Legal Assistance

Sample Cases

Many situations that require legal intervention involve activities which are legal in one's domestic jurisdiction but which are illegal, troublesome and/or difficult to deal with abroad. Civil law cases involving accidents and travel related incidents that are not emergencies can be referred to local counsel in the appropriate country.

  1. In several countries, when there is an automobile accident involving death or serious injury, drivers are typically held in custody pending investigation, which can last for several months. On one occasion in Venezuela, the president of a major corporation who was being detained by the police as the result of such an accident contacted our provider by cellular phone. Our partner provider conducted a full legal consultation, made necessary conference calls, helped assemble a team to meet the individual at the police station, and advised what to say and how to act. The individual was released.
     
  2. In Mexico, our provider was able to avoid incarceration for an individual's spouse who was involved in an accident where a local resident was accidentally killed. Our partner provider's involvement included the criminal and civil aspects of the case.
     
  3. In Taiwan, an individual's spouse had been assaulted and was brain dead. Taiwan laws provided that unauthorized disconnection of life support was a criminal offense. Other legal/medical problems involved requirements of keeping mortal remains in the country pending autopsy and/or pending disposition of any criminal case. Our partner provider successfully negotiated the individual's complicated case.
     
  4. Following a serious car accident in New Zealand in which several people were injured and one person died, the individual was brought into the police station, the individual's passport was taken and the individual was prohibited from leaving the country. There was a distinct possibility that he would be arrested. After initial consultation and emergency advice, our partner provider referred the individual to a local lawyer in Auckland, New Zealand who is the chairperson of the local Criminal Law Bar Association and a colleague from the International Bar Association. The matter was settled without an arrest.
     
  5. Our partner provider received an emergency call from an individual in Mali, who had been informed that both the individual and the individual's spouse could not leave the country unless they paid a large sum of money to cover their African land tour costs. They had paid the entire amount in advance through their travel agent but the local representative had not received it. As a result of our calls and teleconferences, the frightened pair was finally able to depart on their flight from Bamako to Paris that afternoon.
     
  6. A client's individual employee drove across the bridge from Bahrain to Saudi Arabia with several co-workers as passengers. An open container of an alcoholic beverage was found in the car's trunk by the border inspector. Trial was set for the next morning. No lawyers are located in this remote region. Our provider instructed the individuals as to what to say, and was available by cell phone to intercede as necessary during the individual's hearing. Case ended adjudicated with a small fine.
     
  7. An individual employee working in Saudi Arabia was on holiday in Dubai with the individual's family when a bus crashed into the individual's car. The police placed the blame on the severely injured individual, took the individual's passport and assigned full responsibility for the substantial damages, after annulling the individual's auto rental insurance. Late-night conference calls resulted in a referral to a leading law firm in Dubai, return of passport, an end to the criminal treatment and a satisfactory disposition of the civil claim.