In general, an employment lawyer is a type of lawyer whose specialty involves resolving legal matters that concern different areas of employment and labor laws. In most cases, an employment lawyer will be called upon to provide legal representation during the course of a lawsuit. In particular, an employment lawyer may be hired by a worker, an employer, or an organization involved in a legal dispute for the specific purpose of representing them in court.
Employment lawyers may also be hired to provide guidance on the various federal, state, and/or local employment and labor laws. For instance, a worker may hire an employment lawyer to learn about their legal rights. In comparison, an employer may hire an employment lawyer to ensure that they are in compliance with the relevant employment and labor laws.
Thus, it follows that a Sacramento employment attorney or a labor lawyer Sacramento would perform many of the same legal services. The only difference being that such employment lawyers have better knowledge of the local labor and employment regulations enacted within the city and county of Sacramento.
Therefore, if you are involved in a workplace dispute with an employer that is based in Sacramento, then you may want to consider contacting a Sacramento employment attorney as soon as possible. A local employment law attorney can help you file a lawsuit against a Sacramento-based employer. A Sacramento employment attorney will also be able to inform you of your rights as a worker under both California and Sacramento employment or labor laws.
What Kinds of Legal Issues Do Employment Lawyers Provide?
Some examples of the kinds of legal issues that employment lawyers may work on include:
- Employment discrimination and workplace harassment lawsuits;
- Labor law issues that concern wage and hour laws, such as overtime payments, lunch breaks, or minimum wage payments;
- Employer violations of pregnancy law requirements like time off from work or break periods for new mothers to pump milk;
- Disputes between a worker and an employer that involve a breach of the terms of a worker’s employment contract; and/or
- Violations of health and safety regulations in the workplace.
What Services Do Sacramento Employment Lawyers Perform?
Sacramento employment lawyers can perform a number of important legal services for their clients, such as:
- Providing legal representation in court;
- Negotiating the terms of an employment agreement;
- Filing lawsuits on behalf of a worker or employer that involve employment and labor law issues;
- Representing a company during mediation or arbitration conferences with a worker;
- Initiating a class action lawsuit for violations of labor or employment regulations;
- Drafting and reviewing legal documents related to employment or labor law issues; or
- Ensuring that both employers and employees comply with federal, state, and/or local employment and labor law requirements.
How Much Does it Cost to Hire a Sacramento Employment Lawyer?
The cost of hiring a Sacramento employment lawyer will be contingent on a number of factors, such as the complexity of the legal issues in a particular lawsuit or the amount of experience that a Sacramento employment attorney has in handling employment law cases. The cost of hiring an employment lawyer Sacramento may also depend on the type of fee arrangement they use to bill their clients.
For instance, a Sacramento employment attorney will either bill their clients by the hour, at a flat rate fee, or on a contingency fee basis. When it comes to employment and labor cases, the most common fee arrangement used by an employment attorney Sacramento out of these three is an hourly rate. As of 2021, the average hourly rate of a labor attorney Sacramento is roughly $400. Again, this rate is subject to change based on a myriad of factors like a lawyer’s reputation.
On the other hand, a labor law attorney Sacramento may agree to take a client’s case on a contingency fee basis. This fee is often used in situations where multiple workers have been affected by a specific workplace issue, which then enables them to initiate a class action employment lawsuit.
In addition, a lawyer may also charge their clients a retainer fee. Briefly, a retainer fee is an amount of money that is charged upfront for a service. In a legal context, it means that a client will need to pay their lawyer an advanced fee before any work is done on their case. A retainer fee helps to ensure that a lawyer will be paid for some of the work that they do on a case and may guarantee that the lawyer a client hires will focus their attention on their matter.
Lastly, in some instances, the cost of hiring a Sacramento employment attorney or a labor lawyer Sacramento may be set by a local statutory fee. A statutory fee is one that is set by law. It should be noted, however, that it is rare for statutory fees to apply in lawsuits concerning employment and labor law violations in Sacramento.
Where Can I Find a Sacramento Employment Lawyer?
In order to find the best employment lawyers in Sacramento, a prospective client needs to be willing to put in a reasonable amount of time and some effort. An individual can begin their quest for a labor attorney Sacramento by conducting a quick online search. However, even before a person performs an online search for a Sacramento employment lawyer, they may want to ask friends, family, and/or acquaintances for a recommendation first.
LegalMatch is another place where a person can look for a Sacramento employment attorney. All one needs to do is sign up for free on the website, fill out a quick form, and hit submit. From there, LegalMatch will take over the rest of the work. Within a short period, a person will receive emails from several attorneys who have the experience as well as the time to take their case.
Some other resources that a person can use to find a labor law attorney Sacramento include:
- Attorney referral service programs (free or for a price);
- Non-profit organizations or legal aid services;
- Both state and local bar association websites; and/or
- Through information provided by advertisements, on billboards, and in commercials.
Do I Need to Hire a Sacramento Employment Law Attorney?
As previously discussed, there are a number of employment and labor law matters that may require the assistance of a Sacramento employment law attorney. For instance, it may be in your best interest to hire a labor law attorney Sacramento if you find yourself in any of the following workplace situations:
- If you think your employer fired you for discriminatory reasons and you need help filing a lawsuit in court or an initial complaint with a local government agency;
- When your employer refuses to pay overtime wages that you are entitled to or withholds your paycheck without any legal justification;
- If you were subject to harassment by your employer or another colleague in the workplace;
- When you need help drafting and/or reviewing an employment contract; and
- If your employer is denying your request to take a leave of absence from work due to pregnancy or another serious medical issue.
In addition, it should be noted that certain employment and labor law violations must be filed within a specific period of time. If you fail to file a claim within the legally prescribed time frame for your particular employment or labor issue, then you may be barred from suing your employer and therefore from recovering any monetary damages that you might be owed.
As such, it is very important that you retain a Sacramento employment law attorney for legal representation as soon as a dispute involving an employment or labor law issue arises.
