Top Warrior, AL Maritime Law Lawyers Near You

Do You Need a Maritime Lawyer?

Maritime law, also known as admiralty law, is a group of laws that governs navigation and commerce on navigable waters. Maritime legal matters should only be handled by an experienced Warrior maritime attorney who can best protect your legal rights.

Different Types of Maritime Matters

Maritime and admiralty law encompasses such a broad scope of situations, such as cruise ships and its passengers, seamen, oil rig workers and even recreational boaters. Specific cases can range from employment situations on the water, accidents, employment and even the creation of contracts.

When it comes to legal issues that occur on national or international waterways, trust only in skilled maritime law attorneys to help protect your legal rights.

Best Time to Seek Legal Help

No matter what your legal issue may be, it is always best to seek legal help early in the process. An attorney can help secure what is likely to be the best possible outcome for your situation and avoid both unnecessary complications or errors.

Tips on Approaching an Initial Attorney Consultation

• Use the consultation as a means of gaining a better understanding of your legal situation.
• Ask the attorney how many cases similar to yours he/she has handled. An attorney’s experience and knowledge can speak to their expertise (or lack of) in addressing your situation.
• Your attorney should be able to articulate roughly how long a case like yours will take to resolve and what sort of procedures to expect.
• Determine how comfortable you are working with the lawyer and/or law firm.

How will an attorney charge me?

A reputable attorney will be very upfront about how he/she will charge you. The three most common fee structures that attorneys use to charge for their services are:

• Bill by the hour
• Contingent fee agreement
• Flat fee agreement

Depending on your specific legal situation, it’s possible that only one type of fee structure is available. For instance, criminal defense attorneys almost always bill by the hour. In a flat fee arrangement, an attorney accepts a one-time payment to help you resolve your issue. With a contingent fee agreement, the client pays little to nothing upfront and the attorney receives a percentage of the money recovered if you win your case.

Common legal terms explained

Plaintiff – a person or party who brings a lawsuit against another person(s) or party/parties in a court of law. Private persons or parties can only file suit in civil court.

Judgment – A decision of the court. Also known as a decree or order. Judgments handed down by the court are usually binding on the parties before the court.