Washington Employment Attorneys

At DearLegal, we connect you with experienced Washington employment attorneys who handle WLAD discrimination, wage, retaliation, and wrongful-termination claims for workers across Seattle, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, and Bellevue.

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

Free Washington employment case review

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

How we match your Washington employment case

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

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 Washington 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 Washington 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.
Before the deadline
Suit is filed if it has to be.
Deadlines are strict and vary by claim. Your attorney tracks every one of them.
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: WLAD
Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD), RCW 49.60. Protected: age 40+, sex (incl. pregnancy and parental status), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, military/veteran status, disability or use of service animal, HIV/Hep C status.
Deadline to File Charge: 300 days
3-year statute of limitations under RCW 49.60.030. Direct lawsuit in superior court allowed without administrative exhaustion. 300 days for EEOC.
At-Will Doctrine: At-will state
At-will state with strong public-policy exception (Thompson v. St. Regis Paper Co., 1984). Statutory protections for workers' comp retaliation (RCW 51.48.025), whistleblowing, jury duty, military service.
Non-Compete Enforceability: $116.6k
RCW 49.62 restricts non-competes. Banned for workers earning less than ~$116,594 (2024 threshold, adjusts annually). Independent contractors banned at separate threshold. Other strict requirements (notice, garden-leave for terminations without cause, geographic reasonableness).
Minimum Wage & Overtime: $16.28
Washington minimum wage $16.28/hour (2024) under RCW 49.46.020 — Seattle ($19.97 large employer), SeaTac, and Tukwila have higher local minimums. Overtime under RCW 49.46.130 — 1.5x after 40 hours. Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (RCW 49.58). Paid Sick Leave (RCW 49.46.210). PFML (RCW 50A.04).
Typical attorney fee: 33%
33%–40% contingency — no fee unless you win

The Washington Law Against Discrimination (WLAD, RCW 49.60) prohibits employment discrimination based on age (40+), sex (including pregnancy and parental status), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, honorably discharged veteran or military status, presence of a sensory, mental, or physical disability or use of a trained dog guide or service animal, and HIV/Hep C status at employers with 8+ employees (1+ for some claims). 3-year statute of limitations. WLAD allows direct lawsuit in superior court without administrative exhaustion. Washington Equal Pay and Opportunities Act (EPOA, RCW 49.58) adds robust pay-equity protections including pay-range disclosure requirements. Washington is at-will with a strong public-policy exception (Thompson v. St. Regis Paper Co.). Non-competes restricted under RCW 49.62 — banned for workers earning less than ~$116,594 (2024 threshold, adjusts annually) and many other restrictions. Washington minimum wage is $16.28/hour (2024), with Seattle higher. Washington has Paid Sick Leave (RCW 49.46.210), Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML, RCW 50A.04), and unique daily-overtime in some industries.

Exhibit B

When to call an employment attorney in Washington

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

Exhibit C

Employment cases we take in Washington

Which one is closest to yours?

Race and national-origin discrimination

WLAD and Title VII. Seattle tech (Amazon, Microsoft), aerospace (Boeing), and healthcare workforces generate ongoing claims.

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

Start my free review

Exhibit D

How much do Washington employment attorneys cost?

Sample settlement statement

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

Washington employment attorneys work on contingency or hybrid arrangements — typically 33%–40% of recovery. WLAD (uncapped state damages), Washington Wage Rebate Act (double damages + fees), EPOA, 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 Washington employment compensation can include

A Washington 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 WLAD 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

Washington employment questions, answered

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

Start free review

WLAD (RCW 49.60) is one of the broadest state anti-discrimination statutes. It applies to most Washington employers and provides a 3-year SOL with direct access to superior court — no administrative exhaustion required.

Age (40+), sex (including pregnancy and parental status), marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship/immigration status, military/veteran status, disability or use of a trained dog guide/service animal, and HIV/Hep C status. Washington is one of the broader states.

