Why You Need A California Employment Law Attorney

If you’ve experienced wrongful termination, retaliation, or discrimination in California, you’ll have enough grounds to file complaints with FEHA or the EEOC. Technically, you can do this without a lawyer.

That said, why do people hire lawyers for these cases anyway? What might be the possible benefits of getting your own California labor law attorney before making your next move?

Here is the list of reasons why you’ll need a headstart:

Reason #1: Case Assessment

Your very first meeting with a lawyer will involve a case assessment, where the lawyer can look at the facts of your case and determine its viability. Remember, the law precludes precise guidelines on who and what situations can qualify for employment law cases.

Your lawyer can also look through the facts and determine what you need to do to ensure success. For example, should you go for a court case? Should you send a demand letter? Should it be an out-of-court settlement instead? All these factors matter since going to court or engaging in these negotiations can cost money.

Reason #2: Independent Investigations

Experienced attorneys know what to look for and how to prove your claims. They’ll know what documents you need, where to request them, who to talk to, and how to determine possible defendants in a case.

In other words, you don’t have to collect evidence by yourself. Instead, your attorneys can help gather evidence to help strengthen your case, benefitting you in the long run. Your attorney can also guide you through the investigation process, advising you on what to do, what to say, and what to look for that’ll eventually help your labor law claim in California.

Reason #3: Representation

Unfortunately, negotiations can be tricky. Not to mention, you’re an employee who might need to go up against a company. Whether big or small, a company might have a lot of funding and resources to intimidate you.

A lot of employees who might actually have viable claims might succumb to this intimidation. They might be manipulated into dropping the case or accepting a low-ball compensation offer from a more powerful company.

Remember, California has one of the broadest worker protection laws in the country. Therefore, you shouldn’t be intimidated into fighting for your rights. However, having someone used to dealing with these companies could help you get through the otherwise intimidating process of suing or filing claims against your former (or current) employer.

Reason #4: Case-Building

Aside from gathering evidence, they need to be presented in a way that proves you’re in the right. After all, a few receipts, photos, and videos alone aren’t always enough to show you’re in the right.

So, you need someone who not only knows what evidence they should be gathering but how that gathered information is presented to support your claim.

This can be especially crucial if you’re fighting for non-economic damages, which are intangible damages that include pain and suffering, emotional distress, anguish, etc. Since you’re trying to justify a monetary quantity for these otherwise “immeasurable” damages, you’ll need someone who can build a case that will get the courts on your side.

Bottom-line

In other words, having a California Labor Lawyer by your side will make your employment claims process smoother. An experienced attorney who has handled similar cases before knows their way around the law, how insurance companies operate, and can effectively deal with defendants of all kinds.

Having someone there to guide you will help your case, your future income security, and your emotional state. Employment law can be complicated, but an attorney understands how the law works and can help push for the best possible outcome for you.