Have you received a termination notice from your employer which you feel is unjustified? Do you think that the firing has been a gross violation of your rights as an employee? You might try discussing the matter with your employer first. If that doesn’t work and they refuse to reinstate you, it may be time to look up the unlawful termination attorneys in your area.
A Beginners’ Guide to Hiring an Unlawful Termination Attorney
Find the Right Attorney
You can ask your family, friends, neighbors, or acquaintances to recommend a reliable attorney. Or, you can search online for unlawful termination attorneys, review their websites, and draw up a list of those with experience in handling cases similar to yours. You can then email or phone them and set up an appointment. If the attorney offers a free consultation, avail of that. Go prepared and give them the exact details of your situation. For clarity’s sake, it will help to also inquire about their fees and other expenses.
Assess your interaction with them during the first meeting. Are they easy to talk to? Are they patient and considerate in explaining both simple and complex things that you don’t understand? Since you might be working with them for several months, even years, if you have a case, it is best to find someone that you can get along well with.
Do You Have an Unlawful Termination Case, Though?
Many attorneys offer a free consultation service, and you can avail of that to discuss your employment situation with them. They will review and assess the matter and let you know if you have a legitimate case against your employer for unlawful termination. You should know, though, that just because your employer treated you in an unfair manner doesn’t automatically mean it is illegal.
In the United States, many states have at-will employment laws. According to these, your employer does not have to establish a just cause for dismissing you from their employment. That is unless they have violated a state or federal law in firing you, such as by discriminating against you, harassing you, or asking you to do something illegal. Apart from that, they can fire you whenever they want and for absolutely any reason.
And that is why you need to consult with knowledgeable unlawful termination attorneys before taking the big step of filing a case against your employer. Otherwise, if you don’t have one, you will end up wasting your time and resources. The court will throw the case out, and you might even risk having to compensate your employer by paying their legal expenses. So, it is advisable to put a lid on your emotions, consider the facts head-on, and avoid being hasty.
If the legal facts are against you, however angry and humiliated you feel, you might be better off walking away with dignity. You don’t want to waste your time and resources if you don’t have a case.
What to do if You do Have an Unlawful Termination Case?
After examining your job dismissal situation, the unlawful termination attorneys may determine that your employer has violated some public policy in terminating you. They will then need to find credible evidence to make it stand in court. For that, they will do the following:
• Review the company’s employment policy.
• Find witnesses and get their signed written statements and/or video statements.
• Gather relevant emails, chats, messages, notes, voice mails, and phone call details.
• Collect recordings of conversations, phone calls, videos, and security camera surveillance.
• Get copies of your work records and work samples.
Along with gathering the evidence, the attorney will file the case on your behalf within the prescribed time frame. They will negotiate with your employer to try and settle the matter out of court and get you a just compensation or a reinstatement.
If your employer refuses to settle, pay you the compensation you want, or give you the job back, the unlawful termination attorney will be ready to go to trial. They will conduct themselves competently in court, be persuasive in presenting the evidence to the jury, and make every effort to win the case for you and deliver justice.