When should specialist financial investigation support be sought?¶

Seek it early when tracing, recovery, legal process or attribution exceeds the investigator's available expertise - regardless of asset type or amount.

Complexity and urgency are practical triggers¶

Support may be needed for multiple institutions or jurisdictions, mixed or split funds, companies, nominee ownership, mule networks, rapid dissipation, digital assets, large volumes or uncertain loss. Specialists can assist with mapping, intelligence, restraint and recovery, ownership analysis and evidential presentation.

Delay can close recovery opportunities or allow records and value to move.

Make the referral usable¶

Set out the investigative question, known accounts and identifiers, relevant period, suspected loss, immediate risk, preservation completed and unresolved issues. Organise the underlying records rather than supplying an unexplained data dump.

Specialist involvement does not remove the need to understand the basic payment chain or disclose its limitations. Record the advice and how it affected decisions.