Concerned that a Mutual Legal Assistance request involves you, your accounts, or your records? Our network includes a licensed lawyer to respond.
Direct answer: Mutual Legal Assistance is the formal, treaty-based process countries use to ask each other for help in criminal investigations — obtaining evidence, freezing assets, or serving documents abroad. It is distinct from extradition, though the two frequently run alongside each other in the same case.
Global Lawyers Link is an international legal referral and coordination network, not a law firm licensed in any single jurisdiction.
Our network includes licensed lawyers in the relevant jurisdiction for your matter, working together on strategy from day one. Representation before any court is always handled directly by the network lawyer admitted to practice there.
MLA requests are broad tools, used well before — and often instead of — a formal extradition request.
Bank records, business documents, or witness statements located in another country can be obtained through an MLA request.
MLA requests are commonly used to freeze or seize assets abroad pending the outcome of a criminal case.
Formal judicial documents can be served on someone located in another country through the same treaty framework.
Requests are typically routed through a designated Central Authority in each country, often the Ministry of Justice.
MLA requests move through formal diplomatic and judicial channels, which shapes both their pace and their vulnerabilities.
Tell us what you know so far. We will confirm what applies and bring in the right network lawyer — in confidence.
Not necessarily — many systems do not require notice to the individual concerned before or after a request is executed.
Yes, where the request meets the applicable legal requirements, financial institutions can be compelled to produce records.
In some circumstances, yes — particularly where a request is overly broad, lacks dual criminality, or does not meet the treaty’s procedural requirements.
Timelines vary widely, but many requests take several months to over a year given the diplomatic and judicial channels involved.
Tell us what you know so far and any documents you have received. We will respond directly and confidentially, and bring in the right network lawyer if representation is needed.
Call +30 697 027 1489