Scheduled written updates
At each checkpoint, in plain language, whether or not there is progress to report. No silence.
Engagement roadmap
What the first twelve weeks actually look like
A documentation engagement follows a predictable shape. Timings below are typical engagement targets, internal working objectives, not commitments, and every one of them depends on third parties.
Typical targets onlyThird party dependentWritten checkpoints
Day 0
Secure submission
You complete the three step intake. The file is queued to a named analyst and acknowledged on screen with a reference you can quote.
Days 1 to 2
First read and triage
An analyst reads the matter in full, checks the rails and jurisdictions, and issues the free written assessment: what your file shows, what is missing, and whether a documented route exists.
Week 1
Scope and instruction
If you choose to continue, a written scope note sets the deliverable, the timeline and the fixed fee. Work begins only after you agree to it.
Weeks 1 to 3
Evidence assembly
Material is indexed and source logged, and a gap list is issued so you can request specific records from your bank, platform or email provider.
Weeks 2 to 6
Tracing and analysis
Payment legs are followed and documented hop by hop. Unresolvable hops are marked as such rather than assumed. On chain work runs in parallel where relevant.
Weeks 4 to 8
Documentation and notification
The referral pack is assembled and reviewed independently, then notifications are drafted for each recipient in the format they expect.
Weeks 6 to 12
Coordination
Responses are tracked and followed up on a schedule. You receive a written update at each checkpoint, whether or not there is movement.
At closure
Closing note
A written record of what was done, what was established, what could not be established, and what remains available to you.
Dependencies
What the timeline actually hangs on
| Dependency | Typical effect on pace | Who influences it |
|---|---|---|
| Your record retrieval | Bank and platform statement requests commonly take 5 to 15 business days | You, with our written request template |
| Institutional intake queues | Fraud teams and regulators respond on their own schedules | Outside anyone’s control |
| Number of jurisdictions | Each additional country adds procedure and translation of expectations | Determined by the facts |
| Exchange or platform cooperation | Ranges from same week acknowledgement to no response at all | Determined by the counterparty |
| Existing authority reference | Having one already usually shortens the institutional step | You, by reporting early |
No stage of this roadmap implies an outcome. A completed engagement means the matter has been documented and pursued through the routes that exist. It does not mean funds are returned, and many matters conclude with no financial recovery.
Communication
How you will be kept informed
One named contact
Your case lead, reachable by email during desk hours, with a stated response window.
Everything in writing
Calls are summarised in writing afterwards so the file stays complete and checkable.
Bad news early
If a route closes, you hear it at the checkpoint it closes, not at the end.
Where files typically slow
The bottlenecks are rarely analytical
Across recent documentation engagements, the largest delays sat with third parties rather than with the analysis itself. Knowing this in advance makes the wait less unsettling and helps you push on the parts you can influence.
Indicative distribution of elapsed delay, not of effort.
Week one starts whenever you are ready
Submit the matter and get the free first read
The roadmap only begins once an analyst has your file. Intake takes about ten minutes.
