In order to file a Wrongful Death Case certain requirements have to be met, so a big part of your potential lawyer’s job is to find out if you have a strong case. Having to go through the trauma of an unexpected death of a loved one is not easy, but reliving it is often harder. However, in order for your Lawyer to find out if you have a valid claim they will need to know everything that happened, so you need to be prepared to share your story.

During the consultation, you need to be prepared to tell your story, but you also need to be prepared to answer specific questions put forth by the lawyer. Most of the questions that the lawyer will ask revolve around the unexpected death of your loved one and your relationship with them. One of the specific questions a good lawyer will ask is if you can prove the doctor was negligent, and if it was those actions that led to the death of your loved one. Knowing your relationship status to the victim is important because only certain people are eligible to file a wrongful death claim, but you must also be able to prove your relationship status.

Once your lawyer determines that you have a valid claim the next thing you can expect from them is the filing of the claim. There is a lot of work involved in filing a wrongful death claim, which a good lawyer already knows everything that has to be done. One of the things your lawyer will do is help you in any way necessary to gather the evidence that is needed for your claim. Your lawyer will help you find any expert witnesses that are needed, but they can also help put together the medical records. Like many other medical malpractice cases the medical records are an important piece of evidence, in fact, without them the case wouldn’t exist. Your lawyer will help get the records and then put them together so they can show the jury exactly what happened.

You can also expect your lawyer to charge you, but unlike other lawyers, they will not charge an hourly rate. Most wrongful death cases are handled on a contingency basis, which means your lawyer will only be paid if you win the case. Based on this fee most lawyers will only take a wrongful death case that has merit, which is why there are so many questions in the beginning of the case. Even if you don’t win, the case you might still be responsible for the legal fees that are incurred throughout the duration of your case, such as filing fees. Any fees that you are responsible for along with the percentage the lawyer charges should be made available to you during the initial consultation.