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The firm's speciality

Maritime law

This is not one line in a portfolio. It is why the firm exists: to certify, protect and defend the merchant seafarer and officer, from the first course to the command of a ship.

See the three services

Who we work for

Seafarers from Honduras and from elsewhere

Merchant seafarers and officers currently serving or waiting to sign on; students of nautical programmes building their first file; and Colombian, Salvadoran and Indian crew needing legal representation on Honduran territory.

Most of them instruct us from abroad: on board, in another port, or in transit. That is precisely the scenario we handle well.

The three fronts

Certification, signing on and defence

Each has its own logic, its own timeline and its own risk. We take them separately or as one route, depending on where you are standing.

Service 01 · DGMM

Licence and discharge book

The document is the key: no valid discharge book, no signing on; no licence for the right rank, no promotion. We run the full process before the Directorate General of the Merchant Marine — national or international — and represent you at the counter.

It is the most requested service because there is almost always urgency: a contract closing in two weeks and a document that has not arrived.

What it covers

  • IssuingSeafarer's identity card and discharge book for ratings and officers
  • RenewalRevalidation of documents close to expiry, without you setting foot in Honduras
  • UpgradeRank change with prior review of your sea service and approved courses
  • InternationalProcessing for crew on foreign-flagged vessels and non-Honduran seafarers
  • RepresentationFiling, response to observations and collection of the document

Service 02 · STCW Convention

Maritime employment advice

Ask before you sign. The International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers sets out what your file must contain for a voyage to be lawful and safe for you.

We review the agreement and the documents against that standard, and tell you what is normal, what is negotiable and what you should not sign.

What it covers

  • AgreementLegal reading of the seafarer employment agreement before signature
  • Crew fileCheck of the documents required on board and their match with your rank
  • TrainingGuidance on certificates and approved courses: which one you need and from which valid institution
  • CareerDesign of the promotion route: rating to officer, officer to command

We do not issue certificates or licences ourselves. We process and coordinate with the institutions approved to do so.

Service 03 · MLC, 2006

Defence of the seafarer on board

When something breaks down at sea, the seafarer is in the weakest position: far from home, without a lawyer, with the crew as the only witness. The Maritime Labour Convention, 2006 exists precisely for that — and it is enforceable.

We work on the concrete facts: what was breached, what evidence exists, and against whom the claim runs — shipowner, manning agency, maritime authority or the courts.

When to contact us

  • WagesWithheld pay, unrecognised overtime, differences against the signed agreement
  • RepatriationEnd of contract with no return, or repatriation the company will not fund
  • AbandonmentVessel without a responsible shipowner, crew left stranded in port
  • InjuryAccidents during service and the medical coverage owed
  • TreatmentMistreatment, discrimination or conditions breaching the employment agreement

What the process looks like

Assessment first, promises second

No file is filed before we know what your sea service says and what the authority requires today. That order is the difference between an application that goes through and one that stalls in observations.

  1. You write in

    WhatsApp or email, with whatever you have to hand: rank, valid documents and the dates pressing you.

  2. Assessment

    We review your case against the requirement in force and tell you what applies and what does not. No charge.

  3. Start

    The power of attorney is signed and work begins on 50% of the fee agreed in writing.

  4. Result

    Ongoing progress reporting. If the outcome is not the one agreed, the second 50% is not charged.

Seafarer questions

Before you ask

The four questions that open almost every conversation with the firm.

Send my enquiry
How long does my licence or discharge book take?

Two variables decide it: whether your documents and sea service are complete, and the processing time of the competent authority. We control the first through the prior assessment; we do not invent the second. We would rather give you a real date after reviewing the file than a promise that makes you lose a contract.

Can I jump rank with the sea service I have?

Sometimes yes, and sometimes no for the reason you would expect least. Promotion is not decided by months at sea alone: approved courses, assessments and an exact match between your record and the rank requested all weigh. We review your record book against the requirements in force and tell you which route suits you, including the intermediate step if a direct jump does not apply.

I am on board or in another country. Can I instruct you without travelling?

Yes, and it is the most common case. We work from scanned documents and a power of attorney signed remotely. Everything requiring physical presence on shore is done by us, and we only flag what genuinely depends on you.

What if the authority asks for a requirement that was not on the list?

A new requirement appearing mid-process is the main cause of delay, which is exactly why we build the file to prevent it. If it still happens, it is answered with the documentation that applies rather than restarting the process — and you will know at all times what was asked, why, and how long it takes to resolve.

Your legal backup on shore

Send us what you have and we will tell you what is possible

Current rank, the documents in your hands, and the date pressing you. That is enough to say something useful.

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