How The Unemployment Advocate Works
Here's exactly what to expect, step by step — from your first conversation through your hearing.
How Our Attorney Guided Self-Representation Works
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Start by Chatting with Eliza
You start by chatting with Eliza, our AI assistant — anytime, with no waiting for office hours. She gathers some basic information about your situation, whether your benefits were denied or your employer is appealing benefits you were already awarded, to screen whether Attorney Guided Self-Representation is a good fit for your case. If it isn't, she'll let you know.
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Reviewing the terms and limited scope
If Eliza determines that Attorney Guided Self-Representation is a good fit, she'll walk you through the terms and the limited scope of the representation — exactly what the service does and doesn't cover — and confirm you're comfortable moving forward before anything else happens.
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Intake and fact gathering
Once you've agreed to move forward, Eliza walks you through a focused intake interview — gathering the relevant facts about your situation, your employment history, the reason your benefits were denied (or the basis of your employer's appeal), and the key documents and witnesses in your case. When that's complete, she forwards everything to an attorney for review.
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Attorney review
An attorney personally reviews your intake to confirm our firm can help with your matter and to flag any legal or factual issues worth discussing further. They'll also let you know if any additional documents or details are needed, so your packet is built on a complete picture of your case.
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A preview of your packet
Before you're asked to pay, an attorney shares a section of your Self-Representation Packet with you — a real piece of the finished work — so you can judge its quality for yourself and decide whether you want the complete packet. You never pay for the full packet sight unseen.
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Engagement and payment
If you decide to move forward, you'll choose your service level — the Self-Representation Packet (Tier 2) or the packet plus a 20-minute attorney prep call (Tier 3) — and receive a limited-scope engagement letter spelling out exactly what the service covers. After you review and sign it, you'll pay the flat fee through our secure payment provider, LawPay, so you know your full cost up front. Your full packet is released once this step is complete.
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Your full Self-Representation Packet
After signing the letter and submitting payment, an attorney delivers your personalized Self-Representation Packet in full — your key arguments organized, your documents and witnesses identified, and a clear sense of what to expect at your hearing. AI is used only as a drafting tool, under an attorney's direction and judgment; your packet is reviewed and finalized by a licensed employment attorney, never left to software alone.
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An attorney prep call (Tier 3)
If you chose Tier 3, an attorney schedules a 20-minute Zoom call to walk you through your packet, answer your questions, and help you feel ready for your hearing. With Tier 2, your finished packet is the final deliverable — there's no call.
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Your hearing
On the day of your hearing, you represent yourself — prepared, organized, and clear on your arguments, with your packet in hand. Because Attorney Guided Self-Representation is a limited-scope service, an attorney equips you to advocate for yourself rather than appearing at the hearing on your behalf.