Today we are thrilled to have Rebecca Pontikes on the show and we are going to be talking about the issue of Consult Fees in Employment Law cases. We have discussed this issue before, in an earlier podcast, where we touched on it briefly with Jacob Small, but on today's show, we will be dealing with this issue exclusively. Listen in to find out more.

Rebecca, who has a sharp bend towards women's rights, is a Plaintiff Side Employment Lawyer, based in Boston, where she only does Plaintiff's Employment Law work. The focus of her practice is on discrimination against care givers who are Moms and Dads who get penalized at work, because they have to care for either their kids, or their ageing parents. She also does a lot of work around sexual harassment and with Title Nine plaintiffs. In addition to that, she deals with the whole gamut of Employment work, especially with  Non-Compete Agreements, because in Boston they have a lot of health care and a lot of tech. Listen to find out what Rebecca has to tell you today, about the issue of Consult Fees in Employment Law cases.

Show highlights:

• Rebecca talks about what a Title Nine case means and who would call her, in that regard.
• Rebecca explains why she charges Consult Fees.
• How Rebecca's work differs from that done by firms who advertise 'no charge' for their consultations.
• The definition of a consultation could vary, from one Law Firm to the next.
• Many Law Firms have their junior Attorneys, or even Para-Legals handle their consultations.
• Some of the difficulties with dealing with Employment Law cases that most people don't know about.
• There are some resources for the people who really can't afford a Lawyer.
• Avvo.com offers a low-cost service where they will find you a Lawyer.
• Why Rebecca is passionate about having Legal Services adequately funded.
• The National Women's Law Centre, based in DC, is offering a Gender Equity Initiative, with a network of  Attorneys who have agreed to take these discrimination cases.
• Why it would really be worth paying a Lawyer for a consultation.
• The National Employment Lawyers Association has a good list of Plaintiff Side Lawyers for you to use.
• On the Workplace Fairness website, they have a really good Q&A and helpful information for legal consumers and workers who have lost their job, or fear that they might lose it. (www.workplacefairness.org)
• Another resource, particularly for pregnancy and care giver discrimination cases, is the Centre For Work Life Law. (www.worklifelaw.org) They also have a hotline and some great resources.

Resources:

Rebecca's website: www.pontikeslawllc.com