If you are involved in an employment dispute, or you need advice regarding an employment-related matter, you may choose to hire an employment lawyer. An effective employment lawyer can help educate you on laws concerning wrongful termination, wage disputes, defamation, and other employment-related matters. Knowing when to contact or hire an employment lawyer can make the difference between satisfactory recovery of lost time, money and damages, and never getting compensated for your loss.
Why you need an employment lawyer
Employment related matters such as workplace discrimination and harassment, wages and benefits, workplace health and safety, wrongful termination and family and medical leave issues often lead to stressful employment disputes between an employer and employee. For instance, when an employee files a complaint of discrimination, harassment or some other violation, an employer is often faced with being the subject of a litigation claim.
Similarly, when an employer is faced with reducing the workforce, modifying employee contracts or addressing employee misbehaviour, an employee is often put on the defensive and forced to defend his or her employee rights.
An employment lawyer cannot only review the merits of a complaint and advise you on the next logical course of action, including whether to negotiate a settlement or litigate in court; they can also help protect you against further employment dispute claims.
While not every employment matter warrants the advice of an employment lawyer, there are some employment issues that are particularly challenging that may require some legal expertise, especially which affect lost wages, mental state and job security.
Moreover, because employment laws are constantly changing, an experienced employment attorney can advise you on any new changes in the law that might significantly affect your case.
What to look for in an employment lawyer
When looking for an employment lawyer, you should focus on the lawyer’s experience, skill level, knowledge and fee structure.
Some lawyers, such as Riverview Solicitors, will also offer a library of legal advice, documents, letters and templates for extra support and advice which you are not charged for.
Additionally, a good employment lawyer should explain his or her fee arrangement up front to avoid any misunderstandings with lawyer billing and other costs, as well as discussing a time line of when and how resolution might occur.
Employment Lawyer Fees
The cost to pursue an employment claim varies from county to county and from lawyer to lawyer. Most employment lawyers charge a small consultation fee during the initial interview, depending on the nature of the claim and other factors, as well as fixed rate legal advice. They may also offer a variety of fee structures which include an hourly rate, contingency basis or a monetary advance. In any case it is important that you clarify the fee arrangement with your employment lawyer up front to avoid any potential misunderstandings later on. Don’t automatically go for the least expensive – they may be cheap for a reason – but make sure the pricier options are worth the extra cost with strong expertise in the relevant field.