how to find a wrongful termination lawyer

by Dorothea Waters MD 9 min read

Finding a Wrongful Termination Attorney.

  • #1. Ask Friends and Family for Referrals. You may not know anyone who has been involved in a wrongful termination lawsuit, but you may know someone ...
  • #2. Review Online Reviews.
  • #3. Look Up Your State Bar Association.
  • #4. Consider Specialization in a Wrongful Termination Case.

Full Answer

Can I sue a customer for wrongful termination?

The most common examples of evidence that you can use in suing for wrongful termination can include the following. Take note that some items may be protected by a Non-Disclosure Agreement so make sure you consult your contract first. What Can You Expect In Compensation?

How to present Your wrongful termination case to an attorney?

  • A violation of an employment agreement
  • Discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, nationality, sexual orientation, and disability
  • Attempting to unionize
  • Refusing orders that are clearly a violation of labor laws
  • Refusal of sexual propositions and other reasons related to sexual harassment

More items...

How to sue employer for wrongful termination?

How to sue an employer for wrongful termination. If you suspect that you have been wrongfully terminated, here’s what you need to do: Document your termination. Gather evidence to prove your case. Speak with an attorney. File a complaint with the appropriate government agency. File a civil lawsuit.

What is the average settlement for wrongful termination?

The average settlement for wrongful termination cases that are resolved out-of-court is between $5,000 (or less) to $80,000. The monetary value of wrongful termination is based on several factors which are used to determine how much loss was suffered as a result of the firing. The first of these is wage loss.

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Is a wrongful termination suit worth it?

In general, readers who had a wrongful termination claim against a large employer (with more than 100 employees) received an average of $43,400 in compensation—almost twice as high as the average for readers who'd worked for smaller employers. Large employers may simply have the money to offer higher settlements.

How do you make a case for wrongful termination?

To prove a case of wrongful termination, the fired worker generally has to show that the employer's stated reason for the discharge was false, and that the termination was for an illegal reason. That illegal reason is generally unlawful retaliation, discrimination, a breach of contract, or a violation of public policy.

What qualifies as wrongful termination?

To be wrongfully terminated is to be fired for an illegal reason, which may involve violation of federal anti-discrimination laws or a contractual breach. For instance, an employee cannot be fired on the basis of her race, gender, ethnic background, religion, or disability.

What should you not say to HR?

At this point, most employees are aware that the HR department is not your friend. They don't work for you – they work for the company....What should you not say to HR?Discrimination. ... Medical needs. ... Pay issues. ... Cooperate with HR if asked, but be smart about it.

What is a Wrongful Termination Lawyer?

A wrongful termination lawyer is a lawyer that specializes in wrongful termination cases. Wrongful termination, also called unlawful termination, is a subcategory employment law. It occurs when an employer fires an employee for an illegal or unauthorized reason.

Why is it Important to Have a Wrongful Termination Attorney?

It is essential to have the assistance of a wrongful termination attorney if you have been wrongfully terminated. It is even possible that you were wrongfully terminated and are not aware that you were and that you can receive compensation.

What are Some Other Issues Related to Wrongful Termination?

Most employment positions are considered at-will employment. This means that the employee is hired for an unspecified amount of time and during this time the employer has the right to terminate them at any point without cause.

Do You Need a Lawyer for Your Wrongful Termination Case?

It is essential to have a lawyer on your side for a wrongful termination case. The laws governing wrongful termination may vary by state. Your lawyer will be able to review your case, advise you regarding applicable laws, and assist you in filing a lawsuit against your former employer.

What can an attorney do for a termination?

An attorney can work with you to review your contract and determine if a stated reason for termination is contemplated by the contract. In some cases, an employer's policies can provide discipline procedures. An attorney can work with you to determine if your employer had a discipline policy it failed to follow.

What damages can an employee recover from wrongful termination?

In a wrongful termination case, damages that a terminated employee may recover include lost pay, lost benefits, possible emotional distress damages, and potential punitive damages. Additionally, if you prevail against your employer you may be entitled to attorney's fees.

What to do if you are terminated for poor performance?

If you were terminated for poor performance, your attorney will want to review any documents related to your performance during your employment and up until your termination. Performance reviews and employment evaluations are important in determining whether you were treated differently than other employees.

Why do I get fired?

Unlawful reasons for termination include firing in violation of anti-discrimination law, firing as a form of sexual harassment, firing in violation of labor laws, and firing in retaliation for an employee's complaint against the employer.

Can an employer fire someone for a violation of a contract?

An employer can't legally fire anyone for a reason that breaches an employment contract or violates the law. Unlawful reasons for termination include firing in violation of anti-discrimination law, firing as a form of sexual harassment, firing in violation of labor laws, and firing in retaliation for an employee's complaint against the employer.

Can an employer fire an employee for no reason?

Most employees in the U.S. work at-will. In an at-will employment situation, an employer can fire an employee for any legal reason or no reason. However, at-will employees can't be fired for an unlawful reason. Unless an employee has a contract with their employer saying otherwise, most employees in most states are presumed to be at-will employees.

