If you have left a job on anything less than friendly terms--you were fired or asked to resign or you quit over a salary dispute--you will definitely want to consult an employment attorney. Your attorney will be able to tell you whether your rights were violated when you were laid off, or whether you have a case for unlawful termination even though technically you resigned. In order to get the most out of the initial consultation with the lawyer, it's a good idea to gather copies of the following documents into a folder to show your attorney. Be sure to make two copies-one for you to keep for yourself and one to leave at the law office.

• Your employment application.
• The company's employment manual or handbook.
• Your employment contract.
• Your job description.
• Pre-employment screening documents, such as drug test results, background check, and letters of reference.
• Your resume.
• Payroll records, including records of paid leave accrued and used.
• Records of any in-house grievance proceedings in which you were involved.
• Names and addresses of co-workers who had similar employment problems, who have information about your situation, or who would be willing to testify on your behalf.
• Your attendance records.
• A diary or log, if you kept one, or a written chronology of events, with dates of particularly important employment problems and meetings.
• Performance evaluations and results of drug tests, employment tests, training completed, or other records of your job performance.
• Memoranda or correspondence, including printouts of e-mail messages, that relate to your employment termination or grievance.
• Accident reports, if applicable.
• Medical records, if applicable.
• Your financial and credit information.
• Salary information from your current job and/or unemployment compensation records.
• Information about your post-termination job search, including companies to which you've sent applications and where you've had interviews.