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Maritime law lawyers in the UAE

Maritime law: ship arrest, maritime commercial and civil cases.

Price
On request
Timeline
1–4 weeks
Tax
—
Format
Remote and in person
About the practice

What maritime law lawyers do in the UAE

The UAE is a major maritime hub, and maritime law is a practice of its own here, with its own procedures. The key one is ship arrest as a way of securing a claim.

These cases are complicated by the fact that the parties are almost always from different countries, and international conventions apply alongside local law.

How it works

Two legal systems in the UAE: why that decides the outcome

Two incompatible legal systems operate in the UAE at once. The mainland runs on civil law by codes, hearings are in Arabic and the emirate's courts decide.

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Inside the financial centres — DIFC in Dubai and ADGM in Abu Dhabi — English-style common law applies, with their own courts and their own procedure. Hearings there are in English.

Hence the practical point: jurisdiction is decided not by where you live but by what the contract says and where the parties are registered. A jurisdiction clause signed without looking decides the language of the case, the cost of representation and which rules you'll be judged by.

Only a lawyer admitted to practise in DIFC may represent you in the DIFC courts. Admission to the emirate's courts doesn't count there, and vice versa.

What we handle

Which maritime disputes are taken on

  • Ship arrest and lifting an arrest
  • Disputes over carriage and cargo damage
  • Collisions and casualties
  • Freight and charterparty disputes
  • Marine insurance claims

What the service includes

Scope: a tick means included in the price, a cross means billed separately
Legal strategy
Preparing the documents
Support through the process
State fees and court charges— billed separately

How the process runs

1–4 weeks
  1. Шаг 1Разбираем документы и оцениваем перспективу: подсудность, применимое право, сроки давности.
  2. Шаг 2Досудебная стадия — претензия и переговоры. Часть споров закрывается здесь и дешевле.
  3. Шаг 3Подготовка позиции и подача иска в компетентный суд или арбитраж.
  4. Шаг 4Разбирательство: заседания, обмен доказательствами, экспертизы.
  5. Шаг 5Решение суда.
  6. Шаг 6Исполнительное производство — взыскание по решению.

What we need from you

  • 1A description of the situation
  • 2The documents you have

Frequently asked questions

What language are the proceedings in?
In the emirate's courts — Arabic, with documents filed with a certified translation. In the DIFC and ADGM courts — English.
Who can represent me in court?
In the emirate's courts — an advocate admitted in the UAE. In the DIFC courts — only a lawyer admitted to practise in DIFC: the admissions aren't interchangeable.
Do I have to attend?
No: representation runs under a power of attorney. It's notarised, and legalised if issued outside the UAE. You attend in person where the court requires it — at questioning in a criminal case, for instance.

Advocacy and litigation in the UAE: comparison

The difference is not the price — it is who each option suits. The “Best for” column is the business profile the option is built around.

OptionBest forTimelinePrice from
Maritime law lawyers in the UAEyou are hereBusinesses, individuals with a complex case1–4 weekson request
Corporate lawyers in the UAEBusinesses, start-ups, crypto1–4 weekson request
Family lawyers in the UAEExpats, marriages and divorces1–9 weekson request
Debt recovery in the UAEBusinesses, expats1–6 monthson request
Criminal defence lawyers in the UAEUrgent cases1–12 monthson request
Arbitration in the UAE — DIFC, DIAC, ADGMBusinesses, international transactions3–18 monthson request
Property lawyers in the UAEBuyers, tenants1–3 monthson request
Employment lawyers in the UAEBusinesses, individuals with a complex case1–4 weekson request
Insurance and aviation lawyers in the UAEBusinesses, individuals with a complex case1–4 weekson request
Lawyer consultation in the UAEBusinesses, individuals with a complex case1–4 weekson request
Civil and commercial lawyers in the UAEBusinesses, individuals with a complex case1–4 weekson request

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