Direct Access Barrister
Sarah Tracey Wood
Direct Access Barrister
Sarah Tracey Wood
I am a family law specialist who helps clients navigate their way through the financial side of a divorce or separation. This involves dealing with all aspects of the case at every stage both before and during the proceedings, including subsequent applications to enforce or vary previous orders. I have particular experience of dealing with complicated trust arrangements, overseas property and cases that involve an interplay between financial remedy proceedings and criminal POCA confiscation claims.
I am joint head of the Business Crime team in chambers and specialise in defending high value fraud and money laundering cases. I also regularly undertake private prosecution work (both prosecuting and defending) and am able to advise about all aspects of this area. I have related experience in the Divisional Court and before costs judges specifically in connection with private prosecution cases.
I hold my litigation certificate and so am able to undertake litigation on behalf of my clients.
Area of Law
Family
Sarah is frequently instructed to advise on and appear in all aspects of the financial proceedings that follow a divorce or separation. She has a proven knowledge of complex trust arrangements, TOLATA claims and the impact of bankruptcy in relation to one of the parties to the proceedings. Sarah has extensive experience of dealing with cases where there are contemporaneous family financial proceedings and criminal POCA claims and is a specialist in this niche area. Sarah is one of a handful of barristers with experience of dealing with cases where there are contemporaneous family financial proceedings and criminal POCA claims. She has the knowledge and understanding to be able to advise and represent clients in both sets of proceedings, including as an interested party pursuant to POCA s10A.
Fraud
Sarah has specialised in complex fraud and financial crime since 2000. She is widely recognised and highly regarded for her work in this area having prosecuted and defended in several important cases brought by the SFO, the FCA and the CPS Specialist Fraud Division. As both leading counsel and led junior, Sarah is known for her diligence and meticulous preparation of these cases. She is adept at handling cases involving a large volume of paperwork and is quickly able to identify the critical issues for both a jury and a client. Sarah’s knowledge and experience includes cases involving Ponzi frauds, fraud on the revenue, money laundering, fraudulent trading and fraud within both the construction and education industries.
Sarah has represented disqualified directors and also has particular experience of successfully defending clients in prosecutions for specific and technical offences brought under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 and Companies Act 2006.
What sort of work do I do?
Sarah is frequently instructed to advise on and appear in all aspects of the financial proceedings that follow a divorce or separation. She has a proven knowledge of complex trust arrangements, TOLATA claims and the impact of bankruptcy in relation to one of the parties to the proceedings. Sarah has extensive experience of dealing with cases where there are contemporaneous family financial proceedings and criminal POCA claims and is a specialist in this niche area. She has the knowledge and understanding to be able to advise and represent clients in both sets of proceedings, including as an interested party pursuant to POCA s10A. This ensures consistency and an all-encompassing overview of the case.
In her criminal work, she is a well-respected jury advocate known for her experience of prosecuting and defending lengthy, complex, high-value fraud and money laundering cases. She also specialises in civil asset recovery work and is currently instructed in a number of Account Freezing and Forfeiture applications.
Who do I work for?
I help individuals who need assistance resolving a financial dispute following a divorce, either through litigation or negotiation outside of Court. This also includes unmarried individuals who are keen to resolve a property/TOLATA dispute.
On the criminal side I represent people who are accused of fraud or money laundering offences, or who are the respondent in an account freezing or forfeiture application.