This article provides general information, not legal, regulatory or financial advice. Requirements depend on the applicable contract, authority and jurisdiction.
Who handles what
"Maritime lawyer" and "maritime attorney" both appear steadily in worldwide search data, and the queries come from two very different groups: shipping companies with a commercial problem, and individuals — often seafarers or their families — with a personal injury or employment problem. This article addresses the first group; the second should seek advice from a lawyer or union representative in their own jurisdiction without delay.
| Problem | First call |
|---|---|
| Crew injury or illness | P&I club claims handler |
| Cargo damage claim | P&I club, then lawyers if contested |
| Demurrage or freight dispute | FD&D cover through the club |
| Charterparty dispute | FD&D, then a shipping lawyer |
| Ship arrest — threatened or actual | Maritime lawyer, immediately |
| Collision or grounding | Club, H&M underwriters, lawyer, all at once |
| Pollution incident | Club and lawyer immediately; regulator notification |
| Sanctions question | Specialist sanctions counsel |
| Sale and purchase | Transactional shipping lawyer |
| Ship finance documentation | Finance-side shipping lawyer |
| Newbuilding contract dispute | Construction-experienced shipping lawyer |
| Crew detained after a casualty | Lawyer plus flag state; ILO/IMO fair treatment guidelines apply |
Two observations. First, most disputes start with the club, not with a law firm — FD&D cover exists precisely to fund commercial dispute handling. Second, arrest and casualty are the exceptions: both need a lawyer within hours, not days.
The evidence pack
Whatever the problem, the same material decides it. Assemble before the first call:
| Category | Items |
|---|---|
| Contract | Charterparty, fixture recap, bills of lading, management agreement, supply contract |
| Voyage | Statement of facts, NOR, time sheets, port logs, letters of protest |
| Technical | Deck and engine logs, alarm printouts, ECDIS and VDR data, maintenance records |
| Cargo | Mate's receipts, surveys, stowage plans, temperature and ventilation records |
| Crew | Employment agreements, certificates, rest hour records, statements |
| Communications | Emails, messages, agent correspondence — complete, not selected |
| Insurance | Policy documents, club certificate, prior notifications |
Preserve VDR data immediately after any casualty. It overwrites on a cycle, and losing it is one of the few evidential mistakes that cannot be repaired.
Time bars: the recurring killer
| Claim type | Typical position |
|---|---|
| Cargo claims under Hague-Visby | One year from delivery |
| Demurrage | Often 90 days from completion of discharge, per the charterparty |
| Bunker quality | Short, contract-specific — sometimes days for notification |
| Charterparty arbitration | Contract and law-specific |
| Personal injury | Jurisdiction-specific |
None of these depend on the merits. A strong claim presented one day late is worth nothing.
Choosing a lawyer
- Sector experience over general commercial litigation. Shipping has its own vocabulary, customs and courts.
- The right jurisdiction. Your governing law and arbitration clause dictate this, not your head office location.
- Casualty response capability if that is the risk — 24-hour reach, local correspondents, and experience of investigations.
- Fee structure agreed in writing before work begins.
- Coordination with the club. Where FD&D or P&I is funding, the club will often have panel firms; using one simplifies everything.
- Conflicts checked early, particularly in collision cases where several interests are involved.
Reducing the need
Most legal spend in shipping is downstream of avoidable operational failures:
- Clean, complete documentation at the time of the event
- Letters of protest issued promptly and routinely
- Charterparty terms reviewed before fixing, not after a dispute
- Time bar register maintained with automatic escalation
- Contracts using standard forms where possible, with amendments understood
- Incident response procedure that names who does what in the first six hours
general information only, not legal advice. Time bars and procedures vary by contract and jurisdiction — take advice on your specific matter. Reviewed by the Zeaclub Editorial Team, 24 August 2026.
Frequently asked questions
What does a maritime lawyer do?
Advises on and resolves disputes and transactions involving ships — charterparty and cargo claims, casualties, arrest, sale and purchase, finance, regulatory investigations and marine insurance coverage.
Do I need a lawyer for a cargo claim?
Usually the P&I club handles it first. Lawyers become involved where liability or quantum is genuinely contested, or where the claim is large.
How quickly should I act after a casualty?
Immediately. Notify the club and underwriters, preserve records and VDR data, and take legal advice within hours — particularly if there is any prospect of detention, arrest or criminal investigation.
What is FD&D cover?
Freight, Demurrage and Defence cover, usually provided by the P&I club, funding legal costs in pursuing or defending commercial disputes that are not covered by P&I liability cover itself.