Need recommendations for EDD appeals attorney after being denied for false statement penalty

I went through something similar last year and hired Westfall & Associates. They specialize in EDD appeals and really knew their stuff about false statement disqualifications. My case involved a misunderstanding about some freelance work I did while receiving benefits. The attorney cost $750 for the entire appeal process, and it was worth every penny because we won. The key was they helped me gather very specific documentation that proved I didn't intentionally misreport anything. Make sure you request your claim file from EDD ASAP - you'll need to see exactly what evidence they're using against you. Also, don't miss your appeal deadline - it's usually 30 days from the disqualification notice date.

WHY waste money on a lawyer??? EDD system is BROKEN but you can fight it yourself! I got hit with a 11-week penalty for supposedly not reporting a job interview (which is RIDICULOUS because I DID report it). I appealed myself and WON. The ALJ (Administrative Law Judge) at the hearing could tell the EDD was being unreasonable. Just make sure you have ALL your evidence organized and practice what you want to say. The whole lawyer thing is a SCAM in my opinion!!! The appeal process is designed for regular people to use without attorneys!!!

I'd recommend contacting your local Legal Aid office before hiring a private attorney. Many offer free assistance with EDD appeals if you qualify financially. They helped me win my appeal last year when I was disqualified for supposedly turning down suitable work (which I hadn't). On the false statement issue - the key is proving whether the mistake was intentional or not. If you can show it was an honest error or misunderstanding, you have a good chance of getting the penalty weeks removed. Be prepared to explain exactly why the discrepancy happened between your reporting and your employer's reporting. Keep all your pay stubs, work schedules, and any communications with your employer about your hours. Those will be crucial evidence at your hearing.

i no this isnt what u asked but have u tried using claimyr to get through to edd? before u drop $$ on a lawyer maybe try talking to edd directly. i used it last month when i had a similar issue and got through to a tier 2 specialist in like 20 mins after trying for days on my own. they have a video that shows how it works https://youtu.be/JmuwXR7HA10?si=TSwYbu_GOwYzt9km the rep i talked to explained that sometimes these false statement things can be resolved without a formal appeal if u can get someone on the phone who can review ur case. might be worth a shot before paying lawyer fees. the site is claimyr.com

I used Law Firm of Roquemore, Pringle and Moore for my appeal when I was hit with a false statement penalty for supposedly not reporting some vacation pay (that I definitely did report!). They charged a flat fee of $1,200, which seemed high but I was desperate. The results were mixed. We won the appeal and got the penalty weeks removed, but I still had to repay about half the overpayment amount. The attorney told me that's actually a good outcome since false statement cases are hard to win completely. One thing I learned: these appeals take FOREVER. Mine took almost 4 months from filing the appeal to having the hearing. Then another 3 weeks to get the decision. So prepare for a long wait.

my friend had sucess with california rural legal assistance. they took her case for free cuz she was low income. but they only help people in certain counties so depends where u live

Update: I tried that Claimyr service someone mentioned and actually got through to EDD today! The rep looked at my case and explained that my employer reported I worked 28 hours one week when I only reported 22 hours. I double-checked my records and realized I accidentally entered the wrong week's hours (I was working variable shifts at the time). The good news is since I can prove it was an honest mistake with my work schedules, she said I have a good chance of winning the appeal and getting the false statement penalty removed. I might still need to repay the overpayment for that week, but that's way better than the full $4,800 plus penalties! I'm going to try Legal Aid first as suggested, but if they can't take my case due to backlog, I'll reach out to one of the attorneys recommended here. Thanks everyone for your help!

Really glad to hear you got through to EDD and figured out what happened! Your situation is exactly why these "false statement" penalties are so frustrating - they often catch honest mistakes and treat them like intentional fraud. Since you've already identified the specific discrepancy and have documentation showing it was an error, you're in a much stronger position for your appeal. Just make sure to organize all your evidence clearly: your original certification records, work schedules for those weeks, and any communications with your employer about your hours. If Legal Aid has a long wait, you might also want to check if your county has a self-help center at the courthouse - some offer free assistance with administrative appeals. But honestly, with the evidence you have showing it was an honest mistake, you might be able to handle this yourself if needed. The key is being able to clearly explain the timeline and why the error occurred. Keep us posted on how it goes! Stories like yours help other people in similar situations.

Just wanted to add another resource that might help - the EDD Ombudsman office. They're supposed to help resolve disputes and can sometimes intervene when there are clear errors in how cases are handled. I used them last year when EDD was taking forever to process my appeal and they actually got someone to expedite my case. You can contact them through the EDD website or by calling 1-800-300-5616. They won't represent you at the hearing, but they can help clarify issues and sometimes resolve problems without needing a formal appeal if the mistake is obvious enough. Also, since you mentioned variable shifts - that's actually pretty common for these types of mix-ups to happen. When I worked retail with changing schedules, I had to keep a separate calendar just for tracking my EDD reporting to make sure I didn't confuse which week was which. Bringing that kind of documentation showing your normal process for tracking hours could really help demonstrate this was a genuine error. Good luck with your appeal! Sounds like you have a solid case since you can pinpoint exactly what went wrong.

I'm going through something similar right now and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I got hit with a false statement penalty for supposedly not reporting some gig work income, even though I'm pretty sure I did report it correctly. The whole situation is so stressful. @Sean O'Donnell - your update about using Claimyr to actually get through to EDD gives me hope! I've been trying to call for weeks with no luck. I'm definitely going to try that service tomorrow. For anyone else dealing with this, I also found out that you can request a "wage transcript" from EDD that shows exactly what income they have on file for you. Sometimes the discrepancies come from employers reporting things differently than what you expected. I requested mine last week and I'm waiting to see what it shows. The waiting and uncertainty is the worst part of all this. Thanks to everyone sharing their experiences and resources - it really helps to know we're not alone in dealing with EDD's confusing system!