SDid you marry someone who had children from a previous relationship? If so, you are a stepparent. In stepfamilies, a stepparent is likely to take on a parent-role or share the role with a biological mother or father. Although stepparents often raise their stepchildren from young ages and treat them as their own, stepparents lack all parental rights. If you are a stepparent, you might be familiar with how stepparents can gain parental rights—through legal adoption or legal guardianship. That is, stepparents have no rights to their stepchildren even if they raised them from birth and the biological parent is not present unless there is a legal adoption or guardianship. Because of the lack of parental right, stepparents might assume that they do not have the right to file wrongful death claims if their stepchild loses his or her life.
If you recently lost your stepchild to the negligent, reckless, or malicious actions of another party, you might be interested in filing a wrongful death claim. Do not allow the assumption that stepparents have no rights to prevent you from seeking legal assistance and trying to file a wrongful death claim. After the death of your stepchild, you must immediately contact a law firm with expertise in wrongful death claims among stepfamilies. Normandie Law Firm can help you. Our law firm has handled wrongful death claims for many years and has guided many stepparents through the process of suing for the death of their stepchildren. Our attorneys have the experience to handle your wrongful death claim and give you all the information you need for a successful lawsuit.
In the following sections, we have outlined essential information to help you gain an understanding of your rights to file a wrongful death claim for the death of your stepchild. Although you should find the sections below informative, you must not use the information below as your only source of information. You must immediately contact our law firm; our attorneys will evaluate your situation and provide you with the details about your claim essential for a successful outcome. Do not hesitate—our attorneys are ready to help you file a wrongful death claim.
Can Stepparents Sue for the Death of their Stepchildren?
With stepparents, there is always uncertainty about their rights over their stepchildren. In general, stepparents do not have any rights over their stepchildren unless they go through adoption or guardianship. Because of that, many stepparents assume that they do not have the rights to file wrongful death claims for the death of their stepchildren. Many stepmothers and stepfathers contact our firm after the death of their dear stepchildren with the following questions:
- Can I sue for the death of my step child?
- Can I sue for the death of my step children?
- Can I sue for the death of my step daughter?
- Can I sue for the death of my step son?
- Can a stepparent sue for the death of a stepchild?
- Can stepparents sue for the death of stepchildren?
- Do I have rights as a stepparent?
- Can I exercise rights as a stepmother or stepfather?
If you legally adopted your stepchild, you might not have these concerns. However, many stepparents never adopt their stepchildren, and, therefore, they believe that they have no rights. Although many people might claim that you do not have rights as a stepparent—you do have rights. You have the right to sue for the wrongful death of your stepchild. You must immediately contact a law firm with experience handling wrongful death claims in stepfamilies. Our attorneys will explain your rights as a stepparent and will help you fight for your right to sue for wrongful death.
Compensation Available for Wrongful Death Claims
Are you eligible to recover compensation if you file a wrongful death claim for the death of your stepchild? The answer to that question depends on the specific details of your claim. Although the type and amount of compensation you receive can only be determined by an experienced attorney, you should be familiar with the different types of compensation available. Many stepparents who file wrongful death claims are eligible to recover some of the following forms of compensation:
- Final medical bills
- Funeral and burial costs
- Lost income
- Loss of financial support
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of companionship
- Pain and suffering
- Punitive damages
For more information about the type of compensation you might be eligible to recover if you file a claim for the wrongful death of your stepchild, you must immediately contact our law firm and speak to our attorneys. Our attorneys will give you the information you need to thoroughly understand the different types of compensation that might apply to your claim based on case-specific details. Our attorneys will also always fight to recover the maximum amount of compensation available for your claim. Do not hesitate to contact us; our attorneys are ready to help you sue for the death of your stepson or stepdaughter.
