Legal Accuracy Review for Fiction Set in Russia
Legal Consultant for Writers - a crime novel can have an invented murder, an investigator with an impossible temper and a defence lawyer who arrives at the worst possible moment. But once the story reaches an interrogation room or a courtroom, imagination needs something solid beneath it: who may ask the question, who signs the document and what the character can actually do. A convincing line of dialogue cannot rescue a scene built around the wrong procedure.
I'm Olga Sverchkova, a writer and lawyer. I’ve been practising law in St Petersburg for more than twenty years, including criminal cases. I review how novels and screenplays portray Russian law, investigations, courts and defence work. I suggest changes that serve the scene rather than turn it into a passage from a legal textbook.
The service at a glance
I review fiction in English or Russian that involves Russian law and procedures. The law of other countries is outside the scope of this service. You receive a table of notes with sources and suggested changes. We agree the fee, deadline and scope before work begins. I read and review the manuscript myself, and all our communication in English is in writing. This is work on a piece of fiction, not legal advice on a real case.
I'm Olga Sverchkova, a writer and lawyer. I’ve been practising law in St Petersburg for more than twenty years, including criminal cases. I review how novels and screenplays portray Russian law, investigations, courts and defence work. I suggest changes that serve the scene rather than turn it into a passage from a legal textbook.
The service at a glance
I review fiction in English or Russian that involves Russian law and procedures. The law of other countries is outside the scope of this service. You receive a table of notes with sources and suggested changes. We agree the fee, deadline and scope before work begins. I read and review the manuscript myself, and all our communication in English is in writing. This is work on a piece of fiction, not legal advice on a real case.
Why does a novelist need a legal consultant?
Readers accept an invented character as part of the story. Accidental confusion about professional roles, documents and the order of events is different: it makes the scene harder to believe, particularly when a Russian setting still follows the courtroom rules of an American television drama. Accuracy does not mean describing every procedural step. It means choosing the details that change what an event means. Sometimes one line needs adjusting; sometimes the scene needs a different structure because a character has been given powers they do not have.
I'm writing The Alibi of St Petersburg, a crime novel, so I understand the temptation to shorten a procedure. My job is not to stop the story but to help it find a convincing way forward.
I'm writing The Alibi of St Petersburg, a crime novel, so I understand the temptation to shorten a procedure. My job is not to stop the story but to help it find a convincing way forward.
What I check in a manuscript or screenplay
Detention and the first hours.
Grounds and procedure, paperwork, contact with relatives and the involvement of a defence lawyer.
Interrogation.
Timing, duration and breaks, who takes part and how statements are recorded.
Searches.
Grounds, required decisions, participants and how the results are documented.
Trials and jury trials.
Who sits where, how the court is addressed, how objections are raised and which matters are discussed in the jury's presence.
Roles and vocabulary.
Who investigates and who prosecutes, the characters' procedural status and whether they use the right terms for documents and actions.
Civil disputes and business conflicts.
Claims, contracts, disputes between co-owners and the roles of the courts.
Family, inheritance and property.
Divorce, disputed wills, property transactions and the work of notaries.
Administrative and employment matters.
Scenes involving fines, dismissal or a dispute with an employer.
The period.
The law changes, so a scene set in 1995 cannot be checked solely against today's code. For a historical story, we first establish the period and whether reliable sources are available. If a point cannot be verified, I identify the gap rather than fill it with a guess.
Grounds and procedure, paperwork, contact with relatives and the involvement of a defence lawyer.
Interrogation.
Timing, duration and breaks, who takes part and how statements are recorded.
Searches.
Grounds, required decisions, participants and how the results are documented.
Trials and jury trials.
Who sits where, how the court is addressed, how objections are raised and which matters are discussed in the jury's presence.
Roles and vocabulary.
Who investigates and who prosecutes, the characters' procedural status and whether they use the right terms for documents and actions.
Civil disputes and business conflicts.
Claims, contracts, disputes between co-owners and the roles of the courts.
Family, inheritance and property.
Divorce, disputed wills, property transactions and the work of notaries.
Administrative and employment matters.
Scenes involving fines, dismissal or a dispute with an employer.
The period.
The law changes, so a scene set in 1995 cannot be checked solely against today's code. For a historical story, we first establish the period and whether reliable sources are available. If a point cannot be verified, I identify the gap rather than fill it with a guess.
