Top Hiawatha, IA 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 Hiawatha 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.

Top Questions to Ask a Lawyer

• What is the usual process to resolve my case? How long will it take to resolve this?
• What are likely outcomes of a case like mine? What should I expect?

An experienced lawyer should be able to communicate a basic “road map” on how to proceed. The lawyer should be able to walk you through the anticipated process, key considerations, and potential pitfalls to avoid. Once you’ve laid out the facts of your situation to the lawyer, he/she should be able to frame expectations and likely scenarios to help you understand your legal issue.

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

Affidavit – A sworn written statement made under oath. An affidavit is meant to be a supporting document to the court assisting in the verification of certain facts. An affidavit may or may not require notarization.