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What to Do When You Experience Legal Trouble While Traveling

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What to Do When You Experience Legal Trouble While Traveling

Do you travel frequently? Are you planning a trip soon? No matter how often you travel, you may not have considered the possibility that you could get into legal trouble while you’re on your trip. If you don’t currently have a plan for what you’ll do if you encounter legal issues, this article will help.

Contact an attorney right away

The first thing you need to do if you get into legal trouble is contact an attorney. This is true regardless of where you are, but it’s most important when you’re traveling in an unfamiliar area. You never want to face criminal charges alone. For instance, in Fort Worth, Texas, you could face some serious penalties if convicted. A good defense lawyer will help to minimize the consequences as much as possible.

If you’re still in your home country and you have a lawyer already, contact them first to ask for their advice. However, keep in mind that if the incident happened out of state, you’ll need to seek legal help from an attorney in that state.

Never self-represent in a criminal case

You may have heard of people representing themselves in court and winning their case. This is the exception, not the rule. Chances are, you won’t be successful in defending yourself. Memorizing the law and knowing how to explain your innocence isn’t enough to win your case. This move is even riskier when you’re in another country.

Winning a criminal case requires a litany of tasks that take experience as a lawyer to get right. For instance, you’ll need to file motions correctly and on time. You’ll also need to know exactly how and when to present evidence, and it’s not as easy as it looks. For instance, you can’t present evidence you haven’t submitted to the other side first. Although the law allows for you to represent yourself, that doesn’t mean the court will be lenient with your mistakes. Judges hold pro se litigants to the same standards as attorneys.

Brush up on the law

Assuming you haven’t been put in jail, it’s important to research the law to find out what kind of law(s) you broke and what the possible consequences are. You might discover that you have more rights than you thought, and you may not have actually broken the law. Or, there could be a gray area with your circumstances.

It’s also not uncommon for people to be wrongfully arrested on fabricated charges or for “crimes” that aren’t actually crimes. This tends to happen more often in places that don’t have strong freedom of speech rights. Hopefully, this never happens to you, but if it does, be prepared to fight.

If you haven’t taken your trip yet, but you feel like you’re visiting a country where the laws are really strict, research ahead of time. Don’t take any risks visiting countries known to lay down serious punishments for what you might consider small offenses.

Be ready to fight your charges

Regardless of what charges you’re facing, if you’re facing those charges in unfamiliar territory, you may not realize the extent of the consequences. Be ready to fight your charges. Don’t just assume you’ll get a fine and get let off the hook.

Contact a local attorney as soon as possible and get ready to fight your charges. What looks like a small issue could end up having severe consequences.

Stay calm

It should go without saying, but stay calm no matter what. It’s normal to get frustrated and even angry, but stay outwardly calm when dealing with the local authorities and court system. Never show yourself as someone who is out of control or angry. It could really hurt your legal case if you don’t hold that back.

Be prepared to be banned from certain countries

The biggest downside of being convicted of a crime is being banned from entering certain countries. There are a handful of popular tourist destinations that don’t allow convicted felons to enter, including Australia, Canada, China, India, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa, and the United Kingdom.

In most cases, you’ll be able to enter if you were accused, yet acquitted, but there are some countries that bar entry for merely being accused. The only exception is a true emergency, in which case, you can only enter the country once.

Be careful while traveling and call an attorney

Nobody expects to get into legal trouble while traveling, but it happens sometimes. Your best chance at making it through any legal ordeal is to contact an attorney and take their advice.

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Destinations

Endangered Heritage Attractions In the Americas

Let’s explore what heritage sites are in danger and why so we can understand what’s going on in our world.

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We have reached a tipping point at many of our planet’s most beautiful and special destinations, and you may want to visit them before it’s too late. Whether it is environmental or human related issues affecting these historic and natural locations, they are in danger of being destroyed. The World Heritage Convention and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) have picked these four heritage attractions as at-risk and in danger. These sites include the Everglades National Park and Belize’s Barrier Reef. Let’s explore what heritage sites are in danger and why so we can understand what’s going on in our world.

 

Belize Barrier Reef

Running Belize’s entire coastline, this living wall is protecting the environment from rough seas and is the largest reef system in the Northern Hemisphere. The reef is home to countless fish and coral species and is in danger from overfishing, poor water quality and development without environmental concerns. This is one of the planet’s best snorkeling and scuba diving spots and it may be destroyed by human interference soon.  If we don’t enforce some strict environmental laws in the area soon, we may lose this amazing reef like we are already losing the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.

 

Chan Chan

In Peru an ancient civilization thrived before the Spanish Conquistadors invaded the area and even predated the mighty Incan civilization. The Chimu people built the largest mud brick city in the entire world at the site called Chan Chan. This incredible archeological dig is ever changing because rain and weather are turning the mud bricks slowly back into mud and the crumbling infrastructure will only increase over time. See this magnificent site before it’s gone forever. The Incas eventually conquered the Chimu people but they left a real mark on Latin America.

  

Everglades National Park

Located in Southern Florida and encompassing 1.5 million acres of swampland, The Everglades National Park is in danger because rising sea levels are saturating the freshwater table with seawater and many of the animals and plant life are dying off. The Everglades are home to many species of animals and foliage that thrive nowhere else on the planet. Home to alligators, crocodiles, manatees, and countless other rare species, the Everglades are in serious danger and so are all these beautiful animals. The rising sea levels are seriously affecting the region and it is beginning to show signs of deterioration.

