Colorado Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Colorado employment attorneys who handle CADA discrimination, wage, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims for workers across Denver, Boulder, Colorado Springs, Fort Collins, and the I-70 corridor.

Free to use — no fee unless you win
Matched with a Colorado attorney in 24 hours
30,000+ plaintiffs served nationwide

Free Colorado employment case review

A Colorado attorney will take a look. Or call 1-833-WELEGAL.

How we match your Colorado employment case

When you submit a Colorado employment matter, we route it through a national network of independent partner firms and put it in front of the one that fits best — based on the kind of case it is, what it is likely to involve, where it has to be handled, and who has capacity to take it on now.

Case type

A employment matter needs someone who handles employment work day to day, not a generalist. Practice area is the first filter.

Size and complexity

Some firms are built for catastrophic injury and multi-party litigation; others resolve straightforward claims quickly. We weigh what your matter is likely to involve against how each firm actually works.

Jurisdiction and licensing

Your matter is decided under Colorado law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Colorado who regularly appears where your case would be heard.

Capacity and fit

Availability, conflicts of interest and language all matter. If the best-fit firm cannot take your case, we route it to the next one that can — or tell you plainly when no one in the network is the right answer.

Every partner reviews your case for free. Injury and workers’ compensation matters are handled on contingency — no fee unless you win. Other matters are quoted upfront, before you commit to anything.

Get started How DearLegal works

DearLegal provides marketing and matching services and is not a law firm. Submitting a case does not create an attorney-client relationship. Matches depend on case type, jurisdiction and firm availability.

Exhibit A

What happens with an employment claim in Colorado

Day 0
Something happens at work.
A firing, demotion, missed pay, harassment, retaliation. Write down dates, names and what was said, and save emails and pay stubs before access disappears.
Within 24 hours
Tell us what happened.
Two minutes on this page. A Colorado employment attorney reviews it for free and, if it’s a fit, you’re matched within 24 hours.
Weeks 1–4
Your attorney builds the record.
Personnel file, pay records, texts, witness accounts, the handbook. Employers keep meticulous files; you need one too.
Months 1–3
Demand, or an agency charge.
Many Colorado employment claims start with a demand letter or a charge with the state agency or the EEOC. Your attorney picks the route that protects your deadlines.
Within 300 days
Suit is filed if it has to be.
Colorado gives 300 days for this step. Missing it can end the claim before it starts.
Resolution
Settlement or judgment.
You pay nothing along the way. The fee — typically 33% — comes only out of what’s recovered. If nothing is recovered, you owe nothing.

State Anti-Discrimination Statute: CADA
Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA), C.R.S. § 24-34-401 et seq. Protected: race, creed, color, sex (incl. pregnancy), sexual orientation (incl. transgender status), gender identity/expression, religion, age 40+, national origin, ancestry, disability, marital status. POWR Act (2023) added caregiver status and broadened harassment standards.
Deadline to File Charge: 300 days
300 days to file with the Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD) or EEOC. POWR Act (2023) extended SOL for some claims; CCRD has work-share with EEOC.
At-Will Doctrine: At-will state
At-will state with recognized public-policy exception (Martin Marietta v. Lorenz, 1992). Statutory protections for workers' comp retaliation, whistleblowing (§ 24-114-101 public sector, HFWA private), and other categories.
Non-Compete Enforceability: Restricted
Restricted under C.R.S. § 8-2-113 (2022 reform). Banned for workers under highly compensated threshold ($123,750 in 2024). Limited to trade secrets and a few narrow categories above the threshold. Notice required before signing.
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $14.42
Colorado minimum wage $14.42/hour (2024), Denver $18.29. Daily overtime after 12 hours and over 12 consecutive hours under COMPS Order #38 (7 CCR 1103-1). Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA) requires paid sick leave.
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

The Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act (CADA, C.R.S. § 24-34-401 et seq.) covers more protected classes than federal Title VII, including disability, race, creed, color, sex, sexual orientation (which expressly includes transgender status), gender identity, gender expression, religion, age (40+), national origin, ancestry, marital status, and pregnancy. Employers of any size are covered for harassment. Charges are filed with the Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD) within 300 days. The POWR Act (2023) eliminated the "severe or pervasive" standard for harassment, replacing it with a broader workplace-conditions test, and expanded protections for marital status and caregiver status. Colorado follows at-will employment with public-policy exceptions. Non-competes are restricted under C.R.S. § 8-2-113 (2022 reform — banned for workers earning under $123,750 in 2024, with narrow exceptions). Colorado minimum wage is $14.42/hour (2024), with Denver at $18.29; daily overtime applies under COMPS Order #38 after 12 hours.

Exhibit B

When to call an employment attorney in Colorado

Does any of this sound like you? Tap what applies.

Exhibit C

Employment cases we take in Colorado

Which one is closest to yours?

Race and national-origin discrimination

CADA C.R.S. § 24-34-402 and Title VII. Denver, Aurora, and Colorado Springs have diverse workforces with regular litigation. POWR Act broadened harassment standards.

Sound like yours? A Colorado attorney reviews it free — no fee unless they win.

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Colorado employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

Colorado · Employment

Recovery$100,000

Attorney fee · 33%− $33,000

Case costs (advanced by firm)repaid at the end

To you$67,000

Due today$0

Try a different recovery$100,000

$5,000$3,000,000

Illustrative only. Your fee terms are set in a written agreement with your attorney and may include costs and expenses regardless of outcome.

Most Colorado employment attorneys work on contingency: the fee is a share of what they recover, and nothing if they don’t.

Colorado employment attorneys work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — typically 33%–40% of recovery. CADA, the POWR Act, the Colorado Wage Act, and federal employment statutes all shift attorney fees to the employer when the worker prevails. Fee-shifting frequently becomes the largest single component of recovery.

