UNEMPLOYMENT HEARINGS - PREPARATION FOR HEARINGS

Here are more comments on some of the statements made on the Appeals Board FAQ website on hearings. The next FAQ is as follows:

"Can I ask for the hearing to be on a certain day or time?

When you ask for the hearing, explain if you cannot attend during certain hours or on certain days and the reason for that. We will try to satisfy your request."

Remember that the Employer may also be requesting the same - thus, the Appeals Board will be finding a mutually convenient day and time and this involves a delay in a hearing date. I usually suggest to Claimants who request a hearing, or to Claimants who receive a notice that the Employer has requested a hearing, to find an attorney at that time so that the attorney can not only adequately prepare, but can, through the Appeals Board, find a mutually convenient day or time for the hearing. There have been times when Claimants contact me the night before a hearing and ask if I can represent them - in most of those situations, if I am not available or unable to prepare in time but the Claimant still wants me to represent them, the best I can do is have them attend the hearing on their own and request an adjournment at the hearing. This also involves a delay in the hearing date.