You walk into work one day to find your manager waiting by the entrance to your office. After the door shuts, you receive the unexpected bad news that you no longer have a job with the company. Your manager did not provide you with a reason as to why you lost your job. Just pack up your things as soon as possible and good luck with your career.
Although it appears you were wrongfully terminated, the fact remains employers and employees can end an employment relationship for legal reasons. However, if your employer fired you for an unlawful reason, you should learn how to find a wrongful termination lawyer. You have several ways to find the best legal representation to fight back against wrongful termination.
What is Wrongful Termination?
Although many workers believe their terminations were wrongful, most employment relationships operate under an at-will arrangement. This means either an employer or a worker can end an employment relationship at any time without having to give a reason. For example, you received a better offer from another company, which you decided to take. You do not have to explain why you are leaving your current job, just that you are leaving it on a certain date.
Wrongful termination involves the violation of state and/or federal law. Discrimination represents one of the most common types of wrongful termination cases. Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in the workplace based on demographic factors such as race, gender, and national origin.
Another example of wrongful termination involves the violation of an employment contract. If your employer violated one or more terms of your employment contract, you should reach out to a wrongful termination attorney to determine the best course of legal action.
What Should I Look for in an Employment Lawyer Near Me?
You should know what to look for in an employment lawyer before you determine how to find the best one.
Proven Record of Success
You are going to hear about the importance of experience when hiring an employment attorney. However, the number of years of experience does not provide you with a clear indication of the legal credentials of a wrongful termination lawyer. You should consider employment lawyers that can demonstrate a proven record of winning favorable legal judgments for clients.
Responsive Communicator
Responsive communication does not involve the way an attorney interacts in a courtroom. It measures how responsive an attorney is to your emails, phone calls, and text messages. Your legal counsel should return your emails, phone calls, and text messages within 24 hours of your sending the communications. An unresponsive lawyer indicates a lack of professionalism. You can determine the responsiveness of an attorney by sending a couple of emails and leaving a phone message before meeting for a free case evaluation.
Specializes in Wrongful Termination Cases
Employment law covers several legal practices, including wrongful termination. When you search for the right employment lawyer near you, look for one who specializes in handling wrongful termination cases. Wrongful termination law requires understanding how state and federal laws protect workers from unlawful dismissals.
Positive Client Reviews
Reading the reviews left by clients on sites such as Yelp and Google should provide you with insight into the litigation skills possessed by the lawyer candidates on your shortlist. You want to find terms such as integrity, transparency, and skilled litigator in the reviews you read about a potential employment lawyer near you.
How Do I Find the Right Wrongful Termination Lawyer?
Before the Internet, clients found legal counsel by letting their fingers do the walking through the Yellow Pages. Now, online research complements one old-school way that defines how to find a wrongful termination lawyer.
Networking
Word of mouth advertising remains a highly effective way to connect with the right employment attorney. Ask trusted friends and family members for recommendations. If you strike out with your inner circle, branch out to ask attorneys, neighbors, and professional colleagues for recommendations. A lawyer that works in another practice might know an employment attorney who specializes in litigating wrongful termination cases.
State Bar Association
Every state bar association operates a website that acts as a valuable resource for both lawyers and potential clients. Most state bar websites include a page that allows you to search for an employment attorney near you. Simply narrow your search by adding criteria into the search engine and you receive a list of the names of lawyers that meet your standards. Your state bar association website also should let you know if any attorney on your shortlist has recently received disciplinary action.
Online Research
Once you narrow your search to a handful of employment lawyers near you, spend time researching each candidate by visiting websites and reading the content presented on social media pages. Although client testimonials provide you with insight into the legal skillset of a wrongful termination lawyer, you should be more interested in the content an attorney presents that discusses different employment law topics.
Schedule a free case evaluation to determine how to proceed with your wrongful termination case. You can use the form on this page to get connected with an independent, participating attorney who subscribes to the websites and takes cases in your area.
