Employees have the right to complain against workplace discrimination. Under state and federal laws, workplace discrimination is unlawful and should be reported. Of course, laws aren’t that simple, and often, it can be hard to decide on the best course of action. For fighting your case better, you need legal representation – a lawyer specializing in employment and labor law. If you are hiring a San Antonio employment discrimination lawyer, make sure to ask the questions listed below.
- Do I have a workplace discrimination case?
Just because you believe that you have suffered workplace discrimination doesn’t mean you have a case. A good attorney will not want to waste time on a case that has little hope. At times, even when your concerns and issues are genuine, the case may not be strong enough to be pursued. Ask the attorney to offer a fair assessment of the case.
- How do I file my case?
There is a standard set of protocols that must be followed for workplace discrimination cases. For instance, if you have suffered sexual harassment, you must report the same to your HR department or supervisor first, before filing a separate lawsuit. Your discrimination lawyer will explain all the steps of the process in detail, including the options you have.
- Do you have experience with similar or comparable cases?
Not all discrimination lawyers take up the same kind of cases. The overall approach to a sexual harassment can be different than that of a wrongful termination lawsuit. Find an attorney, who has worked on cases that are similar to yours, and do ask them about the outcomes of those cases.
- Do you have a conflict of interest?
If the attorney has worked for your employer in the past, or is representing them in other cases, there could be conflicts of interest. Make sure that lawyer doesn’t have any reason to be inclined to the other side.
- How much do you charge?
For cases, where the client just wants to sue for monetary damages, the lawyer may charge an hourly rate. However, for most employment discrimination cases, lawyers do agree to work on a contingency basis, where they get a part of the final settlement as their fee.
There can be other costs related to the case, so ask your lawyer in advance. Don’t rush in hiring an employment discrimination lawyer, but don’t wait for long to seek legal advice for your case.
