7. Are Average Adjusters trained as lawyers?

No, this is not required, although there have been instances where lawyers became Average Adjusters! Average Adjusters do not dispense legal advice. However, to qualify as an Average Adjuster in Canada and elsewhere in the world by passing the rigorous examinations of the national Association, an Average Adjuster must demonstrate that he or she is knowledgeable about the legal framework of admiralty law, marine insurance statutes and regulations, international maritime conventions etc. as regards cargo, salvage, collision, liability etc. There is a long and well developed tradition of legal precedent concerning the interpretation of contracts of marine insurance, especially in the United Kingdom, but also in Canada, the United States and other major maritime nations. These decisions form a body of case law that Average Adjusters must bear in mind when preparing an Average Adjustment.