Maine Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Maine employment attorneys who handle MHRA discrimination, wage, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims for workers across Portland, Lewiston, Bangor, and Augusta.

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

Free Maine employment case review

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

How we match your Maine employment case

When you submit a Maine 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 Maine law, so it goes to an attorney licensed in Maine 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 Maine

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 Maine 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 Maine 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.
Maine 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: MHRA
Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA), 5 M.R.S. § 4551 et seq. Protected: race, color, sex (incl. pregnancy and breastfeeding), sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, disability, genetic info, protected hairstyles.
Deadline to File Charge: 300 days
300 days to file with the Maine Human Rights Commission (MHRC) under 5 M.R.S. § 4611. Work-share with EEOC. 2-year SOL for direct filing in court.
At-Will Doctrine: At-will state
At-will state with public-policy exception. Statutory protections for workers' comp retaliation, whistleblowing (Maine Whistleblower Protection Act, 26 M.R.S. § 831), jury duty, military service.
Non-Compete Enforceability: 400%
26 M.R.S. § 599-A (2019 reform). Non-competes banned for workers earning at or below 400% of federal poverty level. Above threshold: must be disclosed before offer, given 3 business days to review. Healthcare-professional restrictions under separate laws.
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $14.15
Maine minimum wage $14.15/hour (2024), adjusted annually. Overtime under 26 M.R.S. § 664 — 1.5x after 40 hours. Earned Paid Leave (26 M.R.S. § 637, 1 hour per 40 worked). Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) benefits begin 2026; contributions began 2025.
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

The Maine Human Rights Act (MHRA, 5 M.R.S. § 4551 et seq.) prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, sex (including pregnancy and breastfeeding), sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, age (no minimum), ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, genetic information, and protected hairstyles. Charges are filed with the Maine Human Rights Commission (MHRC) within 300 days. Maine is at-will with a public-policy exception. Non-competes are restricted under 26 M.R.S. § 599-A (2019 reform) — banned for workers earning at or below 400% of the federal poverty level, must be disclosed before any offer, and signed within a notice period. Maine minimum wage is $14.15/hour (2024), adjusted annually. Maine has an Earned Paid Leave law (26 M.R.S. § 637, effective 2021) and a new Paid Family and Medical Leave program (26 M.R.S. § 850-A et seq., benefits begin 2026).

Exhibit B

When to call an employment attorney in Maine

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

Exhibit C

Employment cases we take in Maine

Which one is closest to yours?

Race and national-origin discrimination

MHRA and Title VII. Maine's growing immigrant population (Lewiston/Portland Somali community) generates significant claims.

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

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Maine employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

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

Maine employment attorneys work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — typically 33%–40% of recovery. MHRA, Maine Wage Payment Law (treble damages), Maine Whistleblower Protection Act, and federal employment statutes shift attorney fees to the employer when the worker prevails.

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 Maine employment compensation can include

A Maine 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 MHRA and federal law. 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

Maine employment questions, answered

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

Start free review

File with the Maine Human Rights Commission (MHRC) within 300 days under 5 M.R.S. § 4611. MHRC has a work-share agreement with the EEOC. After investigation or right-to-sue, you can file in Superior Court within 2 years.

Race, color, sex (including pregnancy and breastfeeding), sexual orientation (including transgender status), gender identity, religion, age (no minimum threshold), ancestry, national origin, physical or mental disability, genetic information, and protected hairstyles (CROWN Act). Maine has unusually broad coverage.

Limited. 26 M.R.S. § 599-A (2019 reform) bans non-competes for workers earning at or below 400% of the federal poverty level (~$60,000 individual in 2024). Above the threshold, employers must disclose the non-compete before extending the offer and give the worker at least 3 business days to review.

Effective January 2021, Maine's Earned Paid Leave law (26 M.R.S. § 637) requires employers with 10+ employees to provide 1 hour of paid leave per 40 worked, up to 40 hours per year, usable for any reason after a 120-day waiting period.

Maine's Paid Family and Medical Leave program (26 M.R.S. § 850-A) provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave for medical, family, safe, or qualifying military exigency reasons. Contributions began January 2025; benefits begin May 2026.

Maine's minimum wage is $14.15/hour as of January 1, 2024, with annual cost-of-living adjustments. Portland and Rockland have higher local minimum wages.

Not without legal review. MHRA covers more classes than federal law and provides compensatory and punitive damages plus attorney fees. ADEA releases (40+) require 21 days to consider and 7-day revocation.

Employment attorneys by city in Maine

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

Other case types in Maine

All Maine practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysMaine has a strict-liability dog-bite law — the owner pays for unprovoked bites without proof of prior viciousness.

Business Dispute attorneysMaine’s 2019 non-compete law restricts enforcement against low-wage workers and requires advance notice.

Car Accident attorneysMaine is a fault state with modified comparative fault — and a 6-year filing deadline gives plaintiffs much more breathing room than most states.

Consumer Protection attorneysMaine’s unfair trade practices law lets consumers recover actual damages plus attorney fees — and triple damages for willful violations.

Criminal Defense attorneysMaine’s sentencing structure and mandatory minimums for certain offenses make plea positioning critical from arraignment.

Defective Product attorneysMaine holds manufacturers strictly liable for defective products — and a 6-year outer time limit cuts off older claims.

Family Law attorneysMaine is an equitable-distribution state — and “irreconcilable marital differences” is the ground for no-fault divorce.

Immigration attorneysMaine cases are heard in the Boston Immigration Court (MA, serves Maine) — and growing immigrant populations in Portland and Lewiston drive case volume.

Lemon Law attorneysThe Maine Lemon Law covers new vehicles within 3 years/18,000 miles — one of the more plaintiff-friendly lemon laws in the country.

Medical Malpractice attorneysMaine requires pre-litigation screening panels before med-mal cases proceed to court.

Personal Injury attorneysA 6-year filing deadline is one of the country’s most generous — but Maine still bars recovery if you’re at least as much at fault as the defendant.

Slip and Fall attorneysMaine premises liability turns on notice and reasonableness — and Maine winter weather makes premises cases especially common.

Social Security Disability attorneysMaine SSA hearing office in Portland processes moderate volumes — First Circuit precedent shapes review.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysMaine workers’ comp runs through the state Workers’ Compensation Board — and benefits are 2/3 of average weekly wage up to a state cap.

Maine Employment Attorneys

How we match your Maine employment case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with an employment claim in Maine

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 Maine

Employment cases we take in Maine

Race and national-origin discrimination

Sex, pregnancy, gender identity, and LGBTQ+ discrimination

Age discrimination

Disability discrimination and accommodation

Religious discrimination and accommodation

Retaliation and whistleblower

Wage and hour (Maine + FLSA)

Independent-contractor misclassification

FMLA, Maine FMLA, Earned Paid Leave, and PFML

Wrongful termination (public-policy)

Hostile work environment

Non-compete defense

How much do Maine employment attorneys cost?

What your Maine employment compensation can include

Back Pay

Front Pay

Compensatory Damages

Punitive Damages

Liquidated Damages

Attorney Fees and Costs

Maine employment questions, answered

Employment attorneys by city in Maine

Other case types in Maine

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