What Questions Should I Ask a Wrongful Death Attorney?

Wrongful Death Lawyer

It may feel overwhelming to search for an attorney following the wrongful death of a loved one. In your time of grief, however, it’s an incredible burden to take on the affairs of your loved one’s death. Many people are so stricken by grief that the process of researching federal and state laws, setting up accounts, and keeping up with filing dates is just too much.

In the case of wrongful death, things become even more complicated. Not only will you be dealing with the decedent’s estate, but you may be eligible to file a lawsuit against the responsible party. It’s best in these situations to seek out a qualified wrongful death attorney who can take on the burden for you, so that you may properly grieve.

With that being said, you want to make sure that you hire the right attorney. Here are some questions that you may want to ask yourself and the potential attorney before you put down a retainer.

How Much Relevant Experience Do They Have?

If your loved one has died in a construction accident, for example, you won’t want to hire an attorney that is experienced in car accidents. It’s important to ask the attorney how much experience they have in the area that is relevant to your case. In this case, finding someone well-versed in construction law would be preferable.

Who Will Be Working on Your Case? 

Sometimes lawyers will take on a case and hand it over to their associates. There’s no problem with this as long as you are okay with it, but you want to make sure that you are charged at a lower rate for their work. A lawyer’s associate may not have as much experience as a lawyer. First-year associates, for example, are entry-level attorneys that have recently graduated law school. They may only be in their first year of practice.

Are There Any Current Disciplinary Actions?

If you are considering hiring a specific attorney, you’ll want to know if they have any current disciplinary actions against them.  To find out, determine if the attorney is licensed in one or multiple states. You can go to the website or the bar association for that state to check. Currently, the American Bar Association has an online list of each State’s lawyer disciplinary agency.

If you are suing for negligence you will want to hire the best attorney available to you. If someone you love has recently died as a result of someone else’s actions, contact a wrongful death attorney to discuss what compensation may be available to you.