What if I was fired from my job, but my employer did not give me a reason why and I am a member of a protected class? Can I automatically sue based on my status as a member of a protected class?

Because New Jersey is an at-will employment state, you cannot automatically sue simply because your employer fired you without providing a specific reason and this is the case even if you are a member of a protected class. This is because the employer is entitled to fire you for any legal reason. However, if you feel that something seemed wrong about the circumstances surrounding your termination, our lawyers can help investigate the situation to determine whether you were a victim of wrongful termination based on your membership in a protected class. We can obtain additional information about the circumstances surrounding your firing through our own investigation and also via the formal discovery process.

Why is it important to retain an experienced employment lawyer to establish my right to compensation for wrongful termination?

Wrongful termination cases are extremely fact-specific because your employer is technically entitled to fire you for no reason at all under New Jersey’s at-will employment rule. Therefore, establishing a successful claim for wrongful termination requires a detailed examination and analysis of the facts of your case. Our experienced wrongful termination lawyers understand how the legal process governing wrongful termination works, and are skilled at formulating a compelling strategy for recovering the maximum amount of compensation possible based upon the facts that we uncover in your case.

Hartman, Chartered/

Employment Law/

Wrongful Termination

New Jersey Wrongful Termination Lawyers

Wrongful Discharge Attorneys in Moorestown, NJ: Discharging the Unjust with a Well-Aimed Legal Strategy in Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, and Throughout South Jersey

New Jersey is an at-will employment state, which generally means that employers have the discretion to fire an employee for any reason whatsoever—as long as that reason is legal. This means that, while terminating employment may be considered unfair or unjust, that unfairness does not in and of itself give rise to a cause of action for wrongful termination. Despite this, New Jersey employers do not have the right to fire you for an illegal reason and you may have the right to recover compensation and get your job back if this type of wrongful termination occurred.

Establishing that your termination was illegal can be a complex process that requires both gathering and evaluating every available piece of evidence related to your work performance and the circumstances of your termination. At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, we are committed to protecting employees from wrongful termination in Burlington County and elsewhere in New Jersey. We have both the knowledge and the resources necessary to successfully pursue your right to fair compensation if your employer violated your legal rights in the process of terminating your employment. To discuss whether you may have an actionable claim for wrongful termination, call or contact one of our knowledgeable employment lawyers today.

Situations Giving Rise to Claims for Wrongful Termination in New Jersey

Although a New Jersey employer has the right to terminate an employment relationship for almost any reason—or no reason—certain firings are illegal and can give rise to a right for the victim to recover compensatory damages. Examples of situations that can successfully support a claim for wrongful termination include:

Termination based on membership in a protected class, such as age, race, sex, religion, or because of disability, pregnancy, sexual orientation or another specifically enumerated status.
Termination based on retaliation taken by an employer after an employee reports or objects to the employer’s wrongful or illegal conduct (i.e., termination based on “whistleblower” status).
Termination because you refused to perform job duties that you reasonably believed to be illegal or against public policy.
Termination because you complained about sexual harassment or refused to perform sexual favors in exchange for employment benefits.
Termination based upon an employee’s claim for workers’ compensation benefits under New Jersey’s Workers’ Compensation Act.
Termination based on an employee’s taking a leave of absence under the New Jersey Family Leave Act or the federal Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
Termination that did not comply with written termination policies put into place or agreed upon by the employer, either in a generally applicable employment handbook or in an employment contract.

Results-Driven Wrongful Termination Lawyers Passionate About Protecting Employees’ Rights in Cherry Hill, NJ

At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, we are dedicated to getting to the bottom of what happened in each of our clients’ wrongful termination cases. The stakes are always high when your livelihood and future career prospects are on the line. We provide every client with personalized attention so that we can successfully fight to win a compensation award in every wrongful termination case that fully reflects the extent of the harm that losing your job caused, including compensation for:

All lost wages, including back pay and front pay,
Lost employment benefits,
Emotional distress,
Attorneys’ fees, court costs, and other legal expenses,
Punitive damages designed to punish your employer and deter future wrongful behavior.

In addition to the actual financial damages that may be available based on your successful wrongful termination claim, we may be able to pursue a claim for injunctive relief—meaning that your employer would be required to reinstate you at the same level that you should rightfully have occupied absent the wrongful termination.

