Why Do I Need an Employment Lawyer?

Let’s be honest: a lot of people don’t like employment lawyers… or lawyers in general.  There is no shortage of negative stereotypes about lawyers, lawyer jokes, and less than favorable depictions of lawyers on TV.  Let’s be honest about something else- we live in an age of readily available information.  Most people can do a quick Google search and answer almost any question in a matter of minutes from anywhere in the world.

So, if you have an employment law issue, do you really need to let some lawyer make money off of your situation?  Couldn’t you just figure it all out on your own and save yourself some money?

Legally, you can choose to represent yourself in a lawsuit, but that does not mean it is a good decision.  Some lawsuits are fairly straightforward, and some are a lot more complicated than a non-lawyer may expect.  Employment law is an area that many attorneys do not really know much about, and most non-lawyers do not even know what would or would not constitute a cause of action for which you could sue.  Employment laws also vary a lot- different states have different types of protection for employees, and that protection varies based on things like the size of your employer, how long you’ve been there, and other factors based on the type of claim.

Besides the employment law subject matter itself, a lawsuit involves a lot of civil procedure.  Even if you were confident that you knew everything you needed to know about the laws that pertain to your case, do you know how to respond to a motion in limine, or how to file a praecipe, or the difference between affirmative and non-affirmative defenses?

In addition to their substantive and procedural knowledge, employment lawyers bring experience to the table.  An employment lawyer who has seen a claim like yours knows how much your case is really worth.  An employment lawyer working in your area is probably familiar with the court and judge hearing your case.  It’s also very likely that your employment lawyer will already know the lawyer on the other side and can work with them to make things run more smoothly for you.

So, while it is legally possible for you to represent yourself, it is not always the best decision.  Many people start representing themselves in an employment lawsuit and quickly find out that they are in over their heads- and often, when they come to us for help, it’s too late to get the lawsuit back on track to where it would have been if they’d been working with an employment lawyer from the start.

If you’d like to speak to an employment lawyer, contact Gold Star Law.  The call is free and confidential.