Should I have legal representation at a wage claim hearing?
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Should I have legal representation at a wage claim hearing?
I am owed unpaid wages, retirement funds, matching funds, returned check fees, and medical expenses. I have my pay stubs showing how much I earned. Pay stubs showing the retirement money being deducted from my paychecks. Medical records showing insurance coverage was dropped even though it was being deducted from what pay checks I was receiving. Returned check statement from my bank. I also have an initialed letter stating how much is owed to me when I left that job. I won’t be able to have any witnesses since everyone else still works there and is afraid of losing their job.
Asked on July 16, 2012 under Employment Labor Law, Illinois
Answers:
FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 11 years ago | Contributor
It is always best that you have legal representation at the wage claim hearing coming up against you current or former employer for the simple fact that most likely the employer will have experienced legal counsel attending representing his, her or its interests.
I cannot emphasize the benefit of having competent legal counsel at such a proceeding. I have seen individuals representing themselves who have a good case lose due to technicalities and the inability to get documents into evidence because the proper witness needed to authenticate a document was not subpoenaed to attend trial.
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