How much does an employment lawyer cost in California?

Many California employment lawyers take termination, discrimination, harassment, and unpaid-wage cases on contingency (a percentage of any recovery, owed only if the case succeeds) while severance review and advice are usually billed hourly or at a flat rate. Business and Professions Code section 6147 requires contingency agreements to be in writing.

Fee structure follows case type. Claims seeking money (wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, retaliation, unpaid wages) are commonly handled on contingency: the attorney receives a negotiated percentage of any recovery and nothing if there is none. Business and Professions Code section 6147 requires that arrangement to be in writing, signed by both attorney and client, and to state that the percentage is negotiable, not set by law. Hourly or flat fees are typical for severance negotiation, contract review, and advice, and section 6148 requires a written agreement whenever it is reasonably foreseeable that total expense will exceed $1,000. Fee-shifting statutes change the economics: a prevailing employee can recover reasonable attorney fees under the Fair Employment and Housing Act (Government Code section 12965) and in minimum wage and overtime actions (Labor Code section 1194), which is one reason strong claims attract contingency representation. Costs (filing fees, depositions, expert witnesses) are separate from fees, so ask how each is handled before signing.

Authority: Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code § 6147