Schedule a Free Initial Consultation to Discuss Options with Our Skilled Woodbury Wrongful Termination Lawyers

Most victims of wrongful termination have a sense that they were fired for an illegal reason, but they are uncertain as to how to proceed to protect their rights and hold their former employers accountable. At Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, our skilled wrongful termination lawyers have the knowledge and resources that it takes to succeed in establishing a claim for wrongful termination in Woodbury and elsewhere in New Jersey. If you believe your rights have been violated, call or contact our office today to schedule a free initial consultation to discuss your case.

Frequently Asked Questions About Marlton Wrongful Termination Cases

Because New Jersey is an at-will employment state, you cannot automatically sue simply because your employer fired you without providing a specific reason and this is the case even if you are a member of a protected class. This is because the employer is entitled to fire you for any legal reason. However, if you feel that something seemed wrong about the circumstances surrounding your termination, our lawyers can help investigate the situation to determine whether you were a victim of wrongful termination based on your membership in a protected class. We can obtain additional information about the circumstances surrounding your firing through our own investigation and also via the formal discovery process.
Wrongful termination cases are extremely fact-specific because your employer is technically entitled to fire you for no reason at all under New Jersey’s at-will employment rule. Therefore, establishing a successful claim for wrongful termination requires a detailed examination and analysis of the facts of your case. Our experienced wrongful termination lawyers understand how the legal process governing wrongful termination works, and are skilled at formulating a compelling strategy for recovering the maximum amount of compensation possible based upon the facts that we uncover in your case.

Meet Your Team

Katherine D. Hartman, Esquire

Katherine D. Hartman is the Managing Partner in the Moorestown, New Jersey law office of Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, which has been named one of America’s Best Law Firms by U.S. News and World Report. She concentrates her practice in employment discrimination, criminal defense, police disciplinary matters, and other employment law issues. Katie has been practicing law for over thirty years. She was admitted to the New Jersey and Pennsylvania Bars in 1991, the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in November of 1993, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in November of 2002, and the Supreme Court of the United States in October of 2002.

Katie has been awarded the highest (AV) rating for professional ability and high ethical standards, by Martindale Hubbell. Additionally, Katie has consistently been voted a Super Lawyer by New Jersey Magazine. Super Lawyers is a rating service of outstanding lawyers who have attained a high degree of peer recognition and professional achievement. The selection process is multi-phased and includes independent research, peer nominations, and peer evaluations. She was named one of the Top Forty Lawyers under Forty by the New Jersey Law Journal in 2002.

Michael C. Mormando, Esquire

Michael C. Mormando has been practicing law for over twenty years, and is a Partner at Attorneys Hartman, Chartered. Mike is an active member in the Burlington County Bar Association, he is a former Chair of the Bar Associations’ Criminal Practice Committee, and he formerly served as a member of the Supreme Court of New Jersey District Ethics Committee for Burlington County, District III-B. Mike also served two years as Councilman for Ward 3 in Delran Township, having been elected to the post in the November 2018 general election, and he currently serves as the Chair of the Delran Township Zoning Board.

Mike’s areas of practice include criminal defense, DUI defense, traffic violation defense, employment law, discrimination and whistleblower cases, unemployment compensation appeals, labor representation for collective bargaining units, employment contract review and negotiations, and defense in police disciplinary matters. Mike is approved by the Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) as a lawyer who can represent law enforcement officers who face disciplinary or criminal charges. Mike also represents small business owners concerning employment issues.

Mark A. Gulbranson, Esquire

Mark A. Gulbranson, Jr., an attorney with Attorneys Hartman, Chartered, has been practicing law for nine years. Prior to joining Attorneys Hartman, Mark was a corporate associate in the gaming practice group of Fox Rothschild, where he represented clients in a range of corporate, regulatory, and real estate matters. Mark served as a judicial clerk for Justice Lee Solomon of the New Jersey Supreme Court, and for Judge George Leone, J.A.D., of the New Jersey Appellate Division.

Mark’s areas of practice include real estate transactions and related litigation, small business counseling and regulatory compliance, domestic violence matters, appellate advocacy, municipal court defense, employment law, discrimination and whistleblower cases, unemployment compensation appeals, employment contract review and negotiations, and defense in police disciplinary matters. Mark handles cases in the New Jersey Superior Court – Law and Appellate Divisions, the New Jersey Supreme Court, the United States District Courts for the Districts of New Jersey and the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals, the Office of Administrative Law, the New Jersey Department of Labor, the New Jersey Division of Civil Rights, the United States Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, and various municipal courts throughout New Jersey.