Employees have rights that all employers are obligated to uphold. And yet, far too often, people find themselves wondering if their employers are doing right by them, or if they have grounds for taking legal action. Not knowing whether you should act on something or not can lead to missing out on an opportunity to protect your own rights, which is never a good thing.
Getting better acquainted with labor law can help: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Labour_law
Of course, since you have other things in your life, you will not exactly be eagerto become an expert on employment law. Meaning, what you need to do whenever you suspect you are not being treated fairly is hire an employment lawyer. These specialists deal precisely with legal matters related to employment, and they will know not only whether you should act on something, but also how to take further action towards protecting yourself.
Thinking you can fight a specific case alone? That is not exactly the right way to address any issues you may have with your employers. Why? Because you lack the knowledge and the expertise necessary to see things through and come out as the winner.
On the other hand, when you hire an employment lawyer, you will have an expert protecting your interests, and providing you with the legal representation you need. Their expertise will help you win the case and get fairly compensated. And, of course, confidentiality is something you won’t have to worry about when working with these pros. Read more about what they actually do.
How To Choose One Near You
So, if you suspect that you have been treated unfairly, wrongfully terminated, or discriminated against in the workplace, or if you have any other workplace-related problem, you will be far better off working with trained professionals who specialise in employment law. What you may not know, though, is How do I choose the best employment lawyer in Seattle? (Or one near you) and that is what I will help you with below, so keep on reading, and the answer will become clear.
1. Search Online
What do you usually do when searching for pretty much anything these days? Most likely, you grab your smartphone and start searching online. Why should the process of searching for an employment lawyer be any different, then?
Well, the truth is that it should not. Searching for these professionals online will certainly give you a clearer idea not only of what they can do for you but also of which great professionals operate near your area. If searching in LA, for example, make sure to add that location to your search query, so that you can get the most relevant results.
2. Ask People Around You For Recommendations
The above step serves to help you start creating a list of potential professionals to hire. It is, yet not the only step to take towards that. What you should also do is talk to your friends and acquaintances, checking if they have previously worked with an employment lawyer and if they have anyone to recommend. Most people will be happy to share their suggestions.
3. Or Ask Lawyers From Other Fields
Have you previously worked with some lawyers specializing in other legal fields? While they do not specialize in employment law, that does not automatically mean that they are not connected to some colleagues that are. Put simply, this basically means you should get in touch with those other lawyers as well, hoping to get some recommendations from them too, and finally complete the list of potential candidates.
4. Choose One That Specializes In Employment Law
At some point, you may be tempted to hire attorneys that specialize in some other fields, for one reason or another. You might know a lawyer that has been amazing in some of the different cases you have had in your life, and you could assume that they could handle the employment case just as easily. This, however, is the wrong way of thinking.
Put as simply as possible, you should always go for those attorneys that specialize in employment law. I get why you may be drawn to the expertise of some other professionals, but the bottom line is that nobody can help you better than the people who actually have experience in cases similar to yours. So, do not make the mistake of not checking the field that the lawyers you are considering are working in.
5. And That Has Vast Experience With Similar Cases
What happens when you finally create that list of potential candidates? Well, you start researching them in more detail. To feel all the advantages of having an employment lawyer by your side (some of the reasons for hiring themare listed on this page), you’ll have to check their experience first. Basically, you want to hire a professional that not only has general employment law experience, but that has experience with cases similar to yours.
6. Check Reputation Too
Is checking experience enough? Do you find an attorney that has been working in this field for a long time and you immediately hire them? Well, while you could be lucky enough to come across a great professional this way, the truth is that some more research is in order and experience is only one factor to consider. It is only one part of the story.
Reputation is, undeniably, the other part of the story. What good would it do you to hire a lawyer that has been around for a while, only to realize that most of their past clients are complaining about the services they received from them? This is not exactly a favorable scenario. So, what you should do is always check experience, through reading reviews and ratings, as well as talking to past clients directly if that ispossible and aim at choosing a trusted and well-reputed expert to represent you during your case.
7. Check Communication
At one point, you will need to begin interviewing the candidates that will be left on your list. Naturally, the list will be narrowed down after you have done some research, meaning you will not exactly have to call all of the experts. Yet, do not hesitate to call as many of them as you want, aiming not only at checking their availability but also at checking the way they are communicating with you.
Why is communication important here, though? Well, if you want to choose a great employment lawyer, some tips at https://medium.com/@marlabrownattorney/choosing-an-employment-lawyer-703e6341db9d could help you with that as well, you’ll need to choose one you can communicate with freely, openly and straightforwardly. The expert will have to know the ins and outs of the situation so as to best represent you, so you want to find someone you will feel comfortable talking with and checking the quality of communication during the interviews will give you a clearer idea of what to expect.
8. Discuss The Fees
Goes without saying that you will also have to discuss the fees, doesn’t it? Of course, you should never choose your employment lawyer based on those alone, since experience, reputation, and the overall quality of service matter more, but that does not mean you should completely disregard the fees and never even bother to check them. After all, you want to know how much you will be charged for these services and, naturally, you want the fee to be reasonable. So, compare the pros you have been researching, keeping in mind all the factors including the fees, and then make your final hiring decision.
