What a first lawyer chat covers

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.

What should you bring to the conversation?

Bring your employment contract, your dismissal or show-cause letter and your recent pay slips. Add any messages, emails or notes about the events, even ones that seem unimportant alone.

A rough timeline with approximate dates helps the employment lawyer follow your case quickly. List the names of anyone who witnessed key moments too.

None of this needs to be typed up neatly. Handwritten notes or a few voice memos work, as long as the details are there.

What does the conversation clarify?

It clarifies whether your situation looks like a claim worth pursuing. It also covers what your employer would need to show to justify the dismissal, and where your 60-day deadline sits.²

The burden of proof is on your employer, so the talk usually turns on how strong their stated reason looks against your version.¹ It does not produce a fixed number or a promised result. Much of the evidence only appears later.

Do you need to have decided to file?

No. Asking questions at this stage does not lock you into a claim. Leaving with more questions than answers is a normal outcome too.

What happens after you message?

You send the key dates and what happened. An independent employment lawyer may review the facts and replies about whether and how they can act for you.

What should you do before the conversation?

Set aside twenty minutes to write down what you remember, in order, even if some dates are approximate. Put your documents in one folder so nothing is left behind.

Check your remaining time with the deadline calculator. For a fuller checklist, read how to prepare for an unfair dismissal claim or the basics of a Section 20 case.