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As specialist lawyers, we defend your vessel and your right to payment in any precautionary arrest procedure, non-payment claim or arbitration arising from nautical operations. We always seek the fastest and least costly route to resolve the dispute in your favour.
A precautionary arrest can be requested within hours, and a sea protest must be filed within 24 hours of arrival in port. Waiting to “see how things develop” usually means losing the chance to act with the legal force the law gives you if you move in time.
«In maritime litigation, acting the same day the problem happens, not the following week, is often the difference between recovering the debt or being left without the main evidence for your claim.»
FORTE ABOGADOS • CLAIMS AND MARITIME LITIGATION
We request or defend against a precautionary arrest of your vessel, acting quickly to protect your assets or secure payment of your debt, particularly effective when the owner or debtor is a foreign national.
We claim unpaid amounts arising from the operation of your vessel: unpaid charter fees, outstanding mooring charges or unsettled maintenance costs.
We file the sea protest before a notary within the legal 24-hour deadline from arrival in port, and coordinate the technical survey needed to document the incident.
We assess whether the arbitration and English jurisdiction clause in your MYBA contract is actually valid in your case, or whether, under Spanish Maritime Navigation Law, your dispute can be resolved before the Spanish courts.
24 hours from arrival at the port of destination, within which the captain must hand over a copy of the ship’s log and the incident report so the notary can process it.
Not necessarily. If the contract is governed by Spanish Maritime Navigation Law, the arbitration submission clause is only valid if it was negotiated individually and separately, not simply because it appears printed in the contract’s standard terms.
It depends on the amount claimed and what the court sets, usually a bond or security equivalent to the value of the debt claimed, which allows the vessel to operate again while the merits of the case are resolved.
Yes, if the debt is documented (invoice, contract, accepted quote), the payment order procedure allows you to claim it more quickly and cheaply; it only proceeds to trial if the other party formally objects.
Yes, it’s usually one of the key documents to support a claim against the insurer or against third parties responsible for the incident.
The trust of those who have already worked with us is the best reference for how we handle each case: with commitment, honesty and direct attention from the very first contact.
