What are white-collar crimes? They are non-violent or non-directly violent crimes that are financially motivated. These crimes can be committed by individuals, government professionals, or businesses. These offences can have severe legal repercussions, depending on the type of white-collar crime and its severity. With that said, this article details what white-collar crimes include and how solicitors can help.
What Do White-Collar Crimes Consist Of?
There are numerous types of white-collar offences. However, some of the most common ones are listed below.
- Corporate fraud, including false accounting, fraudulent trading,
- Money laundering
- VAT offences
- Embezzlement (which is the practice of misappropriating or stealing funds or assets that belong to an individual’s employer)
Individuals or other parties typically commit white-collar crimes through concealment, violation of contracts, and, of course, fraud. In addition to that, as these crimes are financially motivated, they aim to seek profit to make debt payments, avoid bankruptcy, or secure assets.
In money laundering cases, individuals or businesses can be charged with the crime if they also do not report any money laundering offences or related suspicious activity. So, if you are not partaking in any existing money laundering in your place of employment, make sure to speak to your solicitor about your options.
How Can White-Collar Solicitors Help?
Good white-collar solicitors in the UK believe that their clients are innocent of any such offences until they are proven guilty. As a result, they offer consistent representation to help maintain your innocent position.
In addition to paying great financial penalties for such crimes, perpetrators can also end up with jail time for certain offences. Therefore, it is critical to have experienced and skilled solicitors who can fight your case and reduce the severity of your sentencing—if not prove your innocence.
Solicitors experienced in handling cases of white-collar crimes often employ a proactive approach with their clients to help get the best possible results. Thus, they ensure to acquire all relevant details about the case so that they can come up with a defence strategy that can help get you favourable results.
It’s also important to hire solicitors for even minor white-collar offences. This is because other government entities can start to look into your history with greater detail. Therefore, your solicitors will ensure that you have representation in all cases.
In addition to that, the nuances of white-collar offences are quite complex—far too difficult for most regular people to understand. Therefore, you may miss out on important details if you try to represent yourself. Therefore, a solicitor will not only comprehend these details but can also communicate them to you. This way, you’ll know every aspect of your case, which you can then use to make a strong defence for yourself or your company.
Last Few Words
While white-collar crimes may not physically harm anyone, they can still have significant legal penalties. To ensure that you and your company are protected, make sure to hire experienced and capable solicitors.