Virginia Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Virginia employment attorneys who handle VHRA discrimination, wage, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims for workers across Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Richmond, Newport News, and Arlington.

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

Free Virginia employment case review

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

How we match your Virginia employment case

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

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 Virginia 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 Virginia 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.
Virginia 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: VHRA
Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA), Va. Code § 2.2-3900 et seq. (greatly expanded by Virginia Values Act 2020). Protected: race, color, religion, sex (incl. pregnancy and lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, military status.
Deadline to File Charge: 300 days
300 days to file with the Virginia Office of Civil Rights (OCR) under Va. Code § 2.2-3907. Work-share with EEOC.
At-Will Doctrine: At-will state
At-will state with public-policy exception (Bowman v. State Bank of Keysville, 1985). Statutory protections for workers' comp retaliation (Va. Code § 65.2-308), whistleblowing (Va. Whistleblower Protection Law, § 40.1-27.3), jury duty, military service.
Non-Compete Enforceability: Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:8
Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:8 (2020) prohibits non-competes for "low-wage employees" earning less than the state average weekly wage (~$76,000 annually in 2024). Above threshold: common-law reasonableness test.
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $12.00
Virginia minimum wage $12.00/hour (2024), rising to $15.00 in 2026. Overtime under federal FLSA and Virginia Overtime Wage Act (Va. Code § 40.1-29.2). Virginia Paid Sick Leave for home healthcare workers (§ 40.1-33.6).
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

The Virginia Human Rights Act (VHRA, Va. Code § 2.2-3900 et seq.), substantially expanded by the Virginia Values Act of 2020, prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age (no minimum threshold), national origin, status as a veteran, disability, and military status at employers with 5+ employees (15+ for some). Charges are filed with the Virginia Office of Civil Rights (OCR) within 300 days. Virginia is at-will with a public-policy exception (Bowman v. State Bank of Keysville). Non-competes restricted under Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:8 (2020) — banned for 'low-wage employees' earning less than the state average weekly wage threshold. Virginia minimum wage is $12.00/hour (2024), rising to $15.00 in 2026. Virginia Paid Sick Leave (Va. Code § 40.1-33.6) requires paid sick leave for home healthcare workers. No state PFML.

Exhibit B

When to call an employment attorney in Virginia

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

Exhibit C

Employment cases we take in Virginia

Which one is closest to yours?

Race and national-origin discrimination

VHRA and Title VII. Federal-contractor, healthcare, and corporate workforces generate ongoing claims.

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

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Virginia employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

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

Virginia employment attorneys work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — typically 33%–40% of recovery. VHRA (post-2020 expansion), VA Wage Payment and Collection Act (treble damages), Virginia Whistleblower Protection Law, 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 Virginia employment compensation can include

A Virginia 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 VHRA 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

Virginia employment questions, answered

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

Start free review

File with the Virginia Office of Civil Rights (OCR) within 300 days under Va. Code § 2.2-3907. OCR has a work-share with the EEOC. After right-to-sue, you can file in circuit court.

Post-Virginia Values Act (2020), VHRA covers race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, related medical conditions, and lactation), sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, age (no minimum), national origin, status as a veteran, disability, and military status.

Restricted. Va. Code § 40.1-28.7:8 (2020) prohibits non-competes for "low-wage employees" earning less than the state average weekly wage (~$76,000 annually in 2024). Above the threshold, common-law reasonableness test applies. Healthcare and tech-industry non-competes especially scrutinized.

VA minimum wage is $12.00/hour as of January 2023, rising to $15.00 in 2026 under SB 7.

No. Va. Code § 65.2-308 prohibits retaliation for workers' comp claims.

Limited. Va. Code § 40.1-33.6 requires paid sick leave for home healthcare workers. No general state paid sick leave statute.

Not without legal review. The Virginia Values Act of 2020 greatly expanded VHRA, making claims more valuable.

Employment attorneys by city in Virginia

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

Other case types in Virginia

All Virginia practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysVirginia follows the "one-bite" rule — and contributory negligence can bar recovery if you’re found to have provoked the animal at all.

Business Dispute attorneysVirginia enforces reasonable non-competes — though state law restricts enforcement against low-wage workers, and everyone else gets a reasonableness test.

Car Accident attorneysVA’s pure contributory negligence rule can bar your claim if you’re even 1% at fault — arguing the other side had the "last clear chance" to avoid the accident is one of the few workarounds.

Consumer Protection attorneysThe VA Consumer Protection Act covers a list of prohibited practices and allows triple damages plus attorney fees for willful violations.

Criminal Defense attorneysVirginia’s 2020–2021 reforms ended mandatory minimums for many drug offenses, restored parole for some inmates, and adjusted marijuana law — counsel knows what changed.

Defective Product attorneysVirginia doesn’t recognize strict products liability — claims proceed under negligence, breach of warranty, or misrepresentation theories.

Family Law attorneysVirginia is an equitable-distribution state — and a 6-month or 1-year separation period (depending on whether you have children) gates no-fault divorce.

Immigration attorneysVirginia has immigration courts in Arlington and Sterling — Arlington handles one of the highest case volumes in the country.

Lemon Law attorneysVirginia’s lemon law covers new vehicles within 18 months — and the manufacturer pays your attorney fees if you win.

Medical Malpractice attorneysVirginia caps med-mal damages on a sliding scale — the cap rises every year and is one of the few total-damages caps in the country.

Personal Injury attorneysA two-year filing deadline plus pure contributory negligence bars many VA injury claims that would survive in the comparative-fault states next door.

Slip and Fall attorneysVA premises liability is plaintiff-unfriendly — contributory negligence and "open and obvious" defenses bar a wide range of claims.

Social Security Disability attorneysVA disability hearing offices in Roanoke, Norfolk, and Falls Church process moderate volumes — Fourth Circuit federal precedent shapes review.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysVA workers’ comp runs through the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission — and the state is one of the more employer-favorable comp systems.

Virginia Employment Attorneys

How we match your Virginia employment case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with an employment claim in Virginia

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 Virginia

Employment cases we take in Virginia

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 (Virginia + FLSA)

Independent-contractor misclassification

FMLA leave issues

Wrongful termination (public-policy)

Hostile work environment

Non-compete defense

How much do Virginia employment attorneys cost?

What your Virginia employment compensation can include

Back Pay

Front Pay

Compensatory Damages

Punitive Damages

Liquidated Damages

Attorney Fees and Costs

Virginia employment questions, answered

Employment attorneys by city in Virginia

Other case types in Virginia

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