General Practice, Solo & Small Firm DivisionMagazine   Smart
Traveling   While travelers in legal trouble make the headlines
back home and even become the topics of books and movies,
millions of people wander the globe and their only contact with
a foreign legal system is when they show their passport to cross
a border. Lost luggage is a lot more likely to be problem than
how to make bail in a currency you have not quite figured out.
But, like in probate, a little planning can save you a lot of
trouble later. There are just a few words of advice to remember.
In the immortal words of Buckaroo Banzai, “Just remember,
wherever you go, there you are.” You are subject to the law of
the country you are visiting. Now this may sound elementary, but
it is surprising how many Americans expect that their American
passport means that they can only be held responsible for their
actions under American law. They call the American Embassy and
are shocked when they are told that some countries have a
presumption of guilt. Bu