Ashmans Solicitors

Ashmans Solicitors Legal 500 | Specialist Criminal Defence | Trusted by Professionals | 24/7 Legal Support Across England & Wales

We have developed a formidable reputation in each of our practice areas and are highly regarded by both our clients and other practitioners in each practice area.

01/09/2026

EncroChat was an encrypted phone network many believed couldn’t be accessed. Once law enforcement gained entry, those messages became evidence in drug-supply prosecutions nationwide and cases are still moving through the courts. If a handle or number is tied to you, you might be pulled into a serious drug conspiracy years after the messages were sent. Although courts have largely admitted EncroChat material, attribution, whether a handle truly belongs to you, remains a contested issue. If you've been linked to EncroChat material, let us review it with you.

30/08/2026

Finding prints or DNA on packaging, scales or wraps doesn’t automatically prove possession or supply, forensic results only show contact, not when it happened or whether it was innocent. A skilled defence team will scrutinise the forensic report and challenge how the evidence was collected and handled. If you’re facing a drugs investigation, get specialist advice early.

29/08/2026

That Bounce Back Loan from 2020 might feel like ancient history, but investigators are still working through them. The issue is rarely taking the loan itself; it’s how the cash was used funds intended for the business used personally, or claims from companies that weren’t genuinely trading, change the situation entirely. Exposure can include a fraud probe, director disqualification, personal liability for the debt and, in serious cases, criminal prosecution. Investigators are looking for dishonesty, whether you knew the claim was false or the spending was improper and your records and explanations are decisive. If a prosecuting authority has contacted you, don’t respond without legal advice.

27/08/2026

A drugs conviction doesn't necessarily end with the sentence. Under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 the court can open confiscation proceedings, scrutinising your assets, savings and even your home to recover what it regards as the benefit of the offending. The onus can shift to you to explain your finances, but with the right preparation that figure can often be challenged and reduced. If confiscation proceedings are looming, speak to our team before they start.

26/08/2026

Police can obtain a Domestic Violence Protection Order (DVPO) within 48 hours of an incident, which can bar you from your home and stop you contacting the named person for up to 28 days, even without a charge or conviction.
DVPOs are civil orders but breaching one is a criminal offence; you can attend and challenge the application at the hearing, though time to do so is very limited.

25/08/2026

Getting the police interview wrong can upend everything that follows. In a widely reported BBC case, two brothers, one of whom we represented after charge were accused of selling counterfeit cranberry sauce. Our client attended the interview without legal representation and made admissions that later caused serious problems. What began as a sale of just over £1,000 turned into Proceeds of Crime Act proceedings, with £5 million of his assets threatened. With careful, thorough preparation we ultimately settled with only £30,000 subject to a confiscation order, a tiny fraction of the prosecution’s starting figure. Had he sought our advice before the interview, there might have been no prosecution at all. Speak to our team!

24/08/2026

If you let someone drive your car without a valid licence or proper insurance, you can still be prosecuted even if you weren’t behind the wheel. Allowing uninsured or unlicensed driving is a criminal offence that can bring penalty points, heavy fines and even a driving ban, even if it was your child. Police will examine what you knew, or ought reasonably to have known: did you hand over the keys and check their licence?
Saying you assumed they were covered won’t always be enough.

24/08/2026

When a young person is pulled into a drugs investigation, everything can move rapidly and as a parent you may not fully understand the process or your child's rights. Without proper legal representation, young people often make admissions whose significance they don't grasp, and may be treated as offenders when they are actually victims, particularly in county lines exploitation.

Children have specific protections: an appropriate adult must be present at interview, diversion schemes may be available, and a defence under section 45 of the Modern Slavery Act may apply. None of this happens automatically.

24/08/2026

A doctor can notify the DVLA if they think a medical condition makes you unsafe to drive and they can do this without your consent. Once reported, the DVLA may suspend your licence straight away, sometimes before you even know a report exists. You do have the right to appeal: the DVLA must follow proper procedure, and you can challenge the medical evidence. Timing matters, delays can weaken your case.

If your licence is at risk, get specialist advice before the decision is finalised.

28/07/2026

Your partner has been convicted of fraud, and authorities are now pursuing asset recovery under the Proceeds of Crime Act. The issue is your family home is co-owned, and it's being treated as recoverable property, even though you had no part in the offence. Without a proper legal challenge, the court can order the sale of jointly owned property to satisfy a confiscation order, notwithstanding an innocent partner’s legitimate interest.

As an innocent third party you have rights: we can apply to assert your legal and beneficial interest and argue that your share should be excluded from enforcement. But these applications must be made correctly and without delay.

Address

City Gate House 246-250 Romford Road
London
EZ9HZ

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 9am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:30pm
Thursday 9am - 5:30pm
Friday 9am - 5:30pm

Telephone

+443330096275

Website

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