Settlement Agreement Legal Advice
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For a settlement agreement to be valid an employee must have independent legal advice.
Need a settlement agreement signing off by a settlement agreement solicitor? QLAW can help, and our same day service and video meets mean you will receive your pay off from your employer ASAP.
What is a Settlement Agreement?
A settlement agreement is a legally binding agreement between employee and employer giving a ‘clean break’ in the contractual employment relationship. It means that the employee can not sue the employer after leaving, and vice versa.
> Read our ‘What is a Settlement Agreement’ article for more information.
Why do I need a Settlement Agreement Solicitor?
A settlement agreement is a clean break between employee and employer. It is imperative therefore that when signing, you understand what you are ‘signing away’. And come what may, the law requires this to make sure that employees have that layer of protection.
How do I book a Settlement Agreement Solicitor?
It couldn’t be easier. Hit ‘instruct now’, we’ll get you booked in for your video meet, and boom – all done!
NB – this express service is intended for circumstances where you have everything agreed with your employer and there is no need for us to liaise with them to (eg) negotiate changes to the terms of your settlement agreement. Don’t worry, f you need more detailed/involved advice – we can still help! It will just a little longer.
How much does Settlement Agreement advice cost?
As the employee it is normally FREE of charge! As part of your severance payment, employers will typically agree to pay our fee for you. Once we have signed off the settlement agreement we will send our bill to your employer to pay directly.
> Read our ‘Settlement Agreement Solicitor fees’ article for more information.
Why am I being offered a Settlement Agreement?
Your employer might offer a settlement agreement for any number of reasons. At the heart of it is the fact that it creates a ‘clean break’ between employee and employer. The facts or issues that might give rise to the settlement agreement being offered can be any number of things, but might include:-
What is a good Settlement Agreement payment?
This will depend on lots of things, and our employment solicitors will advice you on this. Critically, the payment must be at least in line with the provisions of your contract of employment, and/or statutory requirements (ie what the law requires).
If the agreement is being offered from a redundancy situation then it must accord with either the redundancy policy in your terms of employment, or the statutory redundancy policy. You can normally find your employers redundancy policy in the office manual (sometimes called the staff handbook).
If the agreement is for other reasons (eg dismissal for poor performance) then again it needs to be in line with your contractual provisions, and or statute. And, your employer should have followed a proper procedure (as per ACAS) in any grievance or disciplinary processes that happened before the settlement agreement is offered.
Check out our statutory redundancy calculator >
What if I don’t sign a Settlement Agreement?
Employers will often include favourable terms of a severance payment within a settlement agreement that they may refuse to pay if you refuse to sign it.
But, you are not under a legal obligation to sign a settlement agreement that you are offered.
Book appointment with our Settlement Agreement Solicitors
So, look no further! Instruct us now – and you will have your severance payment with you before a local solicitor has even answered your telephone enquiry!
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