic control rather than reactive emergencies. We protect wealth at risk through decisive injunctive relief, apply precision through evidence-led and proportionate applications, and ensure permanence by embedding asset protection into the full financial case from injunction through to enforcement.
Our reputation is built on speed, discretion, and the quiet efficiency of results achieved without unnecessary publicity or delay.
If you suspect that your spouse or former partner is concealing or moving assets, time is critical. Contact First Law Solicitors immediately for urgent and confidential advice.
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