What To Do Before Contacting A Lawyer
You are thinking about contacting a lawyer and you want to know what to sort out first.
What Should You Do Before Contacting A Lawyer
Start by working out your exact dismissal date, since it decides how much time you have under the 60-day window to file a representation1. A first conversation is more useful once you know this.
You do not need a polished summary or a firm decision about what you want to do. A short, honest account of what happened is enough to begin with.
Understanding What Happens Next
A first conversation typically looks at your facts and clarifies your options, without committing you to filing anything. From there, if your case reaches conciliation, you attend and speak for yourself, since solicitors cannot represent you at that stage2.
Knowing this in advance helps set realistic expectations about what a lawyer’s role looks like at each point.
Why Acting Early Tends To Help
People often wait because they feel unsure whether their situation is serious enough to raise. That hesitation is understandable, but it does not pause the 60-day window running in the background.
Contacting a lawyer early does not mean committing to a formal claim. It simply means understanding your position while your options are still fully open, rather than after some of them have quietly closed.
What To Do This Week
Write down your dismissal date and a short timeline of what led up to it. The employment lawyer entity page explains what a lawyer actually does at each stage of the process.
The Section 20 representation page explains the filing step if you decide to move forward. For a similar first-step guide from a different angle, see what to do about a misconduct dismissal.
Reaching out for a short conversation costs little and can clarify a lot, especially while the 60 days is still running.
If you are weighing whether to contact a lawyer, telling us your dismissal date and what happened is enough for us to help you see where you stand.
Common questions
What should I know before I even reach out
Your dismissal date and a short account of what happened are usually enough to start. You do not need a polished summary, just the basic facts.
Do I need to have decided to file a claim first
No. Many people speak to a lawyer before deciding whether to pursue anything at all, simply to understand their situation.
Is there a risk in contacting a lawyer too early
Generally not. Decisions made in the first few days after a dismissal often matter more than ones made later, so earlier tends to help rather than hurt.
What if I already missed some early steps
A conversation is still worth having. It shifts from prevention to working out what options remain, which is still useful information.
Sources
- An employee who considers they were dismissed without just cause or excuse may make a written representation to the Director General of Industrial Relations within 60 days of the dismissal Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
- Solicitors are not permitted to represent parties at conciliation before the Department of Industrial Relations; an employee attends and speaks for themselves Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
Keep reading
If you are weighing whether to contact a lawyer, telling us your dismissal date and what happened is enough for us to help you see where you stand.