Who Gets the Money in a Wrongful Death Lawsuit?
Updated · By the Law Figures editors
General information, not legal advice. Laws differ by state and change, so check the sources below or ask a lawyer licensed in your state before you act. Legal disclaimer
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Who gets the money in a wrongful death lawsuit is decided by your state's wrongful death statute, not by the person's will. Most states give it to the closest family: a surviving spouse, children and sometimes parents, and some let dependents claim too. How a lump sum is divided among them depends on the state: some divide it by each person's financial loss, some leave it to agreement or the court.
| Example state | Who can recover | How the money is divided |
|---|---|---|
| New York | The decedent's distributees, the closest relatives under the inheritance rules, through the estate's representative | In proportion to each person's financial loss, decided by the court after a hearing |
| California | Spouse or domestic partner, children and children of a deceased child; if none, heirs by intestate succession. Some dependents, such as stepchildren or parents, can also sue if they relied on the decedent | The statute lists who may sue; a lawyer can explain how a single award is divided |
Sources: New York Estates, Powers and Trusts Law § 5-4.4(a) and California Code of Civil Procedure § 377.60. We checked both on November 7, 2026. Other states write their own lists, and some require the estate's personal representative to bring the case.
Split a settlement
Put in the settlement, the lawyer's percentage and costs, then each family member's share as set by the court, the statute or your agreement.
Wrongful death settlement split
- Lawyer's fee
- $120,000
- Left to divide
- $170,000
- Family member 1
- $85,000
- Family member 2
- $42,500
- Family member 3
- $42,500
Who shares and in what proportion is set by your state's law or by the court, not by this calculator.
The example uses $300,000, a 40% fee and $10,000 in costs, which leaves $170,000. With shares of 50%, 25% and 25%, that's $85,000, $42,500 and $42,500. The shares are only an example; the calculator doesn't decide who's entitled to what.
Wrongful death and survival claims
Many states allow two claims after a death caused by someone else:
- Wrongful death, for the family's own losses: lost financial support, services and, in many states, companionship. This money goes to the relatives the statute names.
- Survival, for what the person who died could have claimed, such as medical bills and pain before death. This money goes to the estate and passes under the will or inheritance rules, after the estate's debts.
Which claim a dollar belongs to can change who receives it and whether creditors can reach it.
What comes out before the family is paid
- The lawyer's fee and case costs, under the fee agreement. Wrongful death cases are usually on contingency; see personal injury lawyer fees.
- Medical and funeral bills, depending on the claim and the state.
- Liens, such as Medicare or a health plan that paid for treatment before the death.
Damages for a death caused by physical injury generally aren't federal taxable income (26 U.S.C. § 104(a)(2)). Punitive damages and interest usually are.
Questions to ask a lawyer
- Who can bring the case in our state, and who shares in the money?
- Is there also a survival claim, and how is it split from the wrongful death claim?
- Does a court have to approve the settlement and the division, especially for a minor child?
- What's the deadline to file in our state?
- How will the fee and costs be taken out?