When you don't hire an admiralty attorney, you get in a jamb. When you get in a jamb, you lose money. When you lose money, you stop shining your shoes. When your shoes aren't shined, people think you're down on your luck. When people think you're down on your luck, they take advantage. And when people take advantage, you end up in the park watching the boats you used to own go by. Don't end up in a park watching the boats you used to own go by, get an admiralty attorney.

Okay, apologies to DirectTV for my attempt at covering their recent advertising campaign. Let me ballast that port tank and bring us level . . . here's three reasons to consider not hiring an admiralty attorney.

First, you might consider not hiring an admiralty attorney, if you're better than ninety percent sure that you can resolve a commercial dispute amicably and you have a long standing relationship with all parties involved.

Second, you might consider not hiring an admiralty attorney, if you're not going to listen. Sorry, the wheelhouse or the executive wing may be your domain, but your admiralty attorney is like a pilot and if you're not going to listen, well what's the point?

Third, you might consider not hiring an admiralty attorney, if your one of those captains that won't touch the throttles and wheel once past the breakwater. Head seas be damned, he'll sit up there and beat us to death. My point is that an admiralty attorney may counsel that you change course to take advantage of developing law, regulatory change, industry trends or what have you.

Whether you call your admiralty attorney a boating accident attorney, maritime lawyer, maritime litigator, admiralty counsel, sea lawyer, boat attorney or ferry accident lawyer, the point is that it's always a good idea to seek legal counsel in connection with maritime legal issues. Let your maritime lawyer help you decide the best path to take --- even if that path doesn't involve much lawyering.

Underway and making way.

By John Fulweiler

Fulweiler llc

www.saltwaterlaw.com