Losing a loved one is always traumatic, but if you need to hire a wrongful death attorney while dealing with this loss, you need to make the experience as easy as possible. At Sokoloff & Weinstein, we understand how difficult it can be to choose the right wrongful death attorney. That’s why we created a list of questions to ask to make the process a little less harrowing. You should feel comfortable with your legal representation. We urge you to ask the critical questions and only enter into a relationship when you are satisfied with the answers you have been given.
What does a wrongful death attorney do, and what is a wrongful death lawsuit?
A wrongful death lawsuit is an action you can bring against a person or entity (such as a company) that has caused the wrongful death of someone else that you have a particular relationship with. This type of action can be brought even though the victim in question is no longer alive to bring the suit themselves often by opening up a probate so to initiate same. A wrongful death attorney represents you throughout the entire process, from analyzing the case to collecting information to moving through the legal stages of such a claim or suit.
Questions to ask when you are looking for a wrongful death attorney
Experience
You need to ensure that your chosen attorney has experience in representing cases that is similar to yours. Because attorneys often limit their practice to particular fields of law, the best option would be to choose someone who has experience dealing with the legal steps and the multitude of parties involved in a wrongful death lawsuit.
Success rate
If your attorney is respected in their field of practice, they will be able to give you information about their success rate and won’t hide the cases in which they were not successful. If your attorney cannot give you an accurate view of their success rate, they are not acting in a way worthy of your trust and support. Because this is such an essential factor in choosing the right attorney, you should walk away from any attorney who is not forthcoming and truthful about their success rate. Often, knowing the challenges that lay ahead in a wrongful death action, attorneys will tend to only take those that they feel they can garner a positive outcome.
Fee
Understanding the kind of legal fees you might be looking at is essential. Your attorney needs to give you a reliable estimate of the legal fees involved and not hide any additional costs you might be liable for. Don’t settle for the lowest number because you will get what you pay for. A credible attorney will charge competitive rates, so if you’re getting an estimate from one firm that is much lower than others, you need to ask why.
Approach
Every law firm and wrongful death attorney has their own approach to bringing a wrongful death lawsuit. You should ask them about their strategy to bring your case and what they want to achieve with their approach. They should be able to give you details on the settlement, negotiation and litigation styles they use, how they collect information, and what is expected of you.
Don’t search the internet only for “law firms near me”- instead, contact Sokoloff & Weinstein for honest, reliable advice from wrongful death attorneys in Florida.
