Dallas employment lawyers sometimes offer free consultations in their Dallas, Texas law firms. Most of the well-known employment attorneys in Dallas and Fort Worth do not offer free consultations. They may charge a fee of $75-300. Some lawyers offer free consultations but these may be personal injury lawyers or other trial attorneys who take on all types of cases. While many of these attorneys are excellent lawyers, they may not have expertise in employment law. Employment lawsuits like wrongful termination, employment discrimination and FMLA claims are very technical. Not having expertise as a Dallas employment lawyer can be harmful to your case. Some Texas employment lawyers say on their website that with free consultations you often get what you pay for.
Dallas employment attorneys and free consultations in Texas
Consultations are usually meetings for the attorney and potential client to get to know each other and figure out if they want to do business together. Dallas employment lawyers consider several factors before taking on a case. The legal and factual issues are very important. The employment lawyer will almost always provide a legal analysis of possible claims. That is especially true in a paid consultation.
Often in free consultations there is no legal analysis. Many firms that offer free consultations in Dallas or Fort Worth take on any case that comes through their door. They may try to quickly settle claims. These lawyers may also take on clients and then turn them loose months later if the case doesn’t look good. While this might be good for the lawyers, it usually isn’t for the client.
Dallas employment law firms and consultations in Texas
A consultation fee in Dallas varies considerably for an employment attorney. Nobody wants to spend money to find out they don’t have a case. You can understand the desire for a free consultation. However, a consultation fee is money well spent to gain advice about how to deal with a bad workplace situation. Dallas employment lawyers should offer useful advice in any consultation. Especially if you paid for it. Before paying for a consultation, ask whether the Dallas employment lawyer will give you advice. If you will not get advice then you may want to talk to other employment attorneys.
Do all employment attorneys offer free consultations?
No–many employment attorneys do not. Employment attorneys who offer free consultations may use those meetings as an opportunity to get clients in the door to conduct intake rather than offer legal advice. In many circumstances an employment attorney must assess the client’s workplace situation and offer legal advice during the consultation. Providing legal advice is one way an attorney generates revenue so many employment law firms charge fees for those consultations.
EEOC lawyers in Dallas, Texas
Dallas employment lawyers usually take employment discrimination claims to the EEOC. The EEOC is the equal employment opportunity commission. The EEOC has its regional office in Dallas, Texas near the Dallas courthouses. It investigates, mediates and sometimes litigates certain employment discrimination suits. This includes racial discrimination, sex discrimination, disability discrimination, age discrimination and so on. The EEOC does not file lawsuits on every complaint. If you want to file a lawsuit against your employer then you need to hire Dallas employment lawyers to represent you.
Labor attorneys in Dallas, Texas
Many Dallas employment lawyers represent clients in labor law. Labor law involves unions and union laws. It is related to employment law. Most lawyers who practice labor law practice employment law but not many employment lawyers also practice labor law issues. If you have a labor law problem in Dallas, Texas then you should find labor lawyers or labor attorneys. Just like you want the right tool for the job, you want the right lawyer for the job. (Are lawyers tools??)
Labor law extends beyond organized union activity. Labor law applies to organizing among employees even if no union takes part. It applies to employees discussing work conditions and pay, including overtime pay. Your employer cannot penalize you for talking about work or pay with coworkers. If it does then you may have a labor law claim. Talk to labor attorneys in Dallas or Fort Worth, Texas.
Free consultations for other employment law problems
Some Dallas employment lawyers offer free consultations on specific issues like overtime pay. This is for good reason. Many of these cases have simple facts and do not require legal advice. The employment lawyer should assess whether you have unpaid overtime pay right away. Then the attorney should figure out whether he or she will take you as a client.
If you feel like you should have a free consultation but the Dallas employment lawyer has a consultation fee, ask the lawyer to explain the purpose of the fee. If you don’t like it, find another employment lawyer. However, if the lawyer offers a free consultation then you should not expect a long session of legal advice. If the Dallas employment lawyers you speak with all require a consultation fee then you probably should pay the fee to gain good legal advice.
How much does an employment attorney cost in Texas?
Employment attorneys charge a wide range of fees and fee arrangements. Employer-side attorneys often bill hourly and may bill anywhere from $250-$1200 hourly. Employment attorneys who represent employees often take cases on contingency fee agreements. Under a contingency fee the employment attorney gets paid if you get paid on your case. For some issues, like reviewing severance agreements, an employment attorney may bill hourly to review the agreement and negotiate it.
Dallas employment attorneys and legal advice in Texas
The best Dallas employment lawyers will offer you solid legal advice on your employment law problem. Do not fear speaking with multiple Dallas employment lawyers before scheduling a consultation. You may even want to schedule multiple consultations, free or paid, before hiring Dallas employment attorneys to take on your case.