how to find an employment attorney

• 1. Contact your state bar association. If you are looking for an employment lawyer then a good place to start is by contacting your state or county ...
• 2. Contact a trade organization or professional group. In addition to state or local bar associations, there are a variety of professional lawyer ...
• 3. Ask friends or family. A good source of referrals are family and friends or anyone else that you know, such as coworkers. Ask them if they have ...
• 4. Ask another lawyer. Attorneys are a good source of referrals. If you have used a lawyer for a non-employment matter (e.g., to write a will or to ...

Full Answer

When to hire an unemployment lawyer?

When searching for employment lawyers, most people begin their search by calling phone numbers they find in a phone book or in advertising. Of course, a person might begin by asking the lawyer they do know personally if they can make a recommendation. And asking friends and relatives for referrals can also be a place to start.

How do you find employment lawyers?

When you begin your search for an employment lawyer, start by looking for lawyers who have experience in the category your case falls under. There’s several ways to collect referrals to employment lawyers in your area: Contact your local legal aid office; Browse the Avvo directory

What does an employment lawyer do?

Find an Employees' Rights Attorney in Your Area. Click here to search through FindLaw’s directory of quality-assured employment attorneys in your area. This comprehensive directory can be searched by city, metropolitan area, county, and state.

What are some jobs related to lawyers?

 · There are numerous ways to find a qualified employment lawyer to handle your case. Referrals from friends, family, or other attorneys may be a good start. You can also check with local bar associations or legal aid clinics that often refer people to lawyers who may assist in employment-related matters, sometimes as a free consultation.

Who is Ken from LegalMatch?

Ken joined LegalMatch in January 2002. Since arriving, Ken has worked with a wide assortment of talented lawyers, paralegals, and law students to grow LegalMatch's Law Library into a comprehensive source of legal information, written in a way that is accessible to everyone. Prior to joining LegalMatch, Ken practiced Law for four years in San Francisco, California, handling a wide range of cases in areas as diverse as Family Law (divorces, child custody and support, restraining orders, paternity), Real Estate (property ownership, landlord/tenant disputes for residential and commercial property), Criminal Law (misdemeanors, felonies, juvenile, traffic infractions), Personal Injury (automobile accidents, ...

Can you check an attorney's background on a website?

They might provide a long list of lawyers, but you’d still need to contact each one individually. Many websites of this kind also don’t have any means of checking an attorney’s background.

Why do you need an employment attorney?

If you’re making decisions that affect a large number of people, such as a mass layoff or a change to your retirement plan, an employment attorney can help you avoid legal problems resulting from the decision.

How much does an employment lawyer make an hour?

These vary widely due to a number of variables, but on average, you should expect to pay between $250 and $500 per hour for an employment lawyer.

Why do you need a lawyer for employee handbooks?

Employee handbooks, policies, and procedures It's a good idea to have a lawyer review your office policies, procedures, and employee handbooks to make sure you don't violate any employment laws. A lawyer can ensure you meet requirements for wages, overtime, and family medical leave, among others.

What does "complaint" mean in a job?

The employee has complained about harassment or discrimination, or filed a complaint against you.

What to do if you have a complaint against an employee?

If one of your employees has filed a harassment or discrimination complaint against you with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) or other state agency, or if you are the subject of a lawsuit by a disgruntled employee, contact a lawyer immediately.

What does it mean when your employer is threatening to sue you?

Your employer is suing you or threatening to sue you. You've been accused of committing a crime at work. You are being asked, or pressured to, sign a contract or agreement you don't fully understand, such as a non-compete, arbitration, or release of claims.

How long does it take to resolve an employment case?

Employment cases are often complex and can take many months or even years to resolve, so make sure to choose attorneys you trust and feel comfortable working with over a long period of time.

What is employment law?

Employment law involves a relatively wide array of issues that involve the legal relationship between employer and employee. These involve wage and hour law, discrimination and harassment, family and medical leave, and employee benefits. Since employment laws tend to change frequently, often through the courts, ...

Do attorneys pass legal fees on to clients?

In addition to legal fees, attorneys will often pass some basic costs on to you. This article lists the type of costs attorneys frequently pass on to their clients.

Do large corporations have legal representation?

Remember: The employer usually will have some kind of legal representation, and large corporations have entire legal teams working on their behalf. If the potential cost of not hiring an employment is more than you can afford -- including, perhaps, the hardship of unemployment -- then the cost of legal representation may be the wiser choice.

How to find a good employment lawyer?

There are numerous ways to find a qualified employment lawyer to handle your case. Referrals from friends, family or other attorney's may be a good start. You can also check with local bar associations or legal aid clinics that often refer people to lawyers who may assist in employment-related matters, sometimes as a free consultation. Finally, you may wish to find a local employment lawyer using one of several quality-assured lawyer directories, such as FindLaw, devoted to connecting you to an experienced employment lawyer in your area.

What should an employment lawyer explain?

Lastly, a good employment lawyer should explain his or her fee arrangement up front to avoid any misunderstandings with lawyer billing and other costs, and discuss a time-line of when and how resolution might occur.

What are employment related issues?

Employment-related matters such as workplace discrimination/harassment, wages and benefits, workplace health and safety, wrongful termination, and family and medical leave issues often lead to 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.

What to do if you have an employment dispute?

