Settlement Agreements
A Settlement Agreement is a written document between an employer and an employee, where:
- The employer pays you, the employee, a sum of money in exchange for terminating your employment
- You also agree to not bring any future claims against the employer in an Employment Tribunal or court, regarding your employment or your termination.
You cannot legally sign a Settlement Agreement on your own. You must get advice from an independent solicitor before you (and the solicitor) sign the Settlement Agreement and return it to your employer, otherwise, the agreement is not legally binding.
Your employer is likely to make a contribution, or pay in full, your legal costs in getting this independent legal advice. In many cases, we can send the bill directly to your employer to pay, saving you any out-of-pocket costs. If legal costs are incurred over and above the contribution paid by your employer, we will have to invoice you for the remaining balance.
If you are happy with the financial offer in the Settlement Agreement, this is a quick process of simply going through the Settlement Agreement with you and signing it off.
If you are not happy with the financial offer in the Settlement Agreement, we will advise you on your options and whether you should go back to your employer with a counter offer.
In all Settlement Agreement cases, we will:
- Discuss the background to understand why there is a Settlement Agreement being offered
- Advise you on the wording of the Settlement Agreement – clause by clause, so you understand fully what you are signing
- Advise if you may have a potential Employment Tribunal claim that you would be signing away
- Review the financial offer you would be paid per the Settlement Agreement
- Advise if the Settlement Agreement is a good deal for you, whether you should sign it or go back with amendments or a counter offer
Price Transparency
If you feel your employers have treated you unfairly and you would like advice on what to do next we offer a fixed fee advice consultation for £500+VAT. During this meeting not only will you get detailed legal advice on your specific situation but we will also advise you of any potential future costs, should you choose to instruct us to act on your behalf, and we can set up a flexible payment plan to suit your budget.
Important Note on Legal Fees: if you have home insurance, it is worth looking closely at your policy as it may include employment legal expenses coverage which would cover all of our consultation fees.
Where you can get free employment law advice
Not everyone is in a position to pay for legal advice when they are having a dispute with their employer, if this is the position you are in there are two organisations that you can contact for help that will not charge you for initial advice:
Acas – the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service: They work with millions of employers and employees every year to improve workplace relationships. They are an independent public body that receives funding from the government and are a great starting point for employees and employers to get free advice.
Citizen’s Advice Bureau: They are a national charity and network of local charities that offer confidential advice online, over the phone, and in person, for free. Most cities and towns will have an office that you can visit or call, or visit their website for general advice you can read online.
Request a Callback
"*" indicates required fields
Meet the Team
Testimonials
-
Friendly, easy to understand service. Patricia explained everything and always did everything in my best interest.
Tristan Underwood, 20th September 2022
-
Everything was very clearly explained and Patricia was very patient with my questions, ensuring all was clear before moving on.
Richard Cassell, 20th September 2022
-
Very quick and friendly service, made a bad situation very easy for me to deal with.
Sophia Scarr, 14th September 2022
Related Articles
-
A Premier Commitment to HR
Premier Community, whose HQ is based at Lancaster House on Millenium Business Park, has been caring for the people of…
-
What if my business hasn’t issued a contract of employment to an employee?
There has been so much interest and hype in respect of employment status lately, yet so many businesses still forget…