Seeing a employment lawyer in Richardson about job termination?
Prepare first. Ten organized minutes before you start calling Richardson law offices changes what a first consultation, often free, can do for you.
Where Richardson cases are heard
Richardson spans the Dallas and Collin county line. Your address determines the county, and with it whether you file in Dallas County courts or Collin County courts in McKinney.
Richardson · Dallas County and Collin County · Dallas area
Texas rules that apply in Richardson
Texas is an at-will employment state: either side can end employment for almost any reason, but not for an illegal one such as discrimination or retaliation.
Texas common law (at-will doctrine) · Texas Workforce Commission: employment law · checked 2026-07-29
Discrimination claims have short windows: a charge generally must be filed with the EEOC within 180 or 300 days of the discriminatory act, so ask a lawyer about your deadline early.
42 U.S.C. § 2000e-5(e) · EEOC: time limits for filing a charge · checked 2026-07-29
What a employment lawyer actually does for you
- Reviews your severance or separation agreement before you sign, including what rights it waives.
- Screens the story for claims: discrimination, retaliation, unpaid wages or overtime, contract violations.
- Tells you the filing deadlines that apply to any claim worth pursuing, and what pursuing it would realistically involve.
Questions worth asking
- 1.Is there anything in my termination that looks like a legal claim, or is this a lawful termination?
- 2.Should I sign this severance agreement, and is the amount negotiable?
- 3.What deadlines apply if I want to file a complaint or claim?
- 4.Does my non-compete or NDA actually restrict my next job here?
- 5.Am I owed unpaid wages, bonuses, commissions, or unused leave?
Documents to bring
- The termination letter or message, and the severance offer if you received one
- Your employment contract, offer letter, and any non-compete or NDA
- Recent performance reviews and any written warnings
- Pay stubs, and records of hours if overtime might be an issue
- Notes, in order, of the events that led to the termination, with names and dates
How the consultation works
Write the story down before the meeting while it is fresh: what happened, when, who said what, and who else saw it. Employment cases live and die on specifics, and your notes from this week are evidence-adjacent in a way your memory next year is not.
About fees
Severance reviews are often flat-fee. Claims with real damages are sometimes taken on contingency; screening consultations are frequently free for exactly that reason. Ask which model applies to your situation before the meter starts.
Nearby in the Dallas area
Sort out your situation before you call anyone.
AI Lawyer walks through a job termination situation in Richardson with you, helps you build the timeline and document list, and pins it all into consultation notes you can bring to whichever lawyer you choose.
Open AI LawyerThis page is general legal information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws change and courts differ; confirm anything that matters with a licensed lawyer in your area. Cited facts last checked 2026-07-29. If a deadline may apply to your situation, contact a lawyer promptly.