One of the first questions that most people ask when they believe they may be the victim of employment discrimination is in regard to the expenses and costs associated with filing a lawsuit against the company that has discriminated against them. It’s an understandable question and one that has a somewhat multilayered answer. In the state of Tennessee, as in most other states, employment discrimination is defined as the unfair treatment of employees or employment prospects by employers based on certain characteristics that are protected by the law such as race, nationality, age, religious affiliation, disability, sex, or pregnancy.
The typical costs associated with employment discrimination lawsuits in Memphis, Tennessee come after the actual suit has been filed. Filing a charge of employment discrimination with the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) does not carry any costs, however, if the Commission finds that there has been no violation committed, the charge will be dismissed. But if it does in fact determine that a violation has occurred, it will in most cases make an attempt to reach a voluntary settlement with the company in question.
If the case against the employer is a strong one, most attorneys will accept it on a contingency basis which means they will get nothing if you lose the case but will take up to 50 percent of any judgment if you win. There are typical legal fees associated with employment discrimination suits but in addition to those there are also court fees, costs associated with expert witnesses, and other costs that can often be as high as $10,000 or more. The best way to keep the costs of your employment discrimination suit as low as possible is to hire strong legal counsel who can guide you through the legal process and advise you as to how to keep the costs to a minimum.