Wrongful death is devastating. You’ve lost your loved one due to someone else’s negligence and now you want to file a claim. How do you come up with the money? You may feel suffocated under the weight of medical bills, funeral costs and more. Now that you’re thinking about a lawyer, you may worry about legal fees too. Here is what you need to know about wrongful death lawyers and how you can pay to fight your case.
Contingency Fees
When it comes to lawyer fees, most people are used to hourly fees that criminal lawyers charge. This is the most common misconception that all lawyers have a high hourly fee. When it comes to personal injury and wrongful death attorneys, most do not work based on the hour. In fact, most work for a contingency fee.
A contingency fee is based on how much you win in your settlement. You do not pay any fees upfront. Instead, the lawyer will advocate for you and then take a cut out of the settlement as payment. This cut is normally about 30 percent of the settlement. These fees may also include any court expenses that the lawyer had to pay. You will decide early on whether these are included in his or her percentage or an extra that you pay when you receive the settlement. You should always settle costs right away when you are consulting with an attorney.
Case Loss
What happens in the unfortunate event that you lose your case? First, you should note that if a lawyer thinks that you have a bad case or that you cannot win, then he or she will not take the case. His or her pay depends on you winning the case. This means that if your chances are poor, he or she will probably refuse the case. Now, if you do still go to trial and you wind up losing your case, you will not owe the lawyer any money. Your lawyer will not receive anything if you do not receive a settlement. When you file a wrongful death suit, you are not putting yourself at risk.
You are under enough stress during a wrongful death claim. After everything that you have lost, the last thing that you want to worry about is the costs that you might have when it comes to a lawyer. Set up an appointment with a wrongful death attorney, like a wrongful death attorney from Lakewood, FL, to find out if you deserve compensation.
Thank you to the experts at David & Philpot, PL, for their input into personal injury law.