Maritime Attorneys

Maritime Attorneys are attorneys who specialize in Jones Act or maritime law. When hiring any kind of lawyer, there are certain things that you need to take into consideration, and hiring an attorney for cases involving injury while working at sea should be treated no differently. You need to focus on the lawyer’s specialty, their communication skills, their record and their rapport with yourself.

The first factor to consider when looking for a maritime attorney is ensuring that maritime law is their area of specialization. In legal terms, any licensed lawyer can legally represent anyone in any sort of court case but no one would want a contractual lawyer handling a criminal case, or a trade lawyer in divorce court. Just like all of these other specialized niches of the law, maritime law or the Jones Act are a section of the law unto themselves. They govern specifically the injury of employees at sea and are designed for the protection of seamen. A lawyer who is educated and trained in these specialties will be much better equipped to represent you in this sort of case than any general law practitioner ever will be.

Of course, there are some things to consider when hiring any kind of lawyer for any kind of case. This includes but is not limited to maritime attorneys. One of the most important skill sets for any lawyer to have is his power of communication. A lawyer needs to be able to communicate effectively with the main individuals; including his client, a jury, a judge and the opposition. These communication skills are essential ingredients that help determine whether or not a lawyer will be successful in his case and it pays to carefully evaluate an attorney's skill in this area before hiring them.

Maritime attorneys should also have their record considered before you hire them, as should any kind of lawyer. Although it is certainly normal for any attorney to have a mixed record of won and lost cases, if you can afford it, it is almost always preferable to hire a lawyer with a greater success rate. This is usually indicative of a certain skill or of exceptional familiarity or education in an area of specialty. This is the sort of skill and knowledge you want on your side when pursuing your case.

The final area you may want to consider when looking for maritime attorneys is the rapport your prospective attorney has with yourself. It is important to feel like your lawyer is really understanding of your viewpoint and is ready to argue it for all he's worth. Many people have chosen a lawyer based on their instinct alone when all other factors are equal and many of these people have made excellent hiring decisions. It is absolutely vital that an attorney and his or her client feel like they are on the same page and that they can communicate clearly and effectively in order for their case to have any chance at success. At the Ogletree Abbott Law Firm, we feel that this is very important and our maritime attorneys are very conscious of your needs. Give us a call today and speak with one of our maritime attorneys about your case; you’ll be glad you did.