At the end of 2010, we were cautioned to remember the difference between information and advice.  This week, we are reminded of the high price that workers pay when they make decisions based upon often misleading sources that encourage self-representation.
Daniel Lublin illustrates this point in his article, “Self representation could get very costly”.  The article tells the story of a woman whose decision to self-represent came from a government brochure that indicated lawyers were not mandatory for small claims cases.
Unfortunately, employment law does not play out like Judge Judy.   After going through the preliminary hearing, her employer was unwilling to settle, and the judge ordered her to retain a lawyer – two things she was told were likely to occur during her consultation.
Although she had hoped to save money on a lawyer, she ended up paying for her employer’s as well.  Generally speaking, you get what you pay for; evidently, this does not exclude legal representation.