How To Prepare For A First Conversation
Prepare your dates, records and questions for an agreed consultation with an identified employment lawyer.
For a contact request through this publisher, share general facts only. The document preparation below is for a later agreed consultation: keep the records private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.
You are not expected to arrive with a finished case. Bring your basic facts and write them down.
What do you bring?
Start with your dismissal date, the reason you were given and a short written timeline of what led up to it.
Your employer has to prove the dismissal was fair.2 So your job is to lay out what happened clearly, not to build a legal argument.
What else helps?
Bring your employment contract, the dismissal letter and any relevant messages if you have them. If something is missing, describe what you remember.
Write down a couple of questions too, such as what your options are or what the 60-day window means for your dates.1 That helps you use the time well.
What if you are missing papers?
Do not let missing papers stop you from reaching out. A lawyer can hold a useful first conversation from what you remember and help you plan what to look for.
Preparation helps, but it is not a condition. The earlier you start, the more time you have to fill gaps.
What do you do before the conversation?
Check your deadline on the 60-day deadline calculator so you know where you stand. The employment lawyer page explains what a first conversation covers.
For later stages, read how to prepare to file your claim and how to prepare for the Industrial Court.
If you want a lawyer to act for you, send your dismissal date and what happened. An independent employment lawyer can review the facts and reply about whether and how they can act.
If you are preparing a claim over your dismissal, an independent employment lawyer can review your dismissal date and what happened and tell you how they would act on it.
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
First contact: general facts only, such as date, location, employment status and a short summary. Keep documents private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.
Common questions
What should I bring to a first conversation?
Your dismissal date, the reason given and a short written timeline. Your contract and dismissal letter help if you have them.
Must I organise everything first?
No. A rough but honest account is enough, and a lawyer can help you see what else is useful.
Should I write down questions?
Yes. It helps you use a short conversation well, especially if you are unsure where to start.
What if I have few documents?
That is common right after a dismissal. The conversation can go ahead on what you remember, and papers can follow.
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
- In an unfair dismissal case the burden falls on the employer to prove the dismissal was for just cause or excuse Mah Weng Kwai & Associates
Keep reading
If you are preparing a claim over your dismissal, an independent employment lawyer can review your dismissal date and what happened and tell you how they would act on it.
For people seeking legal representation. For general information, please use our guides and tools.
First contact: general facts only, such as date, location, employment status and a short summary. Keep documents private until an identified independent lawyer contacts you and specifically requests them.