Trying to get wages that are owed to you from your employer can be overwhelming. If you have run out of options and are unclear where you should turn, you should contact an employment lawyer to help you. You need to look around to find an experienced employee attorney who has a proven track record of success. Ask your friends, look online, and try to find one or two who will talk with you on your initial consultation for free. You will be answering a lot of questions from your employment lawyer you should have some questions and information you have already considered for yourself.
Questions for Your Employment Lawyer
If you have an unpaid wages claim, you should contact a law firm that handles employment cases for employees. You can often review law firm websites to determine if the firm represents employees and takes unpaid wage cases.
1. What are my options?
You should determine what your options are so you do not just settle for one option. There may be other ways of retrieving your wages without a lawsuit, but these steps often do not work to get you your money owed for your wages. The lawyer may offer to contact the employer to determine if the employer will pay you without filing a lawsuit.
Your lawyer will let you know depending on your individual case. You may have been fired, or you are trying to get the standard minimum wage allowed, or you are looking at getting back pay for overtime. Your lawyer should be able to guide you as to the best strategy to obtain your unpaid wages.
2. What are my rights?
This will also depend on a few things. How long have you worked for your employer? Did you have a contract? Is there a union?
It is important to understand your rights to know if your employer owes you money for damages or wages. A regular employee always has wage rights. But, if there is a union or an employment contract, your case may be more complicated depending upon your potential claims.
3. How much do you charge?
This is a natural question and one that needs to be asked. Most lawyers bill their clients based on either an hourly rate or a contingency fee agreement where the lawyers are paid a share of any money that is recovered through settlement or trial.
But you should ask about other options for those fees. They may make other arrangements, due to the circumstances. You are trying to retrieve wages or a lost job, so they will understand if you don’t have money for a retainer upfront.
4. How long will this take?
The standard answer here is “it depends.” It will depend on a lot of things, how many cases ahead of you, what moves your employer is making, and whether they settle before or go all the way to court. Many cases can take more than one year.
5. How much experience do you have?
You do not want an attorney who is inexperienced. It is reassuring to know how many similar cases they have had, what their record is in those cases, how many cases have they won, and what they think your chances are at recovering money.
In addition, you should ask about similar cases to yours and find out what you can about those. It will help you prepare for what is ahead.
Employment Lawyers
Make sure you have all the documentation you will need for your first consultation. That will make things move much quicker. At least, be able to access these documents. You should ask the lawyer what documents he or she wants to review when the lawyers first talks to you.
Contact us at Rowdy Meeks for a free case assessment and ask us whatever questions you have. We have the experience and resources behind us to help you take on your employer and get the wages you deserve.