How to Prepare for and Act During a Hearing To Receive Unemployment Benefits

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If you have been denied unemployment benefits, here are some things you need to know in order to prepare for a hearing if you decide to appeal your case.

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Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

Records of your job search activities
Any information that was sent to you by the judge

Step1

You can either hire a lawyer or check with your unemployment office. They may have knowledge of a free legal service that may be willing to take your case.

Step2

If you use a lawyer or other legal service or if you are going to be representing yourself alone, you'll need to have complete records of your job search activities, all the documents you were sent by the administrative judge, and a prepared statement of the facts as you understand them.

Step3

Consider bringing a friend along if you are going by yourself for moral support. Your friend can also help you debrief how you did after the hearing.

Step4

Remember that you are in a court of law and you must be fully honest in your answers. Be prepared--different states will have different laws about whether you can receive unemployment benefits if you were fired or if you quit. Most people think you can't receive benefits unless you were laid off. This is untrue. Each state will have reasons that you can quit or get fired and still collect your benefits.

Step5

Keep your facts straight and stay cool and calm. Listen to all instructions that the judge gives you. Don't bring up extraneous work problems that have nothing to do with your case. Dress well. Be respectful.

If you do all of these things you are very likely to get your benefits.

Step6

Prepare a closing argument that is factual and highlights the important parts of your case. Good luck!

Tips & Warnings

Thoroughly read through the information on how to prepare your case.
Be sure to send all new information to both your judge and to your employer
You can also appeal the ruling if you are denied again.

Comments

missann1955 said

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on 1/7/2008 Thank you so much for this information I am currently going thru an appeal hearing to receive my unemployment benefits, I was denied benefits when the general mananger of a radiology facility said I was a poor performance employee and was rude,because I received one minor complaint from another referring doctors office at which time it was just a mere misunderstanding which has been rectified with an apology. How ever I received an outstanding evaluation from my immediate supervisor whom I worked with on a daily basis. The general manager who works in another office in a differnt city whom I never met or worked with. The firing was sudden and totally unexpected.

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