How to use this guide
Use the section links to find the records, deadlines, and questions most relevant to your situation.
Topic
7 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a Wrongful Death Lawyer
A Guide for Grieving Families
Start with
Why These Questions Matter
Use the section links to find the information most relevant to your situation.
Individual questions
Case-specific review
An attorney can address how the facts, evidence, deadlines, and governing law apply to a particular matter.
01
Why These Questions Matter
Wrongful death cases are legally complex and emotionally draining. Families should ask whether the attorney can manage probate coordination, expert work, insurance issues, and litigation demands.
02
1. "Do you have the resources to fund this case?"
Wrongful death litigation can require expert review, depositions, accident reconstruction, medical proof, and probate work. Ask how those costs are evaluated and advanced before the case is filed.
03
2. "Have you handled a case like this specifically?"
A car accident death is different from a fluid medical malpractice death or a jail death. These require different statutes and different experts. Ask for specific examples.
04
3. "Who will be my primary point of contact?"
Ask who will handle day-to-day communication, when the lead attorney will be available, and how the team divides responsibility for updates and decisions.
05
4. "How do you calculate 'Loss of Consortium'?"
Economic and non-economic losses require different evidence. Ask how the lawyer documents financial support, household services, relationships, guidance, and other legally recoverable family losses.
06
5. "Are you willing to go to trial?"
Trial readiness matters because some insurers do not evaluate the full claim until the record is developed for litigation.
Review the Record Early
Evidence can change quickly. Attorney review can help identify records, deadlines, and preservation issues.