What a review note looks like
Suppose a character knows the contents of a document they have not yet seen, and the story gives them no other source for that information. I identify the inconsistency, explain what they could know at that point and suggest alternatives: change the order of events, give the character another source or make it clear that they are guessing.The table shows the passage, an explanation, a source and a suggested change. A point about the law comes with a reference to the provision applicable to the period. A point about professional language or believable behaviour is identified as such, rather than presented as a rule in a statute. This is a hypothetical example, not a story from my practice.
When a character breaks the law on purpose
An officer who pressures a detained person, or an investigator who deliberately obstructs a defence lawyer, may be exactly what your plot needs. I don't correct such scenes mechanically. My notes distinguish an author's mistake from a character's deliberate violation.For the latter, I explain what a defence lawyer might notice, how the violation might be reflected in the records and what consequences it could have for the case. Those consequences depend on the circumstances; there is no single automatic outcome. The reader should recognise abuse of power, not an author's error.
What you receive and how it works
You receive a table of notes: the passage, an explanation, the relevant source and a suggested change. By agreement, I also add comments to a copy of the manuscript. Deliberate violations by characters are identified separately.
All our communication in English is in writing, including your questions about the review.
1. You send a short brief: where and when the story is set, who the characters are, what the scene needs to achieve, how much text needs reviewing and your deadline.
2. I assess the task and quote a fee and timeline. Before work begins, we confirm the episodes, the format of the notes and how follow-up questions will be handled.
3. I read the text, check the sources and prepare the review.
4. I answer questions about the reviewed episodes within the agreed scope.
Please don't send real case files or personal documents. This service only requires your fictional text.
All our communication in English is in writing, including your questions about the review.
1. You send a short brief: where and when the story is set, who the characters are, what the scene needs to achieve, how much text needs reviewing and your deadline.
2. I assess the task and quote a fee and timeline. Before work begins, we confirm the episodes, the format of the notes and how follow-up questions will be handled.
3. I read the text, check the sources and prepare the review.
4. I answer questions about the reviewed episodes within the agreed scope.
Please don't send real case files or personal documents. This service only requires your fictional text.
How much does a legal accuracy review cost?
We can begin with one question or one scene, or review the legal episodes across a manuscript. The fee depends on their length, complexity and period: a present-day interrogation and a scene governed by an earlier legal system require different research.You know the fee and deadline before work begins. If you later need additional episodes or a new task, we discuss them first rather than add an unexpected charge.
What the review does not include
I check the accuracy of scenes, not the legal risks of publication. A review for defamation, privacy, or the use of real names, images and trademarks is not included.The deliverable is a written review with suggested changes to the agreed episodes. It is not a guarantee that every inaccuracy will be eliminated, that no claims will arise or that a publisher will accept the book.
If the question concerns your own circumstances, it belongs in a separate legal consultation. Here, we work with characters and plot.
I do not use stories from my legal clients in publications, books or scripts, even without names.
Author Olga Sverchkova
I’m a writer and a Russian lawyer with more than twenty years of legal practice in St Petersburg. I write about relationships, choices, memory, cities and everyday life.
Frequently asked questions
What does a legal consultant for writers do?
They check how accurately fiction portrays the law, investigations and courts. In my case, that means Russian law and practice. Legal points come with references to the relevant provisions; observations about professional language and behaviour are identified separately. I suggest ways to address the issues I find.
Is this legal advice?
No. This review concerns your characters and plot. A question about your own circumstances requires a separate legal consultation, not a review of a fictional scene.
My story is set in the 1990s. Can you check it?
We can discuss it. First, we establish the year, location and content of the episodes. The review needs to use the rules of that period. If a reliable source is unavailable for a particular point, I will say so.
My story is set in the US or another country. Can you help?
I do not review the law of other countries under this service. Those scenes need a specialist in the relevant jurisdiction.
Can I send just one scene?
Yes. One scene is a good place to start. Include enough context to explain what happened before it and where it needs to lead.
Will you rewrite the scene for me?
I suggest ways to correct the inaccuracies I identify. Rewriting whole scenes is a separate writing commission, with its scope and fee agreed in advance.
Can you check whether my book infringes anyone's rights?
No. That requires a separate review of the legal risks of publication. It should not be confused with checking the accuracy of a fictional story.
Will anyone find out about my manuscript?
I don't publish your manuscript or share it with third parties without your permission. Before work begins, we agree in writing how your material will be handled and kept confidential.
Tell me about the scene you're unsure of
Tell me where and when the story takes place and what needs to happen in the scene. A short description is enough to start. I'll explain what the review would involve and which material I need.