A settlement agreement is a legally binding contract which brings an employment contract to an end on agreed terms. You are required to take independent legal advice before signing a settlement agreement, but the question is can any Solicitor provide this advice?

In theory the answer is yes you can take advice from any regulated law firm, but in reality you may not be getting the specialist guidance you need.

Many high street law firms do not have a dedicated employment Solicitor. If they do offer employment law services this is often undertaken by a member of their litigation department who will also deal with a range of matters such as personal disputes, business disputes and debt recovery.

It has been said that providing advice on settlement agreements is easy money for law firms as their cost is usually covered by the employer and can be as simple as explaining the terms and then getting the employee to sign the agreement. 

However, this is not really advice. Your settlement agreement must be reviewed and assessed in relation to your personal employment circumstances. The options you have available should be clearly explained and most importantly you must be given advice on whether the terms and conditions contained within the agreement should be improved upon or altered in any way – to your benefit.

If you want real advice on a settlement agreement from a Solicitor that only does employment law, please contact Steve Gee on 01282 695400 or email info@farnworthrose.co.uk