Hire an Employment Lawyer. If you are involved in an employment dispute, or need advice about an employment-related matter, you may need to hire an employment lawyer. An effective employment lawyer can help educate you on state and federal laws concerning wrongful termination, wage disputes, defamation, whistleblower protections, ...

What to do if you feel overwhelmed by an employee's rights issue?

If you're feeling overwhelmed with an employee rights issue or wrongful job loss it can be helpful to consult with an experienced lawyer. They can answer questions about your specific situation and discuss how the local laws impact your potential claims. Contact a local attorney to learn how they can help you demand fair treatment at work.

When an employer is faced with reducing the workforce, modifying employee contracts, or addressing employee misbehavi

Similarly, when an employer is faced with reducing the workforce, modifying employee contracts, or addressing employee misbehavior, an employee is often put on the defensive and forced to defend his or her employee rights.

What is the first qualification for a lawyer?

The lawyer will be helping you solve your problems, so the first qualification is that you must feel comfortable enough to tell him or her, honestly and completely, all the facts necessary to resolve your problem. No one you listen to and nothing you read will be able to guarantee that a particular lawyer will be the best for you; you must judge that for yourself.

Do legal aid offices have their own lawyers?

Some legal aid offices have their own staff lawyers, and others operate with volunteer lawyers. Note that people do not have a right to a free lawyer in civil legal matters. I have been accused of a crime, and I cannot afford a lawyer.

Do lawyers use ads?

In some ways, yes, ads are useful. However, always be careful about believing everything you read and hear — and nowhere is this truer than with advertisements. Newspaper, telephone directory, radio, television, and Internet ads, along with direct mail, can make you familiar with the names of lawyers who may be appropriate for your legal needs. Some ads also will help you determine a lawyer’s area of expertise. Other ads will quote a fee or price range for handling a specific type of “simple” case. Keep in mind that your case may not have a simple solution. If a lawyer quotes a fee, be certain you know exactly what services and expenses the charge does and does not include.

What can an employment attorney do?

An employment attorney can help employers and employees work together to reach a resolution in the event of a problem, from wages and workplace safety to discrimination and wrongful termination. But when is it appropriate to reach out?

Why do employees seek employment attorneys?

So, an employee would want to seek out an employment attorney to determine what their rights are and whether their situation is worthy of pursuing an actual lawsuit. The reason, Levitt explains, is that the agency findings are not binding and many times not even admissible because agencies do not do exhaustive investigations.

What does a plaintiff's employment attorney do?

A plaintiff's employment attorney, Levitt explains, can help an employee learn whether their rights have been violated and whether further action would be worthwhile. The attorney will make sure the employee has exhausted internal remedies, such as following employee handbook protocols for reporting harassment or other discrimination. If the problem is on-time pay, overtime, or proper pay classification (non-exempt versus exempt status), the attorney can help the employee navigate the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to determine if the possibility exists that rights have been violated and help the employee with next steps.

What should an employee keep in a record of incidents?

Employees who believe they are being discriminated against in some way or are not being paid correctly, etc., should keep accurate records of incidents, including dates and times. Note any witnesses. All of this information will be helpful for the agency or attorney should the employee decide to pursue action.

What is FLSA in employment law?

If the problem is on-time pay, overtime, or proper pay classification (non-exempt versus exempt status), the attorney can help the employee navigate the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) to determine if the possibility exists that rights have been violated and help the employee with next steps. There are a plethora of labor laws an employer could ...

What to do if your employer-employee relationship becomes strained?

If your employer-employee relationship becomes strained on account of a dispute involving wages, workplace safety, discrimination, or wrongful termination, it's helpful to know an employment attorney who can explain both sides' rights and duties.

Can an employee file a lawsuit if there is no evidence?

Even if the agency finds insufficient evidence, the employee still has the right to file a lawsuit. The agency will either help the employee at that point or tell the employee that they should find an attorney. So, an employee would want to seek out an employment attorney to determine what their rights are and whether their situation is worthy ...

What to report if you have been affected by illegal labor practices?

If you believe that you have been affected by any illegal labor practices, or if you observe them happening in your workplace, you may want to report the unfair labor practices to the relevant agency or administration.

What is the difference between labor and employment law?

However, one major difference between the two is that labor law tends to deal with the rights of groups of people (such as with labor unions), while employment law often deals with individual rights and conflicts. There is much overlap between the two areas of law. Labor laws cover a wide range of issues, including those related to discrimination, ...

What is the purpose of labor laws?

The main purpose of labor laws is to protect the employment rights of workers. Labor laws also create processes and governmental departments that are instrumental in investigation employment-related disputes. In its early stages, labor law mostly addressed the regulation and banning of child labor especially in connection with certain industries.

What is discrimination law?

The law investigates claims where an employer has discriminated against an employee (or potential employee) on the basis of their race, sex, age, nationality, religion, and other factors.

Where do employers have to post OSHA information?

Employers are required to post information provided by OSHA in visible places at the work site , such as in an employee break room.

Do states have their own labor laws?

States may also have their own labor laws, which may or may not adopt the guidelines set forth in various federal laws. State laws may generally provide more, but not less protection than federal laws. Each state’s body of labor laws will be different from the next, so it’s important to consult with a labor lawyer if you have any inquiries regarding the specific laws of your state.