Questions to Ask an Employment Lawyer Before Hiring
Since 1975, Palmintier, Thrower, and Treuting Injury Attorneys has provided dedicated personal injury representation to families in Baton Rouge.
Updated: November 11, 2026
Read time: 3 minutes
The first conversation with a lawyer is also your chance to evaluate the firm. These questions tend to separate a careful answer from a sales pitch, and each one reveals something about how your case would be handled.
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How many cases like mine has your firm handled? General experience matters less than experience with your specific problem. A worker pushed out during a reorganization needs counsel familiar with age discrimination, and an employee whose hours were cut after an announcement needs someone who understands pregnancy discrimination.
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Which deadlines apply to my claim, and when do they expire? A prepared attorney should be able to identify the agency deadline, the state prescriptive period, and the date each one starts running. Vague answers here are a warning sign.
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What claims do you see beyond the one I came in with? Many workers arrive focused on a firing. A thorough review may also uncover retaliation, unpaid benefits, or a pattern of workplace harassment that changes the value of the case.
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How will fees and costs be handled? You should leave the consultation understanding exactly how payment works, what expenses might arise, and who covers them. Any agreement should be in writing.
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Have you taken employment cases to trial? Most cases settle, but employers negotiate differently with lawyers who are prepared to try a case. Ask about experience in federal court and in state district court in Baton Rouge.
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What should I gather now, and what should I avoid taking? Good counsel will tell you which personal records to preserve and warn you against removing confidential company files. That advice protects the claim from the start.
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How often will I hear from you? Employment cases can stretch over many months, especially during the agency stage. Ask who your contact will be and how updates are delivered.
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What outcome is realistic for my situation? An honest answer weighs the strength of the evidence, the losses involved, and the employer’s likely defenses. For a fired worker, that conversation often includes whether a claim for wrongful termination is worth pursuing at all.
About Palmintier, Thrower, and Treuting Injury Attorneys
Partner Jason Thrower earned his law degree from Southern University Law Center and a business administration degree from Florida A&M University, and he is a member of the Baton Rouge Bar Association. Partner Michael C. Palmintier has practiced for nearly 50 years and chaired the Henry George McMahon chapter of the American Inns of Court. Partner Joshua Michael Palmintier has spent more than two decades litigating workplace injury and other complex cases since earning his J.D. in 2002. Together, our attorneys have recovered more than $1 billion for clients across the firm’s practice areas.
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