Employment disputes can be stressful and disruptive for all involved, but there is an effective and legally binding way to resolve any issues and allow both the employer and employee to part ways amicably and that is by using a settlement agreement.
Helping employers and employees alike, at MJD solicitors, our settlement agreement experts are able to save everyone time and money by helping to draft, negotiate and settle these contracts quickly and efficiently, before disputes can escalate and in a way that is beneficial to all involved.
Settlement agreements are a legally binding contract commonly used by employers to ensure a clean break when an employment relationship comes to an end to help avoid any unwanted legal action.
A typical settlement agreement will include details on things such as;
From both sides of the table, settlement agreements are something that needs to be properly managed in order to ensure that the process runs smoothly and is wrapped up quickly and effectively to avoid long, costly and drawn-out negotiations.
At MJD Solicitors, our experts at settlement agreements work with employers and employees, providing the vital support, advice and legal guidance required to make sure that their needs are met.
For employers, this can include helping to prepare a contract, ensuring that it is a fair offer and checking that everything is worded correctly and complies with legal legislation. We also have a wealth of knowledge and experience that makes us well equipped to answer some of the common questions employers have in these situations about things like confidentiality, reference requests, company property retrieval and so on.
For employees, our goal is to ensure that you are fully aware of the legalities, clauses and rights that you will be giving up by signing the contract. In addition to this, we can also check to see if the settlement agreement you have been offered is fair under the circumstances and can even negotiate on your behalf to help you achieve the best possible deal.
Our experts are committed to providing our clients with professional, reliable and transparent legal services that help you to navigate the complex landscape of employment law and settlement agreements.
Although our offices are Essex-based, most of the work and communication required to effectively handle settlement agreements can be done via email, phone and video call without the need to meet in person. This means that for those seeking a settlement agreement firm in London, MJD Solicitors are still able to provide the highest levels of service, in a way that is efficient, flexible and convenient.
If you have any questions about settlement agreements or would like to find out how our solicitors can help you, please get in touch today or call – 01277 280760.
Without the employee seeking independent legal advice, a settlement agreement is not legally binding, even when signed, which is why it is common for employers to pay a contribution towards the legal costs incurred by the employee.
These contributions are not a legal requirement of the employer and are at their discretion but typically range from around £500 – £1,000 which in a lot of cases will cover the entirety of the fees, meaning that the employee doesn’t have to pay at all.
Obviously in more complex cases where the settlement agreement isn’t as straight forward, or the contribution offer is low, this may mean that there isn’t enough to cover the solicitor fees and the employee will have to pay the rest. This, however, is something that can potentially be negotiated to secure an increase in the contribution and our lawyers always strive to keep proceedings as short as possible to come to a swift conclusion and help keep costs low.
Here at MJD Solicitors, we put our clients first at every stage and tailor our services to meet the unique needs of each individual client. We have a friendly and straight forward approach that helps to facilitate transparency and build trust between us and our clients.
With years of experience across multiple aspects of employment law, our solicitors have successfully negotiated settlement agreements for both employers and employees, helping to reach a quick, cost effective and beneficial conclusion for everyone.
Whether you are an employer who needs guidance and advice on how to handle or draft a settlement agreement, or an employee who has been presented with one and doesn’t know what to do, our specialists are here to help.
Yes! A settlement agreement is not legally effective unless the employer has received independent legal advice on the contract, its contents and the effect of the agreement.
Settlement agreements can contain a lot of legal jargon, clauses and terms that employees do not fully understand the implications of, which is where our solicitor’s step in, to help explain everything in a way that is clear and easy to understand as well as advise on the contents of the contract and whether the deal on offer is a fair one.
Once the agreement is finalised, we will sign a certificate to confirm that you have received suitable independent legal advice so that things can proceed quickly and efficiently.
