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Discovery in Employment Law Cases

discoveryAfter you file a lawsuit in an employment law case, you are entitled to obtain information from the company and any individual defendants who you sued. The process you use to obtain this information is called discovery. Discovery in employment law cases usually is critical since it is your best (and often only) opportunity to obtain information and evidence to prove your case and establish your damages.

Keep in mind discovery is a two way process. Your former employer can ask you for information using the same forms of discovery you can use to obtain information from it. We have described the most common forms of discovery below.

Interrogatories

Interrogatories are formal written questions parties in a lawsuit send to each other to learn about each other's claims and defenses. For example, you can ask your employer for a list of witnesses in your case and a description of what they know about the relevant facts; details about why they took certain actions against you; information about your salary and benefit history to help prove your damages; and details about any expert witnesses it hired to testify on its behalf.

Document Requests

A Document Request (also called a “Document Demand” or “Notice to Produce Documents”) is a request you can send to another party to your case seeking documents. It can include requests for specific documents, such as your employment contract, offer letter, performance reviews and termination letter. It also can include descriptions of categories of documents you are seeking such as documents your employer considered when it made the decision to fire you and documents regarding your salary and benefits.

Depositions

Depositions often are one of the most important forms of discovery in employment cases since can be the best opportunity to learn what happened and the reasons for it from key witnesses such as your immediate supervisor, the individual who harassed you or the people involved in the decision to wrongfully terminate your employment. Depending on the circumstances, it also can be important to take the depositions of members of the employer’s human resources department and eyewitnesses to the key events in your case.

Requests for Admissions

Requests for Admissions are essentially a list of facts that you ask your former employer to admit are true. They can be used to establish basic facts that are undisputed but might be difficult to prove, such as confirming key dates and the authenticity of important documents. Similarly, they can be used to confirm information that you learned through Interrogatories, Document Requests and Depositions.

While requests for admissions are used less frequently than Interrogatories and Document Requests, they can be much more powerful since facts that are admitted in response to them generally cannot be disputed at the trial.

Subpoenas

A subpoena is an order or command that requires a witness to testify at a deposition or at trial and/or to produce documents. They are one of the primary ways to obtain information from someone who is not a party to your lawsuit.

Expert Discovery

In addition to conducting discovery about the facts of your case, many employment law cases also involve discovery from expert witnesses. Expert witnesses are required to provide formal written opinions discussing their opinions. You can obtain additional information from expert witnesses using Interrogatories, Document Requests and depositions. For more information about the most common types of expert witnesses in employment law cases please see our expert witnesses page.

Client Reviews
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"I worked with Jonathan Nirenberg, ESQ on a sensitive emotional employment matter. Mr. Nirenberg was quick to respond, offered excellent advice, and always followed up with phone calls or emails when needed. My situation was settled out of court within a short period of time with the best possible results for not just me but also for the employer. Highly recommend and would seek his help again if needed..." Linda Busch, PhD
★★★★★
"We've had the pleasure of working with Jonathan on multiple individual and class employment cases. Jonathan is a skilled, dedicated and caring attorney that works diligently to bring justice for his clients. We would recommend Jonathan as a legal resource for any employment cases." Stephan Zouras, LLP
★★★★★
"I felt alone and without a voice, until I hired Jonathan I. Nirenberg of Rabner Baumgart Ben-Asher & Nirenberg, P.C. Mr. Nirenberg represented me in an employment matter. Without his help, I know that I would not have had the extremely successful outcome I had. Jonathan was not only professional, but very empathetic to what happened to me. Jonathan gave me support, and options in relation to a challenging employer/employment situation which was an extremely difficult time in my life..." Shelly Smith