Orange County Employment Lawyer for Employers

When Does an Employer Need an Employment Lawyer? Employment lawyer for employers solve employment disputes efficiently, with little impact to your business. While you may be able to handle many employment issues yourself, some cases will require legal expertise. Our Orange County employment lawyer for employers help protect companies.


In California, employment law changes rapidly and the interpretations of them can change even faster. It is important to seek legal advice so you can avoid huge damages.


Figure out which situations require legal help and which situations you are comfortable dealing with on your own. Seeking the assistance of an attorney for every employment-related decision will be extremely costly. Lawyers aren’t cheap, after all.

Advice on Employment Decisions

An Orange County employment lawyer for employers can help you to make difficult employment decisions, including:


Terminating/Discharging Employee

If you are worried an employee might sue, then you should consult a lawyer before firing them. An attorney can help you to reduce the risks of a lawsuit. Here are the situations where you should consult a lawyer before terminating an employee:

    • The worker’s contract (written or oral) limits your rights to fire them.
    • The employee believes they have a contract that limits your right to fire them.
    • The employee’s retirement money, stock options, or benefits are due to vest shortly.
    • The employee filed a claim or complaint with a government agency.
    • The employee made a complaint about unethical or illegal activity in the workplace.
    • The employee filed a harassment or discrimination complaint.
    • Firing this employee would change your workplace demographics.
    • The employee has recently revealed they are a protected class.
    • The employee might commit violence, sabotage, or vandalism.
    • The employee has access to trade secrets or competitive information.
    • Your decision to terminate is based on excessive absences, but you are concerned that the ADA or FMLA may apply to these absences.
    • The employee denies involvement in the acts for which you are terminating them.
    • The employee has hired a lawyer.


Employee Classifications

Classifying your workers as employees vs independent contractors or exempt vs non-exempt, large portions of your workforce could be affected. Seek guidance from a lawyer before classifying your employees as misclassification could become costly.

Administrative, Legal Proceedings, and Lawsuit Defense

Lawsuits – If a former or current employee files a lawsuit, hire a lawyer immediately. Employment lawsuits can be complex, and the actions you take can affect the outcome significantly. An employment lawyer will assist you in preserving evidence and protecting your rights. Often you need to file paperwork within a few weeks, so the timeline is tight.


Claims and Complaints – If a current or former employee files a claim with a federal agency, it can still have a negative impact on your business. Even a false claim can damage the reputation of your business or result in paying expensive damages if it is not handled correctly. Some employers handle these proceedings on their own, but if you are uncertain of the procedure or applicable laws, seek legal advice. Even if you do not hire a lawyer, it is worth consulting one for advice about the strength of the employee’s claim and how to present evidence.


If the following occurs, you need to hire a lawyer:

  • The claim could cause large damages
  • Employees have made similar claims in the past, either in the workplace or to an agency
  • The employee has said they intend to file a lawsuit
  • The employee has hired a lawyer.

Contracts and Policies

Contracts and agreements

Our employment lawyer for employers can review employment agreements and troubleshoot any issues. A strong contract must be legally sound and enforceable in court; in many cases, it can prevent lawsuits or help you to win them. An employment attorney can point out ambiguous language or places where you have gone above and beyond the law. These changes can save you money and save you from lawsuits.


Policies and handbooks

Our employment lawyer for employers can also review your personnel policies and employee handbooks. Your policies must not violate state and federal laws and must be written in clear language. Ambiguous language may create unintended obligations towards your employees.

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