Need attorney recommendations for ESD overpayment appeal - $14,500 at stake!

I highly recommend Sarah Jensen at Worker Rights Legal Clinic. She helped me win my appeal for a similar situation (constructive dismissal that ESD initially ruled as a voluntary quit). Her office offers free 30-minute consultations, and they have payment plans if you decide to hire them. Her knowledge of ESD regulations around constructive dismissal and voluntary quits is excellent. Make sure you gather ALL documentation that shows your hours were reduced. Pay stubs, emails, text messages with supervisors, everything. Also write down a detailed timeline of events leading to your departure. The more evidence you have that you were essentially forced out, the stronger your case will be.

i fought my overpayment without a lawyer and won last year. just make sure u have ALL ur paperwork showing the hour cuts. the judge at my hearing was actually pretty fair. not saying u dont need a lawyer but maybe try the appeal urself first? save some $$

Before you spend money on an attorney, try contacting the Unemployment Law Project. They provide free or low-cost legal help for people fighting ESD decisions. Their website is unemploymentlawproject.org and they have offices in Seattle and Spokane. They helped my brother-in-law with his appeal and didn't charge him anything since his income was below their threshold. Also, make sure you keep filing your weekly claims during the appeal process if you're still eligible! A lot of people don't know this, but you need to keep claiming even while appealing.

I was in your EXACT situation last year!! $16k overpayment for "voluntary quit" even though my boss basically made my life hell until I had no choice but to leave. The whole system is RIGGED against workers!!! I tried fighting it myself and lost because I didn't know all the legal technicalities they throw at you. I ended up hiring Pacific Employment Law (they're in Bellevue). Not cheap - $2500 retainer - but they got the overpayment reduced to only $4k because they proved some of the weeks should have been covered. Still had to pay back something but WAY better than the full amount. This whole ESD system is broken. They pay benefits when you're desperate then come back months later demanding it all back when you've already spent it. How is that fair???

If you're dealing with an overpayment situation, specifically one involving dispute over "voluntary quit" vs constructive dismissal, you need to understand a few critical things: 1. The burden of proof is on YOU to demonstrate you had "good cause" to leave your job, even if hours were reduced. 2. For hour reduction cases, ESD typically looks for at least a 25% reduction in hours/pay to consider it good cause for leaving. 3. You must show you made reasonable efforts to resolve the issue with your employer before quitting. 4. Documentation is absolutely critical - emails, texts, written warnings, schedule changes, pay stubs showing the reduction. Regarding attorneys, the Unemployment Law Project mentioned above is your best first step. If they can't take your case, Legal Aid at Work or your county's bar association can provide referrals to employment attorneys who handle ESD cases specifically. Be aware that the appeal deadline is 30 days from the date on your determination letter, not from when you received it. Don't miss this deadline while searching for an attorney.

has anyone tried calling esd directly to negotiate these overpayments? i've been trying for 2 weeks but can't get through to anyone who can actually help. just automated systems and promises of callbacks that never happen :

my cousin works at esd (not in appeals tho) and she says most people lose their appeals if they go alone. the judges are super technical about the rules. def get help if you can afford it!!

One more thing I forgot to mention - be very careful about what you say during your hearing. The judge will ask very specific questions about why you left your job, and your answers need to align with the legal definition of "good cause" for leaving. Don't just say "I couldn't pay my bills with reduced hours" - instead, focus on how the reduction made the job unsuitable compared to your original employment agreement. Also, if your employer reduced your hours to force you to quit (rather than laying you off properly), make sure to emphasize that point. This is called "constructive dismissal" and it's a legitimate defense against a voluntary quit determination. And finally, respond to EVERY piece of mail you get from ESD or OAH (Office of Administrative Hearings). They often request additional information or documentation with very tight deadlines.

Just wanted to add - check if your former employer has contested your original unemployment claim. You can see this in your eServices account under the "Decisions" tab. If they never contested it initially but are suddenly claiming you quit voluntarily, that strengthens your case significantly. Print those records for your hearing. Also, remember that you can request a copy of your entire ESD file through a public records request. This lets you see exactly what your employer told ESD about your separation. Sometimes employers tell ESD something completely different from what they told you. Having this information before your hearing can be extremely valuable.