6 Questions to Ask Yourself If You Think You Were Wrongfully Fired, Before Calling a Wrongful Termination Attorney DC
Being fired is disorienting, and it is hard to judge fairly right after it happens. A wrongful termination is a firing that breaks the law, not just one that feels unjust. Common examples are firings based on discrimination, retaliation, or a breached contract. Answering a few honest questions can help you organize what happened before you speak with a wrongful termination attorney DC employees consult. Below are five D.C.-area firms that handle employment matters, followed by six questions worth working through.
Which D.C.-area law firms can review a possible wrongful firing?
- The Mundaca Law Firm
- Eric Siegel Law
- Volin Employment Law, PLLC
- Hoffman Employment Law, LLC
- Thatcher Law Firm
1. The Mundaca Law Firm: Wrongful Termination Attorney DC
The Mundaca Law Firm represents employees in Washington, D.C. who believe their termination was unlawful. Francisco E. Mundaca, Esq., Founding Partner, leads the firm. Its D.C. practice covers wrongful termination, retaliation, D.C. Human Rights Act discrimination, pregnancy and disability claims, federal sector employment, and severance agreement review. The firm can take the answers to the questions below and assess whether they add up to a legal claim. From there, it can file charges with the EEOC or the D.C. Office of Human Rights, negotiate with the employer, and litigate when needed.
2. Eric Siegel Law
Eric Siegel Law is a law firm based in downtown Washington, D.C. whose practice includes employment matters.
3. Volin Employment Law, PLLC
Volin Employment Law, PLLC is an employment law practice based in Falls Church, Virginia.
4. Hoffman Employment Law, LLC
Hoffman Employment Law, LLC is an employment law firm located in Rockville, Maryland.
5. Thatcher Law Firm
Thatcher Law Firm is a law firm in Greenbelt, Maryland whose practice includes employment matters.
What should you ask yourself after a possible wrongful firing?
1. Does the reason I was given actually hold up?
Start with the employer’s explanation and test it against the record. A “performance” firing looks different when you received a raise or a strong review a few months earlier. Explanations that shift between the termination meeting, the letter, and later statements suggest pretext. Pretext means a stated reason covering for the real one. Write down every version you have heard.
2. Did anything legally protected happen before the firing?
Think back over the prior few months. Did you complain about harassment, discrimination, or unpaid wages? Did you request medical or family leave, disclose a pregnancy or disability, or ask for an accommodation? Also consider whether anyone commented on a protected trait. In D.C., those traits include personal appearance, political affiliation, and family responsibilities, not just the familiar federal categories. Close timing between a protected event and a firing is often the heart of a claim.
3. Was I treated differently from coworkers?
Compare your treatment with colleagues in similar roles. If someone outside your protected group made the same mistake or missed the same target and kept their job, that comparison can support a discrimination claim. Your replacement matters too, especially if that person is noticeably younger or of a different race or sex.
4. Did my employer ignore a contract or written policy?
Most D.C. private-sector jobs are at-will, meaning either side can end the relationship at any time. A written agreement can change that. Look at your offer letter, employment contract, or union agreement for a fixed term, a “for cause” requirement, or mandatory steps like progressive discipline. Skipped steps may support a breach of contract claim.
5. Who is my employer, and how large is it?
The answer determines which laws apply. The D.C. The Human Rights Act covers employers with even one employee. Title VII generally applies at 15 employees and federal age protections at 20. Federal employees follow a separate process. They generally must contact their agency’s EEO counselor within 45 days of the action.
6. Am I running out of time, and have I signed anything?
Deadlines move fast. D.C. Office of Human Rights complaints generally must be filed within one year, and EEOC charges within 300 days. If you were handed a severance agreement, it likely contains a release that waives legal claims. Workers 40 and older have at least 21 days to consider an individual offer and 7 days to revoke after signing, under the Older Workers Benefit Protection Act.
What should you gather while answering these questions?
Collect your offer letter, performance reviews, pay records, termination paperwork, and any emails or texts you legitimately have. Build a simple dated timeline of key events, and note who was present for important conversations. Avoid taking confidential company data, which can create separate problems.
When should you talk to a wrongful termination attorney in DC?
If your answers turned up a protected event, uneven treatment, an ignored contract, or an explanation that doesn’t hold together, have the situation reviewed. Bring your timeline and documents to the conversation. They make an assessment faster and more accurate. A wrongful termination attorney DC workers can consult can tell you where you stand before a deadline passes or a release is signed.
