Losing your job can be a traumatic experience. It’s a very stressful time and it can be hard to think clearly. Your employer has to give you a notice or offer a monetary compensation. This can be a tricky situation. You may be asked to sign a document. However, the best thing to do is not to sign anything until you meet with an employment lawyer first. A lawyer can give you the best advice in these situations.

Once you sign something, it may be hard to go back to your employer and ask for more compensation. Here are some reasons why you should hire an employment lawyer when you lose a job.

1. Make Sure You Get What You Deserve

Your severance package may leave you feeling that you should have had more, so if it seems like it was too low, there’s a good chance that it probably is. You need to be realistic here; if you only worked for about six months, then don’t expect your employer to offer you your own tropical island. However, if you’ve been there for many years, then it’s possible that a low package might give you a chance to contest it. Don’t bother using any online calculators; your situation needs to be reviewed properly by a professional.

2. Are You Close To Retirement?

This is a special situation and can be tricky. Whatever severance package you receive if you happen to be close to retiring may be in line with what you’re entitled to. This specific situation will have a bearing on the amount you receive, but it can also be a fine line, so the best thing is to speak to an employment lawyer as quickly as possible.

3. Being Terminated While On Leave

In certain situations, the law will protect affected individuals. These situations include being on leave for maternity, parental, disability or sick leave. If your termination happened while you were on leave, you may have a good case for asking for more money from your severance package. The only way to really know is to hire a lawyer who will be able to research your situation and let you know if you’re entitled to more.

4. Signing A Release

This is a situation in which you need to be incredibly careful. Your employer may ask you to sign a release. Until you speak to a lawyer, do not sign anything. If you sign it, you cannot go back later and sue them for any damages or more severance. They may even try to pressure you to sign, saying that if you don’t, they will withdraw the offer and that you will get nothing. This is not acceptable or professional. However, do not sign, but, you need to act fast and hire a lawyer. You need to have advice in a day or two, so don’t delay.

5. Peace Of Mind

When you hire a lawyer, you will at least have peace of mind knowing that you will only get what you really deserve and not an unfair settlement. This is not an easy decision to make and on your own, you’ll probably make the wrong choice. It’s also in the lawyer’s best interest to help you, since they will also make something from this situation.

If you’ve been terminated and you think it’s unfair, seek a lawyer’s help immediately. Without a lawyer, you will never know if your package is fair or not. With a lawyer, you can be assured of making all the right decisions.