Severance Dispute? Have a Lawyer on Your Side
The Ridgefield area has unfortunately not been immune to the recession, and our office has seen an increase in requests for consultations from employees working in either Connecticut or New York who have been laid off and believe their employers did not appropriately respect their rights.
Fortunately, several of these disputes are successfully resolved with just a letter. It’s great for the employee and, actually, great for the employer too. Who needs protracted disputes while trying to survive in a tough economy?
But, to those who are thinking of dispensing with legal advice and writing your own letters, “Don’t try this at home.” When there is a potential dispute, it’s imperative to get both the content and tone right, and that takes expertise. Threats of legal action rarely intimidate a party who has access to competent counsel. What’s even worse is making empty or ill-informed threats about non-existent rights that go nowhere.
Really good “lawyer letters” do not threaten. A good letter educates the reader as to the specific nature of the rights being asserted on behalf of the client. The tone, whether conciliatory or firm, must always convey a professional respect for the other side and a willingness to work to resolve the issues.
Sometimes, it can be done with a short letter. Sometimes circumstances require a detailed description of the facts. And, sometimes it works… really well.