A good attorney walks through every number at your free consultation — before you sign anything.

Get startedTakes about two minutes. No obligation.

Exhibit E

What your Colorado employment compensation can include

A Colorado employment recovery is built from several parts. Tap one to see what it covers.

Back Pay

Lost wages and benefits from termination to judgment under CADA and Title VII. Uncapped.

DearLegal is a legal referral service, not a law firm. We connect individuals with licensed attorneys who can evaluate their case. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice. Results vary based on individual circumstances.

Exhibit F

Colorado employment questions, answered

Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Colorado attorney will review it for free.

Start free review

CADA (C.R.S. § 24-34-401 et seq.) prohibits discrimination based on race, creed, color, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation (which expressly includes transgender status), gender identity, gender expression, religion, age (40+), national origin, ancestry, disability, and marital status. Caregiver status was added in 2023. Employers of any size are covered for harassment claims (POWR Act).

The Protecting Opportunities and Workers' Rights (POWR) Act of 2023 (effective August 2023) eliminated the federal "severe or pervasive" standard for harassment in favor of a broader "subjectively and objectively offensive" test, limited employer affirmative defenses, expanded protected classes to include caregiver status and marital status, and restricted nondisclosure provisions in settlement agreements.

File with the Colorado Civil Rights Division (CCRD) within 300 days of the discriminatory act. CCRD has a work-share arrangement with the EEOC, so a single filing typically preserves both state and federal claims. CCRD investigates, attempts conciliation, and can issue probable-cause findings.

Mostly no. Under C.R.S. § 8-2-113 (as amended in 2022), non-competes are void for workers earning under the "highly compensated" threshold ($123,750 in 2024). Above the threshold, non-competes are only enforceable to protect trade secrets and must be reasonable in scope, time, and geography. Non-solicitation clauses face a lower threshold ($74,250 in 2024).

COMPS Order #38 (7 CCR 1103-1) requires 1.5x for hours over 40 in a week, OR over 12 in a day, OR over 12 consecutive hours regardless of when the workday started — whichever yields the greater overtime. Many industries have specific exemptions and modifications.

Yes. The Healthy Families and Workplaces Act (HFWA, C.R.S. § 8-13.3-401) requires 1 hour of paid sick leave per 30 worked, up to 48 hours annually, for nearly all Colorado employers. Used for the employee's or family member's illness, preventive care, or public-health emergency closure.

Not without legal review. POWR Act limits NDA provisions in employment settlements. Severance releases typically waive CADA, Title VII, ADEA (21-day consideration), FMLA, and wage claims. With Colorado's broader protected classes and HFWA / FAMLI accrued benefits, severance offers often undervalue the claim.

Employment attorneys by city in Colorado

Same Colorado rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.

Other case types in Colorado

All Colorado practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysColorado's dog-bite law skips the one-bite excuse when the injury is serious — first bite, the owner still pays.

Business Dispute attorneysSince Colorado's 2022 non-compete rewrite, most non-competes are simply void — unless you're selling a business or earn above the highly-compensated threshold.

Car Accident attorneysCrash cases get a rare third year on the clock in Colorado — but reach 50% fault and the state gives you nothing.

Consumer Protection attorneysThe Colorado Consumer Protection Act can triple your damages and shift attorney fees — and the Attorney General's office is an active co-enforcer.

Criminal Defense attorneysColorado has spent a decade redrawing its drug-sentencing lines — knowing exactly which felonies became misdemeanors, and when, can decide a case.

Defective Product attorneysColorado's Products Liability Act layers presumptions and a repose period over strict liability — older products get harder to sue over.

Family Law attorneysColorado divorce is pure no-fault — courts split marital property equitably and don't ask who wrecked the marriage.

Immigration attorneysDenver's immigration court hears the state's removal docket, and a 2019 Colorado law sharply limits ICE detainer cooperation.

Lemon Law attorneysColorado's lemon law gives new-vehicle buyers one year to force a buyback or replacement — with the manufacturer covering your attorney fees if you win.

Medical Malpractice attorneysA 2024 law unfroze Colorado's med-mal damages caps for the first time in decades — cases the old numbers quietly killed are suddenly viable.

Personal Injury attorneysTwo years for most injuries, three for car crashes, and a 50% fault bar that's one percentage point meaner than most states.

Slip and Fall attorneysColorado threw out the common law here — the Premises Liability Act decides your case by how it classifies you: invitee, licensee, or trespasser.

Social Security Disability attorneysColorado disability hearings run through Denver and Colorado Springs, with Tenth Circuit federal precedent governing every appeal.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysColorado comp runs through the state Division of Workers' Compensation, with Pinnacol Assurance backstopping employers no private carrier will write.

Colorado Employment Attorneys

How we match your Colorado employment case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with an employment claim in Colorado

Something happens at work.

Tell us what happened.

Your attorney builds the record.

Demand, or an agency charge.

Suit is filed if it has to be.

Settlement or judgment.

When to call an employment attorney in Colorado

Employment cases we take in Colorado

Race and national-origin discrimination

Sex, pregnancy, gender identity, and LGBTQ+ discrimination

Age discrimination (40+)

Disability discrimination and accommodation

Religious discrimination and accommodation

Retaliation and whistleblower

Wage and hour (Colorado + FLSA)

Independent-contractor misclassification

FMLA, FAMLI, and HFWA leave

Wrongful termination (public-policy)

Hostile work environment

Non-compete defense

How much do Colorado employment attorneys cost?

What your Colorado employment compensation can include

Back Pay

Front Pay

Compensatory Damages

Punitive Damages

Liquidated Damages

Attorney Fees and Costs

Colorado employment questions, answered

Employment attorneys by city in Colorado

Other case types in Colorado

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