SCHAPELLE Corby’s biographer says this time feels “real” for her family and everything in the parole application which is required has been given.

“This is officially at a point where it looks like she will walk free in the coming days,” Kathryn Bonella told ABC Radio this morning.

But the co-author of My Story believes it will be hard for the convicted drug smuggler to adjust to life on the outside.

“It’s going to be a complete shock when she gets out of the jail,” she said.

“I don’t think anyone, including her, know how she will react to the outside world.”

The diplomatic row between Australia and Indonesia could see Corby free to earn millions from selling her story without being affected by proceeds of crime legislation.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott said on Thursday “crime should not pay” in the case of Corby, who top agents say could earn up to $3 million for full rights to her story, including the first post-prison interview she gives.

But the current “suspension of cooperation” may mean Indonesia would not help if Australian Federal Police sought its help forfeiting or freezing any money paid to an Indonesian account held in Ms Corby’s name.

However Corby, whose release from Bali’s Kerobokan Prison is expected next week, would have trouble transferring any profits back to Australia, where it could be seized under the Proceeds of Crime Act.

The head of Denpasar’s Correctional Board, Ketut Artha, told News Corp Australia there was no equivalent of proceeds of crime legislation in Indonesia and Ms Corby would be free to do any kind of work during her likely two-year parole, including selling the rights to her story.

“That’s not a problem, as long as she tell the truth and not lie,” Mr Artha said.

“And she should get permit from the Law and Human Right Ministry to do that.

“The Correctional Board will supervise every single thing she do during the parole. If she didn’t tell the truth on the book or film, or telling bad thing about institution in Indonesia, we will be warning her. The Correctional Board can also consider revoking her parole.”

Normally, Australia would rely on the Mutual Assistance in Criminal Matters Act to seek Indonesia’s assistance to access accounts and seize funds.

Indonesia declined to intervene to seize the $282,750 paid to Corby via her Balinese brother-in-law, Wayan Widyartha, for her 2006 book My Story and an accompanying exclusive interview. The view then was that the money was in the name of an Indonesian account holder and they had no basis to intervene.

The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions launched legal action in 2007 to prevent Corby from cashing in on her notoriety, but by then most of the money was in Indonesia.

They were only able to win an order seizing $128,000 in publishing payments made after the case was lodged.

Now, following the suspension of cooperation over phone-tapping and the boat turn-backs, the Indonesian Government would be even less inclined to consider an Australian request — even if the money was paid directly to an account in Indonesia in Corby’s name.

According to a federal parliamentary paper on indicted persons who seek “literary proceeds” — defined as commercial exploitation by any means, including books and films — the government can seek to seize proceeds of crime whether paid at home or abroad.

Former Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks was able to keep the reported $10,000 he pocketed from the sale of his book Guantanamo: My Journey, but only after a legal battle.

Profits were frozen, before the Director of Public Prosecution dropped the case a week before it was due to be heard in the New South Wales Supreme Court in 2012.

Hick’s lawyer Steven Glass says if you make money from publishing a book about a serious offence you’ve committed overseas then in many cases the court will make an order to confiscate the proceeds, but not all, given the complex nature of provisions.

“The Act doesn’t say you can’t make any money, just that the court can make an order confiscating it,” Mr Glass said.

“They can confiscate proceeds held in Australia of crime committed overseas, but they can’t confiscate proceeds held overseas.”

Media lawyer Justin Quill says there were different circumstances in Hicks’ case.

“David Hicks was a little different because he was never convicted by a recognised US Court,” Mr Quill said.

“It was a military tribunal.”

He admits the Proceeds of Crime Act is complicated, but the crime doesn’t have to have been committed in Australia.

“It does contemplate Australian authorities seizing money, property or income even where a person has been convicted of an indictable offence overseas.”

Tony Abbott yesterday said Corby should not be able to profit by telling her story.

“I guess the old principle is that crime should not pay,” the Prime Minister told 4BC Radio.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten told reporters in Brisbane he was not “about to start kicking her”.

“She’s been locked up in an Indonesian jail for a very long time,” he said.