An attorney for wrongful termination will evaluate the events leading to your termination, documentation, and help you seek appropriate compensation

You have just been let go from a job you loved and really needed, and you aren’t sure why it happened. You don’t think it was fair, and you’re not sure what to do about it.

Document Your Case

If you are considering finding a lawyer to help you, and you have done some research to have a pretty good feeling that your firing may have been illegal, you should start gathering the information a lawyer would find valuable.

Find An Attorney Near You

Now that you have information that you think will back up your case, it’s time to get legal representation. A lawyer can help you determine what your losses are, also called damages, from the termination. These may include lost pay, lost benefits, increased medical expenses, and possibly emotional distress.

Plan for the Future

After your legal situation plays out and is resolved, you should consider what happens going forward. You will be talking to new companies and potential new employers. You will want to explain what happened at your previous company.

What is a joinder in a wrongful termination case?

Joinders of additional parties to the lawsuit may be one potential complication. Joinders may occur in wrongful cases where employer being sued has terminated multiple individuals and the court decides that its time is best spent combining all the charges against the defendant rather than dealing with several trials with the same defendant.

Can a termination be grounds for a lawsuit?

Federal law makes the termination of employees based on certain circumstances illegal and the wrongful termination of an employee can be grounds for a lawsuit to recover lost wages, attorney fees and other damages against former employers.

Tips For Preparing Your wrongful termination Claims Forms

If you are one of the millions of people who are facing wrongful termination in the workplace, then you know just how stressful it can be. Not only are you concerned about losing your job, but you may also be worried about fighting a wrongful termination lawsuit and getting your wrongful termination case properly taken care of.

Wrongful Termination Lawyers in My Area

If you have ever had an issue with a company in your area and feel that they are being unethical, then a good place to start looking for wrongful termination lawyers in my area is the Internet. It’s a great way to find out all the information you need and it will also save you quite a bit of money.

What lawyers for wrongful termination specialize in?

What lawyers for wrongful termination are going to have to do in a typical situation is defend the employee from a company that wants to fire them because they made sexual advances toward a colleague, or discriminated against another individual because of sex. But this is not always the case.

How Can pro bono wrongful termination lawyers Help?

For many years now, pro bono wrongful termination lawyers have worked to help people who have fallen victim to employer negligence and abuse. They are not only there to represent the surviving relatives of a recently killed loved one, but also help people who have been wrongfully fired or discriminated against in the workplace.

What is an at will employee?

a public employee that is employed under civil service regulations, a member of a union collective agreement, employed based on a written, oral or sometimes implied contract. If you are not an at-will employee, you will need to prove it.

What happens if a pregnant woman is fired?

If a pregnant woman is fired, demoted, or not given reasonable accommodation for a pregnancy related disability, the employer is risking a lawsuit. Public policy violation: If an employee is retaliated against for following public policy, a wrongful termination case may be presented in most states.

What is a memo of termination?

Memos. Termination notice if it came in writing, or a memo of the conversation if the termination was oral. The law acknowledges the use of oral contracts. To prove them, you need some sort of written memo of the conversation. If you can’t present a memo of an oral contract, proving it will be hard, as you would expect.

Which states do not have an at will policy?

Montana is the only state that has not adopted the employment at-will doctrine by default. As such, most employers in the US have adopted at-will policies, since being able to make employment decisions without repercussions make things easier for them.

Can an employer fire someone without reason?

Many employees are surprised to learn about employment at-will. Based on the employment at-will doctrine, employers can fire anybody with a valid reason, or without one. Being cruel or unfair (within the limits of law) is not ground for a wrongful termination case.

Can you be fired at will?

Employment at-will is the standard form of employment in most of the USA (except for Montana), meaning employers can fire or demote employees at any time. However, there are federal and local state laws that prohibit adverse employment action under specific circumstances. If you’ve recently been fired and have started thinking about how ...

Is constructive dismissal difficult?

Proving constructive dismissal cases is rather difficult. Mental or physical disability: The law prohibits adverse treatment of people with disabilities. In fact, reasonable accommodations must be provided upon request, to help the disabled person work on.

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Learn About Wrongful Termination

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What is wrongful termination? First, do some legal research on the subject of wrongful termination. There are various federal and state laws that apply to employment issues. Learn about the federal laws as well as those in your own state. Find out if any of the legal descriptions fit your particular case. There are m…
See more on sfvbareferral.com

Document Your Case

  • If you are considering finding a lawyer to help you, and you have done some research to have a pretty good feeling that your firing may have been illegal, you should start gathering the information a lawyer would find valuable. Did you have a written contractor another statement that promised you job security? You may have been given a document that stated you could onl…
See more on sfvbareferral.com

Find An Attorney Near You

  • Now that you have information that you think will back up your case, it’s time to get legal representation. A lawyer can help you determine what your losses are, also called damages, from the termination. These may include lost pay, lost benefits, increased medical expenses, and possibly emotional distress. Lost pay includes the period of unemploym...
See more on sfvbareferral.com

Plan For The Future

  • After your legal situation plays out and is resolved, you should consider what happens going forward. You will be talking to new companies and potential new employers. You will want to explain what happened at your previous company. You may want to ask your attorney to help you draft a brief letter of explanation you can present to potential employers, sharing enough inform…
See more on sfvbareferral.com