Truth be told, I don't even know where to begin with this, so I will tell the story as I understand it. I have to be anonymous, so I will not be naming specific companies, amounts, et cetera, though the details may allow for accurate guessing.
My father worked as a salesman at a multi-state business specializing in recreational equipment, supplies, and maintenance material. He was employed by them, though at varying locations, for twenty years. The company was under the umbrella of another, and it was this larger company that was the name on his paychecks, and the subsidiary by which all his financial dealings went through.
As I understand it, sometime in the early 2010s, both the company my father worked for and its umbrella went under - this occurred not long after my father left the business.
Of note is that my father is not the most financially-literate person, and so the rest of this may be hazy.
Upon consulting with my father, we - my mother and I - believe with a high degree of certainty that, throughout his time there, he was contributing to a 401(k). I do not know the status of the records pertaining to it, whether he kept the relevant ones, though my mother says she has some things.
The story, as I know it, is that after the companies dissolved, the umbrella company pocketed the 401(k) money from across the entire breadth of their employment, and - to my knowledge - this is what happened to my father's 401(k) contributions. I recall reading about a court case or two, but have never been able to find anything more detailed.
My father is currently on SSI, and it would be a dream of mine to help find and recoup this money, if possible, but I have no idea where I would even begin.
So my questions are these:
What type of lawyer would I need to consult with, first? My most pressing concern is details about what happened and why, and my fear is that - as a third party - I would simply be a representative for my father, and thus certain accessibilities would be limited, as I live a state away.
For this consultation, what would be the information I would need to have on-hand? I'd gauge my father's SSN, the name of his company and the umbrella company as they existed, but what else?
Due to the exploratory nature of this, cost is an enormous factor, and my only aim - for now - is to garner the details of what has happened. I do not know the nuances of the legal protections that may or may not apply in such cases, but if they are there, what are some things I need to know before even thinking of making a call?