Employment Attorneys in Lakewood, CO
Lakewood employees facing unpaid wages, discrimination, or retaliation at a government office, hospital, or retail job have rights under Colorado law. A licensed employment attorney will review your Lakewood case for free.
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How we match your Lakewood employment case
When you submit a Lakewood 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.
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.
Employment cases in Lakewood
More about legal help in Lakewood →Lakewood's workforce spans the Federal Center campus and its contractors, healthcare and retail along Union Boulevard and Colfax, and hospitality serving traffic headed up US 6 and I-70 into the foothills. Discrimination, wrongful termination, and unpaid wage disputes often start with an agency charge through the Colorado Civil Rights Division or the EEOC, or a wage complaint to the state labor division, before a lawsuit is filed in Jefferson County District Court. Deadlines for those agency steps are short and separate from court deadlines. DearLegal matches you with a Colorado-licensed attorney who handles employment cases in Lakewood, with a free review.
- Discrimination claims usually require a charge with the Colorado Civil Rights Division or the EEOC before suit.
- Lawsuits that proceed to court are commonly filed in Jefferson County District Court in Golden.
- Federal Center employees and federal contractors may follow separate federal complaint processes instead of state ones.
Colorado employment rules at a glance
Lakewood cases run under Colorado law. The full walkthrough — timeline, when to call, case types, and what a recovery can include — is on the Colorado page.
Read the full Colorado employment guide →- 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
Exhibit D
How much do Lakewood employment attorneys cost?
Sample settlement statement
Colorado · Employment
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.
Exhibit F
Lakewood employment questions, answered
Still unsure? Tell us what happened and a Colorado attorney will review it for free.
Employment attorneys by city in Colorado
Same Colorado rules and the same attorneys — with what’s local to each city.
