🔍 Key Concepts

• Special protections for seamen’s wages under U.S. law (46 U.S.C. – verify current section in 46 CFR or U.S. Code) • What it means for wages to be “exempt from attachment” and the narrow exceptions • Difference between general debts (like taxes or fines) and family support obligations

💭 Think About

• Ask yourself: Historically, why has maritime law treated seamen as a protected class when it comes to their wages? • Which type of obligation is usually considered most urgent and most strongly protected by courts: ordinary debts, government debts, or dependents’ support? • Think about whether seamen’s wages can be freely taken for any court-ordered payment, or only for a very specific kind of obligation.

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify which specific limited exception to the usual protection of seamen’s wages from attachment is recognized in maritime law. • Check whether all court-ordered payments are treated the same way, or whether some (like general fines or tax debts) are treated differently from family support. • Confirm that the law does not generally allow broad garnishment of seamen’s wages, and identify the single, specific purpose for which attachment is allowed.