How a Fairfax Wrongful Death Lawyer Can Help

As a Fairfax wrongful death attorney handling a wrongful death action, one must be calculating. A wrongful death lawyer must be attentive to the case laws and to the facts of the case, but also must be compassionate to the needs and requirements of his or her clients and his or her potential clients.

The term counselor is accurate in these cases. In wrongful death actions saying counselor is a more appropriate term for an attorney who practices in this area of law because they have to be knowledgeable about the grieving process, about how grieving persons process information, and about how to convey the message to them.

We also must know how to approach them with appropriate questions, be attentive to their needs, and also compassionate. The law to many lawyers is often black and white, but in wrongful death where there is a personal stake involved and a lot of emotions. As a result, Fairfax wrongful death attorneys need to be aware and compassionate about these factors.

Issues Facing Family Members During This Difficult Time

Certainly family members are dealing with the loss of a loved one. They may be dealing with guilt, depending on how the wrongful death occurred. They may be dealing with some remorse and with unexpected expenses – household bills, loss of income, and even funeral expenses. There are a lot of things which beneficiaries and persons who come to us are dealing with, even above and beyond the loss of a loved one.

Making the Process Easier for Clients

First of all, a compassionate wrongful death attorney in Fairfax has to have a plan. People in grief want to know steps, and it helps them to have an idea of what to expect in terms of next steps. Accordingly, compassionate empathy towards the loss, as well as a plan for how to proceed forward is definitely helpful when dealing with parties who have suffered a recent loss.

Fairfax County Wrongful Death Attorney Compensation

Compensation in a wrongful death action is typically on a contingency basis, just like other negligence claims. This means that the beneficiaries pay a portion of the recovered proceeds to their Fairfax wrongful death attorney. If no proceeds or compensation is recovered then typically they would not pay a fee to the attorney.

There are some things involved in these cases that are above and beyond the attorney’s fees including expert expenses, filing fees, investigator costs, medical records costs, and things of that nature.

Typically in contingency-fee cases, the contingency fee varies depending on the nature of the case. It is typically within an accepted, set range that all attorneys abide by, and which is recommended by the local, state, and national bar associations. Typically it is also required of the beneficiaries to execute a written representation agreement explaining the fee structure, the contingency fee, and other fees and costs. It can also explain how the proceeds will be distributed if they are recovered.