Slander Lawyers and Libel Lawyers

Slander and libel lawyers deal with false statements published to a third party that damage the reputation of a person, company, or brand. There are also instances of defamation of character in the workplace.

Defamation cases fall under slander or libel. In slander cases, lawyers deal with verbal statements. Slander covers a spoken false statement claim. Today, we see suing for slander on Facebook. In a claim for libel or slander, the party making the false statements usually acts with negligence but in some cases the statement is made with malicious intent to defame.

A person cannot be sentenced to jail for defamation since defamation is a tort and therefore a civil offense. However, a person can be ordered to pay damages to the plaintiff for emotional distress and losses resulting from the false statement such as injury to a job, and if the defendant acted with malice or intent to defraud, the court could decide to further punish the defendant by awarding additional punitive damages to the plaintiff.

Slander and Libel lawyers focus on facts. The plaintiff's lawyer works to prove, and the defendant's attorney works to disprove that:

1. A statement was made

2. The statement was false

3. The statement was published to third person

4. The statement caused injury to the plaintiff's reputation entitling the plaintiff to damages for loss and suffering.

Attorneys filing a lawsuit for slander or libel may work on a contingency basis expecting their expenses to be paid from the recovery and making a percentage of the net recovery. Defense attorneys, defending a claim for slander or libel usually charge by the hour with a retainer in place. The top defamation lawyers in Boca Raton.