Top 6 Tips For Hiring The Right Employment Lawyer
Do
you know what is the top 6 tips for hiring the right employment lawyer?
Deciding to pursue a lawsuit can be a serious decision within itself
but choosing who will represent you in your suit is an even greater
choice. Employment law issues are usually handled in civil law. This
factor merely narrows your search to lawyers who practice civil
litigation. Where do you go from there? So many factors need to be
taken into account in choosing an Employment Lawyer.
Any firm or Employment Lawyer can put together a website but having a
website is not the telltale sign of a good lawyer. Below are some points
to consider in your search for legal counsel.
Who's side are you on?
Although there are many candidates in choosing an Employment Lawyer,
it is imperative to select an Employment Lawyer who is best suited for
your particular case. Firstly, you need to find out if your case is
actually an employment case, meaning the issue pertains to something
that happened at work or between you and your employer. Secondly, you
need to figure out whether you need a defense lawyer on the employer
side or a lawyer who represents employees on the plaintiff side. So if
you are an employee, who needs representation in a claim against your
employer, you will need an Employment Lawyer who works on the plaintiff
side. If you are being sued by an employee you will need a defense
lawyer.
This ain't my first rodeo
What
is the nature of your case? The lawyer you choose needs to have
experience in your particular claim. Employment law firms focus on
certain areas of employment law. Some firms consider themselves a
general practice. Other law firms have handled more cases in a
particular area of employment law than other firms. Taking all of this
into account, it is in your best interest to find an Employment Lawyer
who has had experience as well as success in cases similar to your
situation. For example, if you are being sexually harassed at work you
should seek an Employment Lawyer who focuses on sexual harassment cases.
If you are of a certain race and you feel that your boss picks on you
and writes you up for bogus reasons because he does not care for your
race, then you want to look for an Employment Lawyer who has handled
many cases in discrimination law.
Alternatively, you may need a wrongful termination lawyer if you
reported illegal activity like patient abuse but as a result, your
employer fired you from your job. There are also employment lawyers who
exclusively fixate on wage claims which have to do with employee
payment. Some lawyers have experience in leave of absence cases such as
employees who take a leave due to a severe illness.
The
laws that regulate employment law are vast, therefore you need to find a
lawyer who has handled cases in the past that are similar to your case.
Get a free consultation
Because you are searching for the right lawyer for you, you should seek out firms and/or an Employment Lawyer
who offers a free consultation. This means you get to go into the firm
and have a sit-down with an actual lawyer to discuss the facts of your
case without any fees attached to the service. This allows the lawyer
to examine your unique circumstances and tell you whether or not he or
she is confident you have a case. In addition, this face-to-face will
allow you to decide whether you even want this particular firm or lawyer
to handle your case. Lastly, visiting multiple firms that offer a free
consultation will allow you to make a more educated decision on what
firm you should choose.
Get more bang for your buck
No
recovery no fee! Some employment law firms or employment lawyers offer
a contingency fee for their service. This means that the Employment
Lawyer will only charge the client if they win or settle the case.
Firms that run their practice this way are diligent in their work for
their client and will usually take on cases that they are confident
about. This provides some security for you as the client in that you
won't feel you are being taken advantage of in billable hours. Also,
employment law firms that offer a contingency fee for their services
recognize that some potential clients may not have the financial
stability to hire an attorney but their rights as an employee in
California have been violated and are entitled to representation.
If
you are unsure if a firm offers no up-front fees, call and ask if the
firm takes cases on a contingency base before you agree to come into the
law office.
Are they a litigation practice?
Even
if a law firm ticks a few boxes on your list, you should still be wary
in that the firm may not be willing to take your case to trial. In
employment law, not all cases go to trial, they settle. But if a case
does not settle, the next step would be to go to trial and not all
employment lawyers or firms are willing to provide this service, leaving
your case unresolved. In order to avoid this from happening, before
signing a retainer agreement you should ask the lawyer you are
considering whether or not they are willing to go to trial if the case
does not settle.
The
legal representation in which you select needs to be committed to
taking the case to trial if down the line it does not settle. This will
help you to not waste your time with a lawyer who will leave your case
unresolved and you having to hire new representation.
Don't be an eager beaver
As
mentioned previously, deciding to pursue legal proceedings is not a
trivial choice. Deciding to take legal action against a company or
employer is a commitment for you as a client and a commitment for the
lawyer whom you choose to hire to represent you. That being said, do
not be eager to sign a retainer agreement online. Some firms may ask
you to sign a retainer agreement online and with that there are risks.
Signing a retainer online will deprive you as the client from having the
facts of your case carefully considered by a lawyer.