Raymond Benjamin Lampert

I contacted Lampert Law regarding an employment matter involving termination shortly after returning from approved FMLA leave, disability and accommodation-related communications, disputed client-care allegations, and an internal grievance. After I submitted an initial inquiry, Raymond Lampert per...sonally emailed me stating that he was interested in speaking with me about the matter and asked me to call his office to schedule a time to talk. I called as requested. At that point, I was informed that the next step would require a $150 consultation fee. Because I had contacted the firm after reviewing its employment-law information, I subsequently checked the website more closely. I found multiple pages relating specifically to employment matters that advertised a "free consultation" or "free initial consultation," including pages addressing employment law, wrongful termination, and employment discrimination. I emailed Mr. Lampert and explained that I was not in a financial position to pay $150 solely for an initial case-screening discussion or for the firm to determine whether it was interested in representing me. I had already provided an organized factual summary and a substantial set of supporting records, including favorable and potentially unfavorable material, so the matter could be evaluated from the underlying documents rather than simply from my recollection. Mr. Lampert replied that the $150 fee was intended to compensate him for reviewing the documents and evaluating the merits of the case to determine whether it was something he could take on. I then contacted the firm again specifically regarding the website's free-consultation language. Mr. Lampert responded that he does not offer free consultations on every case. He explained that he charges for consultations because people scheduled for free consultations sometimes fail to attend, which wastes his time and resources, and that he wants assurance that prospective clients are serious and will attend. He also stated that if he accepts a case, he generally handles it on a contingency-fee basis. I ultimately chose not to schedule the $150 consultation. I am not making any claim about Mr. Lampert's legal ability or the quality of representation he provides to clients who retain him, because I did not become a client and he did not represent me. My review is limited to my experience during the prospective-client intake process. The main reason I am posting this is so others can be aware that, despite the free-consultation language I found on multiple employment-related pages of the firm's website, a prospective employment client may still be asked to pay a consultation fee before the attorney reviews the records and decides whether to take the case. If you are contacting the firm because you saw the advertised free-consultation language, I would recommend confirming directly with the office whether your particular matter qualifies for a free consultation and whether any fee will be required before your case is evaluated.