Should I sue or threaten legal action against a recruiter that promised to give me $1500 to accept a lower-paying position?

Get Legal Help Today

Compare Quotes From Top Companies and Save

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption

Should I sue or threaten legal action against a recruiter that promised to give me $1500 to accept a lower-paying position?

I was recruited for a position which would result in a $4000 paycut. I accepted only after the recruiter promised to give me $1500 from his fee, so I could make up at least part of the difference until receiving a raise and a bonus. I did get a raise and bonus but it hasn’t made up the difference which is fine. However, the recruiter paid me $750 and now won’t answer calls or emails for the remainder. I’d let it go, if it weren’t for the principle.

Asked on May 15, 2012 under Bankruptcy Law, Tennessee

Answers:

SJZ, Member, New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney

Answered 11 years ago | Contributor

If there was an agreement between you and the recruiter that he/she would pay you some sum of money for taking the job, that agreement should be enforceable. (It might violate the recruiter's agreement with the hiring company, so the hirer might have a cause of action against the recruiter, but that does not affect you directly.)

However, issues to bear in mind:

1) If the agreement was oral, it can be very difficult to prove what the agreement was for.

2) If it comes out (e.g. during litigation) that you had this agreement with the recruiter, since it almost certainly is against the policy of the company which hired you, you may well be terminated from your job.


IMPORTANT NOTICE: The Answer(s) provided above are for general information only. The attorney providing the answer was not serving as the attorney for the person submitting the question or in any attorney-client relationship with such person. Laws may vary from state to state, and sometimes change. Tiny variations in the facts, or a fact not set forth in a question, often can change a legal outcome or an attorney's conclusion. Although AttorneyPages.com has verified the attorney was admitted to practice law in at least one jurisdiction, he or she may not be authorized to practice law in the jurisdiction referred to in the question, nor is he or she necessarily experienced in the area of the law involved. Unlike the information in the Answer(s) above, upon which you should NOT rely, for personal advice you can rely upon we suggest you retain an attorney to represent you.

Get Legal Help Today

Find the right lawyer for your legal issue.

secured lock Secured with SHA-256 Encryption