Restricted. RCW 49.62 (effective 2020) bans non-competes for workers earning less than the salary threshold (~$116,594 in 2024, adjusts annually for inflation). Independent contractors have a separate threshold. Even above threshold, agreements must satisfy strict notice, garden-leave, and reasonableness requirements.

Washington EPOA (RCW 49.58) prohibits pay discrimination based on gender, prohibits asking applicants for salary history (in most circumstances), requires pay-range disclosure on job postings for employers with 15+ employees, and protects employees discussing pay with coworkers.

Paid Family and Medical Leave (RCW 50A.04, effective 2020) provides up to 12 weeks of paid leave for an employee's own serious health condition or family bonding/caregiving, up to 18 weeks for serious health condition plus pregnancy complications. Funded by employer/employee payroll contributions.

WA minimum wage is $16.28/hour for 2024. Seattle has $19.97/hour (large employer) and $17.25/hour (small employer with health benefits). SeaTac and Tukwila have similar higher minimums.

Not without legal review. WLAD has uncapped damages, EPOA adds pay-equity claims, PFML accrued benefits aren't typically released, and 3-year SOL gives time to evaluate. ADEA releases (40+) require 21 days to consider and 7-day revocation.

Employment attorneys by city in Washington

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

Other case types in Washington

All Washington practice areas →

Animal Incident attorneysWashington holds dog owners strictly liable — the owner pays for an unprovoked bite even if the dog has never bitten anyone before.

Business Dispute attorneysWashington’s 2020 non-compete law sharply limits enforcement against workers earning under set income thresholds — a major shift from the old rules.

Car Accident attorneysWashington is a fault state with pure comparative negligence — and PIP coverage is offered (though not required) with most auto policies.

Consumer Protection attorneysWashington’s Consumer Protection Act lets consumers recover triple damages up to $25,000 plus attorney fees — one of the strongest consumer laws in the West.

Criminal Defense attorneysWashington’s sentencing guidelines and exceptional-sentence rules make sentencing strategy critical from arraignment forward.

Defective Product attorneysWashington’s Product Liability Act folds negligence and warranty claims into a single statewide framework.

Family Law attorneysWashington is a community-property state — and long-term committed relationships can get fair property division even without marriage.

Immigration attorneysWashington has immigration courts in Seattle and Tacoma — and proximity to the Canadian border creates unique entry and admissibility issues.

Lemon Law attorneysThe Washington Lemon Law covers new vehicles within 24 months/24,000 miles — and the Attorney General’s arbitration program is a real alternative to a lawsuit.

Medical Malpractice attorneysWashington’s Supreme Court struck down damages caps decades ago — leaving WA one of the more plaintiff-friendly med-mal states.

Personal Injury attorneysA three-year filing deadline and pure comparative fault make Washington one of the more plaintiff-friendly injury states in the West.

Slip and Fall attorneysWashington premises liability turns on notice and reasonableness — and courts apply a special self-service-store standard for commercial slip-and-falls.

Social Security Disability attorneysWashington disability hearing offices in Seattle and Spokane process moderate volumes — and federal courts in the Ninth Circuit are comparatively claimant-friendly on appeal.

Workers’ Compensation attorneysWashington is a state-run comp system — the Department of Labor & Industries is the sole insurer, with limited self-insured employer exceptions, and a separate board handles appeals.

Washington Employment Attorneys

How we match your Washington employment case

Case type

Size and complexity

Jurisdiction and licensing

Capacity and fit

What happens with an employment claim in Washington

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 Washington

Employment cases we take in Washington

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 (Washington + FLSA)

Independent-contractor misclassification

FMLA and PFML

Wrongful termination (public-policy)

Hostile work environment

Non-compete defense

How much do Washington employment attorneys cost?

What your Washington employment compensation can include

Back Pay

Front Pay

Compensatory Damages (No WA Cap)

Punitive Damages

Liquidated Damages

Attorney Fees and Costs

Washington employment questions, answered

Employment attorneys by city in Washington

Other case types in Washington

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