When you face workplace discrimination, getting a lawyer is often the first thing people consider — and for good reason. But before you sign anything, it's worth understanding what you're actually agreeing to.

A lawyer representing you on contingency only gets paid if you win your case (or negotiate a settlement), which means they don’t take you on as a client unless they believe your claims are valid and there’s a good chance they’ll be able to help you recover some or all of your financial damages.

Given how many victims of discrimination doubt if what they experienced is as bad as they believe it to be, this validation is often accompanied by relief that you weren’t imagining it. This is especially true if your company’s HR or leadership team has been gaslighting you in an attempt to convince you your claims aren’t valid and that you’re actually the problem.

Not all workplace grievances meet the legal threshold for discrimination or retaliation. An attorney’s expertise can help you distinguish between the issues you can fight in court and those that would serve as more of a distraction from the claims you can fight.

Law firms take on a lot of risk and expense by representing an employee on contingency, so there’s no doubt that they’re invested in you winning. This is especially true if they signed with you through litigation (and not just settlement negotiation).