Case worth
How much is my employment case worth?
Resolved California employment claims run from four figures to seven, and five factors explain most of the spread. Read the factors, check the ranges, and use the calculator for your own profile.
The ranges here are illustrative, drawn from public settlement and verdict reporting. They are not a promise about your case.
†Past results do not guarantee outcomes. See our Privacy & Terms page for more.
The Five Factors That Set Case Value
Liability Strength
How clean is the story that the law was broken? Direct evidence beats inference, and an admission beats everything. A stated reason for a firing that shifts over time is liability fuel, because it tells a jury the real reason is being hidden.
Damages
Lost pay past and future, emotional distress, statutory penalties, and punitive exposure. A higher salary and a longer stretch of unemployment create bigger economic anchors, and egregious conduct opens the door to punitive damages.
Evidence Quality
Documents and witnesses convert a he-said case into a paper case. Emails, texts, reviews, comparator data, and a contemporaneous log move value more than any single fact. Work through the evidence checklist by claim type.
Employer Size and Resources
FEHA coverage thresholds, the employer’s ability to pay, its sensitivity to a public trial, and its insurance coverage all bear on the number. Larger, brand-sensitive employers price cases differently than small ones.
Venue
County jury pools and court congestion move numbers. The differences across California’s markets are real but factual. We assess venue as part of valuing your case, not as a promise.
What Damages Can I Recover?
| Damage type | When it applies |
|---|---|
| Back pay | Lost wages and benefits from the unlawful act to judgment |
| Front pay | Future lost earnings where reinstatement is not practical |
| Emotional distress | Uncapped under FEHA |
| Punitive damages | Malice, oppression, or fraud under Civil Code 3294 |
| Statutory penalties | Wage, waiting time, PAGA and similar claims |
| Attorney’s fees | FEHA and many wage statutes, through fee shifting |
Settlement taxation varies by damage type. Talk to a tax professional before relying on any net number.
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Always AvailableWhat Each Claim Type Turns On
| Claim type | Where the value comes from |
|---|---|
| Wrongful termination | Lost pay from the termination to today, future lost earnings where the gap is real, and emotional distress. How long these cases take. |
| Discrimination | Lost pay plus emotional distress, which FEHA does not cap. Punitive damages are available where malice, oppression or fraud is proven. |
| Sexual harassment | Emotional distress often carries more weight than lost pay here, and a single serious incident can be enough to bring the claim. |
| Retaliation | Lost pay and emotional distress, with a fixed civil penalty on top under some statutes. |
| Pregnancy discrimination | Lost pay across the leave period, whether reinstatement was offered, and how PDL and CFRA leave interact. |
Illustrative, drawn from public reporting. No outcome is promised.
Does Hiring a Lawyer Change the Number?
Published claim studies report that represented employees tend to recover more, and the reason is simple. Employers price cases by the counsel across the table.
We work on contingency, so there is no fee unless we win. See how our fees work.
What Lowers Case Value?
- Missed deadlines. The fastest way to lose a strong case. Check the deadline table.
- No complaint trail. Nothing in writing means nothing showing the employer knew.
- Documented performance problems that predate any protected activity. Timing cuts both ways.
- A signed release. See severance review.
- Arbitration clauses, which shift value and forum but do not make a claim vanish. See forced arbitration.
Questions About Case Value
How Long Until I See Money?
It depends on where the case resolves. See the timeline of an employment case.
Do I Pay Anything up Front?
No. Contingency, and no fee unless we win.
Can I Estimate This Myself?
Yes. The claim strength calculator applies these five factors to your answers in about two minutes.
Employment Law Resources
- Civil Code 3294, punitive damages: leginfo
- Government Code 12965, FEHA fees and uncapped remedies: leginfo
- California Rules of Professional Conduct, Rule 7.1: calbar.ca.gov
See How Strong Your Claim Looks
Eight questions about the factors on this page. It will not give you a dollar figure, because the honest answer is that no form can see what decides that. It will tell you where your claim is strong and where it needs work.
Question 1 of 8
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