When that phone call comes, every hour counts. A relative stopped at a foreign airport, an arrest during a business trip, detention in a country whose language and laws you don’t know. International Lawyers Associates assists people arrested abroad — in Italy, elsewhere in Europe, the Middle East, the Americas or Asia — and their families: we activate trusted local counsel on the ground, coordinate the defence from Italy and keep the family informed at every step. Available 24/7, every day of the year: we reply within one hour.
The three situations we are called for
- A family member has just been arrested abroad. At an airport, at a border, during a police check. The first 48 hours are decisive: in many countries this is when a judge rules on the arrest and on custody, and when local counsel is chosen. A mistake or a delay at this stage weighs on the entire proceedings.
- Your relative is detained abroad awaiting trial. You need a stable channel: with the local lawyer, with the consulate, with the detention facility. We coordinate the defence, monitor detention conditions and help you with visits, translations and communications.
- A surrender procedure between States is involved. European Arrest Warrant, extradition request, Interpol Red Notice: proceedings with their own rules and deadlines — and the core practice of our firm, both incoming and outgoing.
What we do, in four steps
- We answer immediately. Phone or WhatsApp, 24/7: we collect the essential facts — where the arrest took place, on what charge, where the person is now held — and tell you what to do, and what not to do, in the following hours.
- We activate local counsel. The firm works with a network of correspondent lawyers across Europe, the United States, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. The local lawyer represents the person before the authorities of that country; we direct the overall defence.
- We build a single strategy. We analyse the charge, the applicable treaties and the possible developments — including those that may reach other countries: extradition, European Arrest Warrant, Interpol alerts. The local defence and the international one move in the same direction.
- We stand by the family. A single point of contact, constant updates, support with consular visits, documents and translations. Distance must not become isolation.
The consulate helps — but it does not defend
This is the first misunderstanding to clear up: a consulate can visit the detainee, provide a list of local lawyers and, with the detainee’s consent, keep in touch with the family, but it does not take on the defence, does not normally pay for counsel and does not intervene in the merits of the case. The defence is a private choice — and it is the variable that matters most. Our first step is always to place a vetted local defence lawyer at the person’s side, under the firm’s supervision.
Why ILA
- International criminal law is our core practice — extradition, European Arrest Warrant, Interpol Red Notice, international judicial cooperation: not an occasional activity, the heart of our daily work.
- Offices in Naples, Milan and Rome, a presence in Madrid, Bogotá and Dubai and a network of correspondents across Europe, the United States, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia.
- 24/7 availability — arrests don’t keep office hours; neither do we.
- Multilingual assistance — Italian, English, Spanish, French and Portuguese.
- Absolute confidentiality — every contact is covered by professional privilege.
Has a family member been arrested abroad? Don’t wait for the hearing to act.
Contact the firm now or call / WhatsApp %%TEL%% — we reply within one hour, 24/7.
Frequently asked questions
What should I do in the first hours after a relative is arrested abroad? Three things: note where the person is held and on what charge; make sure no statements are made and no documents signed before a defence lawyer has read them; contact a lawyer with international experience at once. Avoid relying on the first name suggested at the police station: the choice of local counsel is the most important decision of the whole case.
How do you find the lawyer in the country of the arrest? Through the network of correspondents the firm has built over years of international proceedings: local lawyers we have already worked with, selected by field. Where we have no direct correspondent, we identify one through international professional circuits and verify their credentials before any engagement.
How much does the assistance cost? It depends on the country, the stage of the proceedings and the local counsel required. After the first — confidential — contact, you will receive a clear picture of the foreseeable costs, distinguishing the firm’s work from that of the foreign correspondent. No cost is activated without your consent.
Could the case turn into an extradition? It can: an arrest abroad may evolve into an extradition request or a European Arrest Warrant. We assess this scenario from day one, because the strategy in the country of arrest conditions the one at home — and vice versa. These procedures are the firm’s main speciality.