Statute of Limitations
Can stepparents sue for the death of stepchildren? As discussed above, the answer to that question is yes. However, if a stepparent asks that question too long after the death of his or her stepchild, the answer might be different. Stepparents can sue for the death of their stepchildren, but they must sue within the statute of limitations that applies to their claims. What is a statute of limitations? If you have never filed a lawsuit before, you might be unfamiliar with the concept of statutes of limitations. A statute of limitations is a timeline placed on your claim—a deadline before which you have to file your claim. This deadline to sue is strict and fast-approaching; therefore, it is essential that you file the claim within the time allowed. If you do not file your lawsuit within the statute of limitations, you might lose your right to sue. What is the statute of limitations for wrongful death claims? How much time does a stepparent have to sue for the death of their stepchild? Based on the California statute of limitations for wrongful death, stepparents have two years to file a claim for the death of their stepchild. Stepparents have two years from the death of their stepchildren to bring forth wrongful death claims. For more information on the statute of limitations that applies to your wrongful death claim, you must immediately contact our law firm and request to speak with a wrongful death lawyer. Our lawyers will give you all the information you need to begin the process of filing your wrongful death claim for the death of your stepchild.
Normandie Law Firm
Did you recently lose your stepchild to the negligent, reckless, or malicious actions of another party? Did the loss occur suddenly and unexpectedly? Would your stepchild still be alive if it had not been for that unfortunate incident that cost his or her life? If so, you might have grounds to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the parties responsible for your stepchild’s wrongful death. Are you unsure about your rights as a stepparent? Can a stepparent sue for the wrongful death of a stepdaughter or stepson? You might have asked yourself that question many times after the death of your stepchild. Have you convinced yourself that you cannot file a lawsuit since you never had any parental rights during your stepchild’s life? If you legally adopted your stepchild, you might not have these concerns. However, the majority of stepparents do not adopt their stepchildren; as a result, they never have parental rights. If you recently lost your beloved stepchild, you must immediately seek legal assistance. The attorneys at Normandie Law Firm can provide you with the information you need to file a wrongful death lawsuit and recover compensation for the death of your stepchild.
At our law firm, we focus on remaining accessible to all stepparents recently affected by the wrongful death of their stepchildren. As previously discussed, many stepparents believe that they do not have rights to their stepchildren unless by adoption or guardianship. Because of this, many stepparents never try to get additional information about their rights to file wrongful death claims. Another reason that stepparents fail to seek legal assistance to find out if they have any rights as stepparents includes the belief that legal services are inaccessible and unaffordable. Our law firm has spent many years ensuring that all stepparents affected by the loss of a stepchild have access to our legal services. Stepparents can contact our firm and speak with our experienced attorneys without ever paying any expensive legal fees—this ensures that parents get the information they need without having to worry about any charges. Our law firm offers free consultations and free second opinions to all stepparents who contact our law firm. During our free consultations, our attorneys will answer all questions and concerns and provide you with all sorts of information, including but not limited to an explanation of the legal process, statutes of limitations, compensation available, and evidence necessary for a successful claim. Our attorneys will ensure that you always have the most up-to-date information regarding your claim; they will be available for you at all times to answer any new questions or discuss specific details of your claim. Have you already started your legal process with another attorney at another law firm? If so, do not settle for an incompetent attorney. If your current attorney left you with doubts and unanswered questions, you would benefit from a free second opinion from one of our expert attorneys. Our attorneys will get your claim back on the path to success and fight until you recover the maximum amount of compensation available. If you are interested in speaking with a Los Angeles wrongful death attorney, you must immediately contact our law firm and request a free consultation or free second opinion—our attorneys are ready to help you file your claim.
Our law firm offers free consultations and free second opinions as part of our Zero-Fee guarantee. Our Zero-Fee guarantee ensures that our clients—distraught stepparents—can access our legal services without ever having to worry about paying any upfront legal fees. Stepparents can contact our attorneys and discuss filing claims for the death of their stepchildren without having to pay any legal fees. Our Zero-Fee guarantee does not only apply to our initial legal services; it also ensures that our clients do not pay any legal fees until after our trusted attorneys win their lawsuits. Our firm is based on contingency; therefore, you will not pay anything until our attorneys have won your claim, and you have recovered the compensation to which you are entitled. If you do not win, you will not pay—contact Normandie Law Firm today to learn more about filing a wrongful death claim for the death of your stepchild.
