Attorney-backed help with Minnesota unemployment appeals — flat fees you know up front.
The Unemployment Advocate was founded by Tyler W. Brennan, an employment and civil rights attorney with over a decade of experience. He has represented hundreds of workers at every stage, from first advice through trial, and has seen firsthand how overwhelming the unemployment benefits process can be.
Over the years, around 1,000 people reached out to his firm after losing their jobs, and Tyler saw a hard truth: most of them couldn't get help. There simply aren't enough attorneys in this area, and traditional legal fees put real representation out of reach. He built The Unemployment Advocate so that getting genuine legal help no longer means choosing between paying excessive fees and going without an advocate.
Losing your job is hard enough without navigating the benefits system by yourself. That's why a licensed employment attorney is behind everything here — so that the help you get is real, and a true advocate is always in your corner.
About The Unemployment AdvocateEliza is available any time, day or night — so you never have to wait for office hours or schedule a call just to get started.
Share a bit about your situation, and Eliza will help you figure out whether The Unemployment Advocate is the right fit. She'll explain the options, answer your questions about how the service works, and gather the key details along the way — so if you decide to move forward, you and an attorney can get to work right away.
Legal fees have skyrocketed. Between the intake call, reviewing your documents, talking to witnesses, and appearing at your hearing, fighting for your unemployment benefits the traditional way can add up to thousands of dollars. Further, the reality is that not everybody needs that level of representation.
The Unemployment Advocate takes that worry off the table. With transparent, flat-fee pricing, you'll know your full cost up front — so you can focus on your case, not your bill.
Different levels of help to choose from
One flat fee, no surprise invoices
Backed by a real, experienced attorney
A fraction of traditional legal costs
Not everyone needs the same help — so we offer different services to fit your situation.
Learn how to apply
A free two-page information packet, delivered by email, covering eligibility requirements, key case law, and clear examples of when someone does and doesn't qualify for benefits.
Prepare to represent yourself
An AI-guided intake, attorney review of your information, and a Self-Representation Packet you can use to prepare for your appeal hearing on your own.
Prepare with an attorney's help
Everything in the Self-Representation Packet, plus a 20-minute Zoom consultation with an attorney to review your packet, answer your questions, and help you get ready for your hearing.
Have an attorney represent you
An attorney handles your appeal from start to finish — building your hearing strategy, preparing you in a one-hour Zoom call, and appearing with you at your remote appeal hearing.
You start by chatting with Eliza, who gathers some basic information about your situation to screen whether The Unemployment Advocate is a good fit for your case. If it isn't, she'll let you know. If it is, she'll walk you through the terms of our limited-scope service and answer your questions about how the process works.
Once the service is a fit and you decide to move forward, Eliza walks you through a focused intake interview — gathering the relevant facts about your situation, your employment history, and the reasons your benefits were denied. When that's complete, she forwards everything to an attorney for 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. Next, an attorney will prepare any necessary follow-up questions, including requests for documents, and send those to you via e-mail.
Before you're asked to pay anything, an attorney shares a real section of your Self-Representation Packet with you — a piece of the finished work — so you can judge the quality for yourself and decide whether you want the complete packet. You never pay sight unseen.
If you decide to move forward, you'll choose your service level and receive a limited-scope engagement letter spelling out exactly what the service does and doesn't cover. 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 complete, personalized Self-Representation Packet is then delivered, prepared using AI as a drafting tool under an attorney's direction and judgment. If you chose the prep-call option, an attorney will also schedule your 20-minute call to walk through the packet and help you get ready for your hearing.
The traditional unemployment benefits system leaves too many workers navigating complex rules on their own — or paying for full-service representation they cannot afford.
The Unemployment Advocate is a response to those problems: a service designed to be simpler and more affordable, without sacrificing access to real legal expertise.
| Factor | The Unemployment Advocate | DIY | Traditional Lawyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost | $295/$435 flat fee — known up front, with no hourly billing. | Free, but you're entirely on your own. | Potentially $2,000+, with no guarantee of success. |
| Timeline | You hear from us within 48 hours, and your packet moves forward promptly once an attorney has your documents. | Entirely on you — you prepare everything yourself, without a legal background. | Often slower — finding a firm that takes these cases and scheduling consultations takes time. |
| What You Walk Away With | A personalized, attorney-prepared hearing packet you keep and use — your key arguments, a practice script, and document and witness guidance. | Nothing but your own notes and research. | The attorney handles your case; a paid consultation typically leaves you with advice but no materials to use yourself. |
| Who Presents Your Case | You do — but prepared, with a plan crafted by an attorney with years of experience. | You do, on your own, with no preparation or guidance. | Depends — with full representation (expensive) an attorney presents your case; with just a consultation, you present it yourself. |
| Your Level of Preparation | High — an attorney reviews your information and prepares your Self-Representation Packet. | Low — only what you can research and organize yourself. | It depends — a consultation means low preparation; full representation is thorough, but expensive. |
| Best Fit For | Anyone who wants real legal help but doesn't want — or can't commit to — the high cost of a traditional attorney. | People comfortable handling the entire process alone, with no professional input. | Higher-stakes or complex cases where someone wants an attorney to handle everything and can afford full representation. |
Going into an unemployment hearing prepared — with your key arguments organized, your documents in order, and a sense of what to expect — tends to make a real difference compared to walking in cold. These hearings move fast and follow rules most people have never dealt with, and it's easy to leave out something that matters. That's the whole point of our services: an experienced attorney helps you build and present the strongest version of your case. We can't promise any particular result — every case turns on its own facts — but we can make sure you walk in as prepared as possible.
Chatting with Eliza is free, and she can give you general guidance on getting started and point you to the right next step. Our hands-on services — where an attorney prepares your case — are paid, but each is a flat fee you'll know up front, never an hourly bill. If you just need to file an initial application and aren't ready to pay for help, your state's unemployment agency also offers free resources, and we're glad to point you there.
Every service is a flat fee set in advance, so you know exactly what you'll pay before you commit — no hourly billing, no surprise invoices. When you pick a service (or talk it through with Eliza), you'll see its full price up front. Once you decide to move forward, you'll get a secure payment request through our payment provider, LawPay. The fee covers the work described for that service; nothing extra gets tacked on later.
Unemployment appeal deadlines are short and strictly enforced. In Minnesota, an appeal generally must be filed within 45 calendar days after the date on the determination notice — the exact date is printed on your notice, and missing the deadline can end your case before it starts. (That's general information, not advice about your specific deadline.) If you've been denied, don't wait. Start by chatting with Eliza or selecting a service so an attorney has as much time as possible to prepare.
Tyler W. Brennan is licensed to practice in Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Unemployment Advocate service is only available for Minnesota employees at this time. Because unemployment benefits run through each state's own agency, the rules and your hearing process depend on where you filed. Not sure if we're a fit? Chat with Eliza and she'll help you figure out whether we may be able to help.
Eliza helps you get started — she answers general questions and points you to the right service — but she's not a lawyer and doesn't give legal advice. The actual legal work is handled by a licensed attorney, Tyler W. Brennan. Eliza just makes it faster and easier to begin.