5 Steps to Find the Best Lawyer for Your Employment Case
If you’ve got a workplace dispute with your employer, you might need to hire an employment lawyer in Miami to handle your case. Some issues can be resolved with open communication. However, for cases such as getting compensation or justice for workplace violations, it’s always best to rely on legal expertise. You must hire an attorney if you’re fired for a discriminatory reason, you have pending wages, or your workplace problem involves a complex or ambiguous area of law. If you don’t know how to find the best lawyer for your employment case, well read this article:
1) Find an Employment Lawyer
Ask your friends or family, if they know any reputable lawyer. Before finalizing the lawyer, make sure about the few things:
- Did this lawyer communicate promptly?
- Did the lawyer take the time to understand your situation?
- Were all the bills you received based on the cost projections you got at the start of your case?
- Will he personally handle your case or will it be handed off to a younger, less-experienced lawyer in the same firm?
If you can’t find any personal referral, you can reach out to various organizations that can help you get connected with great attorneys.
- State or local bar associations
- Private referral services
- Local legal clinics
- Nonprofit organizations
2) Meet with a Lawyer
Make a list of lawyers you want to hire for your case and do a little research on each lawyer. Take out some time to check websites of shortlisted attorneys. In this way, you can learn about your attorneys and their services without appearing too obvious.
Once you have a few names, schedule an appointment with them. Some of them will ask you a few details to discuss the basics of your case. A little of this can be helpful to you both. In this way, you’ll get to know whether it’s beneficial to reach out to this attorney or not.
The next step is to meet with shortlisted attorneys’ in-person at their offices. Come prepared with all the questions that you want to ask the lawyer as well as the documents that are relevant to your case. Here is a list of questions that you might want to ask your attorney:
- How many years of experience do you have as an employment lawyer?
- Have you handled many cases like mine and how many?
- Do you think my case is strong enough to get compensation?
- Should I expect any compensation and what kind of compensation?
- Who will be doing the majority of the work on my case?
- How do you charge for attorneys’ fees?
- Do I need to pay any costs upfront fee?
- How long will my case take?
Some lawyers will provide a free initial consultation, however, others will charge a reasonable fee to decide whether your situation requires legal action.
3) Inquire About Fees
It’s one of the most deciding factors when it comes to selecting the right attorney. Also, remember that most of the disagreements between lawyers and clients involve fees, so be sure to get all the details in writing – including the hourly billing rate or the contingency fee arrangement, the frequency of billing, and whether you will be required to deposit money in advance to cover expenses.
Before deciding the fee, you must know that fee arrangements depend on several factors, such as the scope of the work, the type and strength of the legal claim, and the geographical location in which the lawyer practices. Avoid getting into a situation where you aren’t sure what the legal costs may be.
4) Manage Your Lawyer
Most of the people complain against lawyers regarding their failure to communicate with their clients. Your lawyer may be the one with the legal expertise, but you are the most important person involved in your case. You have the right to demand that your lawyer be reasonably available to answer your questions and keep you posted on your case. You may need to put some energy into managing your lawyer.
5) Firing a Lawyer
If your relationship with your attorney does not seem to be working out for some reason, or if you truly believe your case is not progressing as it should, consider hiring another lawyer. However, if you are in the midst of a lawsuit, you might need to take approval from your judge for the switch. Remember, the judge has the discretion to refuse the request if he or she believes the change would cause an unreasonable delay or prejudice on the other side.
If you are able to change lawyers, be clear with the first one that you are taking your business elsewhere, and send him or her an immediate written notification of your decision. Otherwise, you could end up receiving bills from both lawyers—both of whom might claim that they handled the lion’s share of your case, complicating the matter of who is owed what.
Rely on Our Employment Discrimination Attorneys
If you’re facing workplace disputes and want to hire an attorney, trust the Law Office of Henry Hernandez attorneys for your case. We are dedicated to offering help to those facing employment issues. Our team of highly qualified discrimination lawyers in Florida and experienced in protecting employees from illegal termination, discrimination at workplace, bullying, retaliation, and much more.
