It’s sometimes hard to know whether you need legal advice. And the last thing most people want to do is spend their hard-earned money on legal fees. The truth is, if you think you need legal help, you probably do. Getting legal advice should not be a cost, but an investment. It can help you avoid signing a contract that will cost you tens of thousands of dollars in the future, or accepting a severance offer that is well below what you are entitled to.
Some situations in which it is important to consult a lawyer include:
- Losing your job and being offered a severance package (or even worse, being told you are not entitled to one);
- Being asked to sign an Employment Contract (for a new job or your current one);
- Being bullied or harassed at work;
- Being accused of bullying, harassment, or other misconduct;
- Being put on a Performance Improvement Plan (PIP);
- Finding that changes to your job, or your compensation package, are being forced upon you;
- Having a need for accommodation, such as a disability or childcare, that is being ignored;
- Being on medical leave and are being told your employment will be terminated if you don’t return to work; or
- Starting a new job and receiving a threatening letter from your former employer.
Whatever the situation, we will give you the advice you need.
Working through workplace challenges together.
Whether you are a CEO, a line worker, or somewhere in between, you need to ensure that you understand your rights. You may assume that the company is being fair because they seem to know what they’re doing. The reality is that if they do, then they are probably acting in their own best interests, not yours.
Unfortunately, you cannot and should not assume that you are being treated fairly, whether it be in the context of a job offer, a harassment investigation, or a severance package. Rather than acting based on assumptions, you should ensure that you know your rights, as well as the best strategy to enforce them.
Imagine how you would feel if you save $500 now by choosing not to get legal advice on the employment agreement you have been asked to sign, and then realize, years down the road, that doing so cost you tens of thousands of dollars in severance? We see that happen all the time, and we have the unfortunate job of delivering the bad news.
We won’t sugarcoat the truth.
We do not encourage frivolous claims, and we will provide our objective opinion based on our years of experience. Our recommendation will take into account not only the law, but also the practical realities. You may have a valid legal claim, but if it is only worth $2,000, then we will not encourage you to spend tens of thousands of dollars litigating. At every step, we will work with you to conduct a cost-benefit analysis, so you can decide on your next step.
We have never had a client regret coming to see us.
We know that legal fees can be expensive, and it may be tempting to save a little money by handling matters yourself. However, in most cases, we can help our clients improve their position substantially. And even in the rare situations where we do not see any way to improve someone’s legal position, we are told that the peace of mind the individual attained by meeting with us was worth the cost.