A freezing order does not take your property. It forbids you to move it until the case is decided, and it punishes severely anyone who tries. What it means, in plain terms.
A freezing order means the court has temporarily forbidden you to dispose of or move assets, usually up to a figure, until a claim against you is decided.
It does not mean the property is seized, and it does not mean the case has been decided. It means the other side persuaded the court, without you in the room, that there is a serious case and a real risk that assets would disappear before judgment.
That it was granted without hearing you is not an irregularity. It is the rule for these orders, and it is balanced: the applicant took on heavy obligations to the court in return, and you have the right to apply to set it aside or vary it.
What you are still allowed to pay
These orders normally except reasonable living expenses and legal costs, and often ordinary business payments as well.
Read the wording of the order word by word: that is where it says what is excepted, up to what limits, and what requires notice to the other side. If the limits are not enough to live on or to keep the business running, the court can adjust them, and that application is ordinary rather than exceptional.
The disclosure that usually comes with it
A freezing order is often accompanied by an obligation to disclose your assets, on affidavit and within a short time. That obligation is the part people underestimate. It is enforceable in its own right, and an incomplete or evasive disclosure damages the substantive case as well.
What breaching it costs
Disobedience is contempt of court, and it is treated as such. Moving an asset to see whether anyone notices is the single most expensive decision available at this stage, and it converts a dispute about money into a matter about your own conduct, which is much harder to defend.
What to do instead
Comply first and argue second. Then look at the order on three fronts: whether the case against you is as strong as it was presented when you were not there, whether the risk of dissipation was real or asserted, and whether the applicant disclosed to the court everything they should have. The last of these is the ground that most often removes an order, because the duty owed by someone who applies without notice is a heavy one.
What to send us
The order itself with everything served with it, the affidavit that supported the application, the date and time of service, and any deadline in the order for disclosure. Send it the day you receive it: the periods in these orders are short.
Questions we are asked
Has my property been taken?
No. A freezing order forbids you to dispose of or move assets, usually up to a figure, until the claim is decided. Nothing is seized and nothing has been decided against you on the merits.
Why was it granted without hearing me?
That is the rule for these orders, not an irregularity, and it is balanced: the applicant took on heavy obligations to the court in return, and you have the right to apply to set the order aside or vary it.
Can I pay my rent and my lawyer?
These orders normally except reasonable living expenses and legal costs, and often ordinary business payments. The exact limits are in the wording of the order, and if they are not enough the court can adjust them.
What happens if I move an asset anyway?
Disobedience is contempt of court. It is the most expensive decision available at this stage, because it turns a dispute about money into a matter about your own conduct.
Related reading
The firm's work in this area is described in freezing orders and fraud and asset recovery. Disclosure obligations are covered in the disclosure order.
This article is for general information only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws and their application can change, and individual circumstances differ. For advice on your own matter, contact Klitos Platis at klitos@kleanthousplatis.com or telephone +357 22 680 330.
Klitos Platis
Advocate, Partner
Kleanthous & Platis LLC, Nicosia · Published 16 August 2026
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