When To Hire A Wrongful Death Attorney

When someone close to you passes away as a result of injuries sustained in an accident, during a medical procedure or after getting shot or beaten by the police, you can file a wrongful death suit against the offender. Basically, you can file a wrongful death suit if you feel you have been robbed of your loved one. To win the case, you’ll have to hire a competent wrongful death attorney to handle the case. Since every lawyer is different, it is going to take time to identify the right attorney for your case.
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Who Can File a Wrongful Death Suit?
Only the closest relatives of the deceased can file a lawsuit. This includes parents, siblings, children, adopted children and adopted siblings. You will need to consult your lawyer to confirm that you qualify before you can proceed with the case. Please note that your choice of wrongful death attorney will determine whether or not you will win the case.
What to Consider When Hiring a Lawyer
Licensing
The first thing to check when comparing lawyers is the validity of their licenses. Only properly-licensed attorneys should get any consideration. Licensed attorneys have completed the prescribed training program and passed the bar exam. They also have some experience in the industry, which means that they are properly-qualified to offer legal services to the public.
Experience
After shortlisting licensed attorneys, the next thing to check is experience. You’re looking for the most experienced lawyer, one like this wrongful death attorney Illinois firm, to handle your case. After all, experience often breeds competence, so you can expect to get the best possible outcome when you hire an experienced attorney to handle your case. In addition to checking the number of years a lawyer has been in practice, you also need to check the number of similar cases they have handled over the years. This will help you make a decision that is well-informed.
Reputation
It is recommended you do some research on the reputation of the attorneys you’ve shortlisted. Therefore, you need to read as many reviews as you can and go over testimonials. This will tell you whether or not a lawyer is competent and has a proven track record of meeting the needs and expectations of their clients.
Success Rate
The competence of a lawyer can be measured in terms of the number of cases they have handled and won. The higher the number of cases handled and won, the better. The ideal attorney should have a success rate of around 80%. The number of wrongful death cases handled by an attorney must also be checked because you’re looking for the most successful lawyer to handle the case at hand.
Legal Fees
You have to check the legal fees quoted by the shortlisted firms. This is because you need affordable legal services. By taking time to ask what different firms normally charge in terms of contingency fees, you will be able to identify the most affordable attorneys to handle the case at hand. Legal fees usually range from 10-40%, so be sure to shop around for the most affordable attorneys.