 

Portobelo-San Lorenzo

This Caribbean port city was originally built to protect Spanish gold and other treasures so it was a favorite spot for pirates. Pirates ruled the Caribbean waters in the 17th and 18th centuries and no ship was safe from their plundering ways. The fishing town has some incredible ruins of the Old Spanish naval base to the large amount of sunken ships in the harbor. With plenty to explore and tourism increasing, this heritage site is in danger of being built over as there is no regulations in this region of Panama. Take in the Old Spanish architecture and the beautiful ruins before it’s too late.

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Destinations

New Travel Alert for Europe During The Summer

The US State Department issued another and more widespread travel alert for much of Europe this summer. 

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The US State Department issued another and more widespread travel alert for much of Europe this summer. This comes on the heels of recent travel warnings for Europe, which are a response to increased chatter from terrorist organizations. There have been some major terrorist attacks and activity in Europe and specifically France in the past few years. Summer is the busiest travel season and many European nations count on this yearly boom for their gross national income.

 

Details

The travel alert is issued on May 1, 2017 and runs until September 1, 2017. The US State Department believes that with all the recent terrorism at busy tourist attractions in Europe and increases chatter show signs of impending danger. The extremists are hell-bent on spreading their fear and terror by attacking the western civilization at the heart of their freedom.

 

France

Recent attacks in France have made huge headlines and many people have been affected by these incidents. Paris is an international city with millions of tourists each summer, so a travel warning like this could hurt their bottom line. Will this travel alert make people reconsider their summer travel plans, only time will tell?

The Alert mentions Paris as a possible site where terrorism could occur and that should worry people with plans through that city.

 

Russia

Russia seems to be in continuous turmoil and this summer season is no different. The country has been the target of terrorists in the past and many of those are homegrown threats. If you have plans to visit Russia, I would check with the US embassy just in case.

 

Great Britain

Great Britain has many strong ties to the United States and that makes them and their territories targets of terrorist organizations. London is one of the most visited cities in Europe and now the State Department is warning US citizens about the threat of a terrorist attack in that city this summer.

 

Islamic State and al-Qaida

The two main terrorist groups responsible for all these threats and attacks are the Islamic State (ISIS) and Al-Qaida. They have plenty of operatives already in place all over Europe and these sleeper cells are waiting for the opportunity to strike. The US State Department doesn’t believe that these attacks are imminent but there are strong possibilities.

 

What You Should Do

If you already have travel plans for Europe this summer, it may be too late to change your plans. If this is the case, don’t worry, the odds of being in a terrorist attack are very minimal and just being smart will help you out. If you plan on traveling to the alerted areas, contact the local embassy or consulate and see if there are any new developments. Watch media and see if there are any new warnings.

Look for things that are odd or out of the normal but overall just try and enjoy yourself. Life is too short to let the terrorists win, let’s keep living our free lives and we will always win in the face of adversity.

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Travel

Moving After A Divorce: What To Consider

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Divorce is a reality for so many individuals at one point or another. Getting a new start is something that is frequently done after a divorce. This is truly a time of change that can create a multitude of stress. Children make moving after divorce almost impossible as seeing them regularly should be a priority. Couples without children can move to completely different parts of the world if they think this is best. Moving can be a new start for a person that has been in a marriage to reinvent themselves. The following are things that you should consider when moving after a divorce. 

Figuring Out Where To Settle Down 

There are some people that know exactly where they want to be after a divorce. Others might have to start doing research to see what cities appeal to them the most. Living in a city for a short period of time if possible can allow you to see whether the energy of the city works for you. There are so many options for rentals to explore a city that you can choose from. Look at everything from entertainment options to how much money you can save by moving. 

A City With A Low Cost Of Living

Moving for the job of a spouse happens frequently and with no connections to a city, a person recently divorced will likely move. Remote work has changed the way the world operates with people flocking from large cities. The pandemic revealed all of the drawbacks of living in a large city including restrictions imposed by politicians that do not follow the restrictions themselves. 

Living anywhere in the world can open up possibilities that you could not have explored if you were still married. Moving abroad can be a great way to save money towards retirement while improving your quality of life. Locations like Portugal and Thailand are great for digital nomads if you have the ability to earn online. Check with your Raleigh divorce lawyer if there are any stipulations that have to do with alimony or other payments that need to be made. 

Employment Opportunities

There are so many job markets that are very healthy in today’s world. Freelancing can be an option until you find full-time employment. Keeping your current job is the best option but not all companies will offer or can offer remote roles. A transfer could be possible if you work for a company with locations across the country. Explore as many possibilities as you can to ensure you are gainfully employed when moving. 

A City That Lends Itself To Your Hobbies

There might be a few hobbies that you are passionate about. Living near the water is great if you like to go kayaking, fishing, or go to the beach. The mountains can be perfect for a person that loves to hike and enjoy nature. Being able to enjoy all a city or town has to offer can be very important when it comes to enjoying your life after divorce. 

A divorce can be a jarring experience that leads you to need some change. Moving to a new location can allow you to enjoy life to the fullest.

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