Should we pay a consultation fee?

It is not reasonable for a good employment attorney to consult with you for free; just plain bad business practice. Employment cases are extremely complex and very fact specific; details are the key. Additionally, employment cases are not like personal injury cases, or criminal law, or family law cases where only a few basic facts are important. Speaking directly to an invididual is almost always a necessity at some point in the process. A good employment attorney is hard to find and they are selective about cases until they have all the details. The bottom line is that the good ones will charge a consultation fee. Usually, it will be money well spent even if you have no case.   If you see a personal injury attorney who offers a "free" consultation, do you then expect the doctor who treats you for the injury to give you the first treatment free?  Of course not.  Different types of practice. Same way among the different attorney pratice areas.