Choosing the Right Employment Lawyer
Like most every type of law, employment law has many different attorneys that focus on the specific field. Choosing the right employment lawyer for you can be an extremely difficult and stressful situation. Here are some ideas as to what you can look for in a potential labor law attorney to represent you that can make your decision a little bit easier.
Expertise
The first thing that you want to look for in a potential employment lawyer is whether or not that lawyer has specific expertise in employment law. How am I to know if the attorney has expertise in my specific area? Well, the best advice is to meet with the attorney and ask questions. Most employment lawyers in Tennessee and other areas offer free consultations.
Once you are in the consultation, explain your situation to the attorney and follow-up with questions regarding their experience with the type of issue. The consultation is a lot like an interview for both you and the attorney. The attorney may ask a number of questions that you may not think are relevant. Employment law is a tricky area. Often times things people think are illegal actually aren’t, and things we accept at our job are actually illegal.
Honesty
The attorney should be open and honest about their practice, their fee, and their plan for your case. Employment lawyer’s fees can vary from a fee to be paid up-front to a percentage of any amounts that you are awarded. Beyond their fees, make sure you find an employment lawyer that you feel will be straight with you about your case, both the positives and the negatives. An honest, open relationship with your employment lawyer can make the difference between a good experience with a positive outcome and a bad experience with a disappointing result.
Comfort Level
Mainly you need to find an attorney you are comfortable with. When you go in for the initial (and typically free) consultation, make sure that you feel comfortable in the office. Make sure you feel comfortable communicating with the attorney. A lawsuit is rarely a quick process. It takes time and effort, from both you and your attorney. Your attorney should be your partner in this case. You should feel like he or she is on your side and genuine enough to represent you in your case. If you do not feel comfortable with a potential attorney, you should keep looking for a new employment lawyer.
If you follow the above guidelines then you should have a good start to choosing a good employment lawyer to represent you in your matter. There are many good attorneys out there but not all attorneys are the right match for you. If you have an employment law issue in the Knoxville or Nashville area and need help getting the process started, please feel free to contact our attorneys at the Employment and Commerce Law Group and they will be happy to answer your questions.
