Sexual harassment is, unfortunately, highly prevalent in all areas of life. Everything from a comment to a touch counts as harassment, and you’re entitled to defend yourself and your rights. Finding the right sexual harassment lawyer in Kansas City, MO can help you settle this matter in or out of the courtroom. However, first, you need to help your attorney build your case.
Ask a Sexual Harassment Lawyer in Kansas City, MO: 6 Crucial Steps to Build Your Case
1. Write About Your Issue
If you’ve experienced harassment in person, then you won’t always have proof of the incident. However, you should write down everything about the incident while it’s still fresh in your mind. Write down what was said or done, note the date and time, and location, and ensure you note the name of the person who did this to you. Add their relationship to you, details about them, and their contact details. Also, write about any witnesses, and add their contact information.
Human resources and courtrooms often make it difficult to win in these cases, so start off strong by gathering evidence before you dive into contacting an attorney about your case. That will give your attorney the best chance of success when defending you and helping build the case further.
2. Gather Your Communication Records
The next thing you should do after you’ve been harassed is gather records of the communications between you and the harasser, and save any other related communications or records. Save all messages from them, even if they’re not inappropriate. There may be something in these communications that can, under the right light, help your case. You should also gather evidence of communications where you’ve vented about your harasser to another party.
Human resources records are another piece of evidence you should gather. Workplace sexual harassment is particularly common, so ensure you get a copy of your report if you’ve ever reported your harasser within your company. Having evidence showing that you previously reported the issue will help strengthen your case.
3. Consult an Attorney
Consult Kansas City sexual harassment lawyers once you have the communication records your need. If you contact your lawyer with these records already on hand, then you’re on your way to building a solid case. If you haven’t gathered these records yet, then your lawyer will advise you to do so.
You should also tell your attorney about any previous incidents you have or haven’t reported. This includes incidents you don’t have evidence or witnesses for. It’s best to provide as much detail as possible. If your harasser has ever made you uncomfortable in any way, even if it didn’t seem like overt harassment at the time, then your lawyer will want to know about it. It could be used to strengthen your case.
4. Help Your Attorney Build Your Case
Your attorney can’t do all the work on their own. Answer their questions, and help them dive into your situation. If the harassment came from a friend, then describe your friendship history, and put the attorney in contact with mutual friends who can back you up. If you were in the workplace, then provide details of your company’s sexual harassment policy, and see if others have filed harassment complaints with human resources about your harasser. Also, you can hire sexual offence solicitors that help in your legal case.
If you were in a public space, then tell them exactly where you were so they can try to find witnesses and CTTV proof of the incident. Around 77% of women have been sexually harassed in public, so don’t let this go uninvestigated, even if it seems like it’ll be difficult to prove. Your lawyer wants to do everything they can to make this case in your favor.
5. Gather Witnesses
Witnesses are vital in cases where there’s no written or digital evidence of the incident. Provide your attorney with the names of any witnesses, and give them their contact details. You should also note their relationship to you and the harasser. Telling your lawyer about how likely the witnesses will be to cooperate and testify would also be a good idea. That lets your lawyer focus first on those more likely to help.
6. Discuss Damages
What are you hoping to get out of your case? Are you looking for a financial settlement? If so, discuss what similar cases settled for, so you can have evidence that you’re entitled to the number you’re asking for. If you’re looking for the harasser to be fired, barred from an establishment, or something else, then ensure your attorney knows this, too.
Your attorney wants to help you build the best case possible to get you some justice after an incident of sexual harassment. Gathering evidence of communications and past incidents is the best way to do this. Witness testimonies also help your case immensely, so make sure you cover all bases with your attorney when you’re making your case. You deserve justice and fair treatment.