Do I need a lawyer for my Pennsylvania unemployment hearing?
If your employer is contesting your unemployment claim under Pennsylvania law, you are entitled to a hearing. You have the right to have an attorney representing you at that hearing.It is most often a very good idea to have an attorney present. If not, you may expect to be the least knowledgeable person in the room on the subject of your legal rights and how to pursue them. The referee is well trained in the law, but he is not on your side. Rather, he is an employee of the Commonwealth charged with being impartial on the question of your legal right to benefits. He is bound by law to give the employer a fair hearing as they present their legal and factual arguments in support of their position, contesting your benefits. If it appears from the record at the hearing that the employer's arguments meet the factual and legal standards to support a denial of benefits, he is duty bound to find for the employer.
It is therefore crucial that you present the strongest possible case in support of your own position, and that you tear down any arguments made by the employer that may be vulnerable under the facts of the case or the applicable law.
Many people faced with a contest to their unemployment rights feel most comfortable when they have a skilled and sympathetic attorney fighting for their interests and controlling the questioning and legal argument at the hearing. When you hire an attorney for this purpose, it removes much of the stress of the hearing, allowing you to concentrate on being yourself and making your best case for the referee, all with the guidance of questioning by an attorney with your interests firmly in mind.
When you hire us to handle your PA unemployment compensation hearing, you will be getting the help of an experienced and knowledgeable litigation attorney, walking into the hearing room at your side. You will have the confidence of knowing you have an attorney who is comfortable questioning witnesses and challenging adversaries. We will prepare you for the hearing so that you know what to expect and how to present yourself so that the referee sees your case in the best possible light.
Your umemployment compensation benefits are hugely important to you and to your family, now and potentially for many months to come, especially in this uncertain economy. You owe it to yourself to have a thoughtful and aggressive unemployment attorney to assist you in preparing and presenting the best possible case to secure your rights.
Do NOT make the mistake of thinking you'll go in alone for your referee hearing, then get a lawyer's help for your appeal to the Unemployment Compensation Board of Review. The appeal to the UCBR is likely to be worthless. Only 13% of Referee Decisions are overturned by the Board. That means if you lose before the Referee, the statistical odds are very badly stacked against you ever overturning that result on appeal. The referee hearing is the "trial" level of PA unemployment claims. This is where you present your case, make or break. The UCBR simply reviews the record created at the referee hearing - your one and only hearing in support of your rights. Literally every day, we turn away callers who seek out our help too late - when they have already lost at the crucial referee hearing level because they thought they could win without an attorney. We truly wish the best for those folks, and we find it gut-wrenching when we have to tell them, in thier desperation, that it is too late for us to help them. Don't let your best chance at getting benefits you may desperately need pass you by. Get our help now. G
If you seek an attorney to fight for your unemployment benefits in Philadelphia, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Chester County or Bucks County, Pennsylvania, call Pennsylvania unemployment attorney Tim Kennedy right now for a free initial telephone consultation.
Call today for a free initial consultation!
Philadelphia:
Suburbs:
If you prefer, you may fill out the form below to request that we contact you about your unemployment claim. Be sure to include your telephone number.
