Dealing with a wrongful death lawsuit can be one of the hardest times of your life. Not only do you have to do some legwork in setting up the case to seek justice, but if you have to do it while you grieve the loved one that you lost.
That’s why it’s so important that you partner with the right wrongful death attorney throughout this process that will make this process a little less painful.
You may be wondering what average attorney fees are for wrongful death lawsuits. In this article, we’ll provide that very answer to you (and more). Read on.
How Are Average Attorney Fees Structured?
Wrongful death attorney fees can be structured in a couple of different ways. Firstly, the lawyer fees could be purely on a contingency basis.
This means that you only pay the lawyer out of the share of your winnings should you win the lawsuit and receive a settlement. The lawyer doesn’t take any money upfront for his or her time. You’ll most likely be able to get this type of fee structure when the case that you have to present is very obviously in your favor with a high chance of success.
On the other hand, you may also have to pay the lawyer a retainer. This is a regular bill for the attorney’s services for the duration of the lawsuit. It isn’t tied to the success of the case.
Averages for retainer fees will typically start at a minimum of $150/hour. If you’re working on a contingency basis, then the percentage that you pay will be very dependent on the potential size of the winnings and what you negotiate.
How To Find A Good Wrongful Death Attorney
Now that you know approximately how much you’ll be paying for an attorney, the next question that arises is the question of finding the best attorney possible for your case. There are a few things to keep in mind as you embark on this search.
First, it’s important to know that the legal industry is a crowded market. There are always a bunch of different lawyers peddling their services.
To separate the wheat from the chaff, look at online reviews of the attorney’s services. If they don’t have a plethora of happy customers willing to sing their praises, then that’s a good indicator that you should run away.
The other thing to look at is case history. Pull legal records to figure out whether or not this attorney wins their cases. Are they successful at winning settlements, or do all of their cases go to trials?
Once you’re armed with this info, you’ll be able to make a much more informed selection from the list of available lawyers.
Good Luck With Your Case!
A wrongful death lawsuit is never easy, and we wish you all the best with your case. Now that you know what average attorney fees and the answer to the question, “how are lawyers paid?”, all that remains is for you to find the right one to partner with for your lawsuit.
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