Are you an employee facing redundancy? Worried about what will happen to your finances and career prospects?
Whether you are being offered a settlement agreement by your employer or you wish to negotiate terms, we can help secure your professional and financial future with the best settlement agreement and employment law advice, so you can move on with confidence.
At Bird & Co, our specialist employment lawyers in Lincoln can help you negotiate the best settlement terms, optimise your compensation and even secure an excellent reference for you, helping you move forward, positively.
Our team of expert lawyers can help you achieve a swift, efficient and painless end to your employment by getting your completed settlement agreement returned to your employer in as little as 24 hours.
Get all the independent expert advice on settlement agreements you need, in the comfort of your own home, from one of our experienced and trusted advisors, today!
Why should you use Bird and Co Solicitors in Lincoln for your Settlement Agreement Advice?
Bird & Co settlement agreement solicitors in Lincoln have been helping people with settlement agreements locally and nationally throughout Lincolnshire and Nottinghamshire and across the UK, every day. Our experts have extensive experience and have supported thousands of employees, like you, with agreements from simple pre-agreed standard settlements to complex high value deals.
We provide a fast and effective settlement agreement service, delivered to high professional standards and with a strong client focus.
Our dedicated settlement agreement team of solicitors at Bird & Co in Lincoln is led by senior specialist employment lawyer Paul Hardy, an experienced member of the Employment Lawyers Association, who provides expert settlement agreement advice across England and Wales.
Bird & Co are regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority and are Lexcel accredited which means you can rest assured our processes and procedures are approved and that we operate to the highest professional standards. We can guarantee your case will be expertly handled by the most skilled and experienced hands, reflecting the excellence and quality of our service.
What is a Settlement Agreement? Why do you need one?
Settlement agreements make it compulsory for you, as an employee, to receive independent legal advice on the terms and effect of the agreement.
Settlement agreements were previously known as compromise agreements, since an employer might sometimes offer a “compromise” or “settlement” when terminating an individual’s employment. It is a legally binding agreement between you, the employee, and your employer, to resolve an employment dispute or to bring your employment to a clear conclusion. Under such an agreement, you, the employee, will agree to settle any potential employment claims you have against your employer and, in return, your employer will agree to pay you financial compensation.
You may have a claim against your employer, under your contract of employment or under statute, which may arise on recruitment, during your employment or upon termination of your employment. Types of claims that can be covered by a settlement agreement include unfair dismissal, discrimination, harassment, victimisation and whistleblowing. A settlement agreement, will, however, end your right to make an employment claim against your employer for such issues arising out of your employment term or termination.
How do Settlement Agreements work?
- Your employer will draft the settlement agreement which they will send to you.
- The agreement will usually offer you a compensation payment which is over and above normal contractual terms or agree to provide an employment reference to a potential new employer.
- You will be required to seek independent legal advice before you sign the agreement as without independent legal advice the agreement will be invalid.
- By entering into the agreement, you will agree that you will not bring an employment claim for discrimination or unfair dismissal against your employer.
- Settlement agreements are commonly used in redundancy, rationalisation programmes and when seeking to resolve a dispute between you and your employer.
What is the content of a Settlement Agreement?
Usually a settlement agreement will reflect the terms and conditions of you and your employer’s individual circumstances and contract. A typical settlement agreement, however, may cover clauses relating to:
- Compensation.
- A contribution towards legal costs.
- The waiver of claims by you (the employee).
- The re-assertion or modification of existing restrictive covenants.
- The return of property belonging to your employer.
- An indemnity from you (the employee) relating to tax and National Insurance contributions.
- An undertaking from you to keep your employer’s information private and confidential.
- An undertaking from you not to make any adverse or defamatory comments against your employer.
How we can help you with an online settlement agreement
We have been settlement agreement solicitors in Lincoln for many years and spend a considerable amount of time advising employees on the best ways to end their employment, as positively and amicably, as possible.
Whether you wish to consult us face to face at our offices in Lincoln, or instruct us remotely, over the internet or phone, you will have convenient access with a direct line through to your own dedicated Settlement Agreement Solicitor Paul Hardy in Lincoln on 01476 404 109 and a direct email address phardy@birdandco.co.uk
Using the latest online and digital technology means our processes are streamlined to be fast, efficient and convenient for you, enabling your matter to be completed quickly and efficiently on a remote basis. This means, if you prefer, we can handle your case entirely on a remote basis, saving you the time, cost and stress of having to travel to our offices.
How much will a settlement agreement cost?
It is very common for your employer to make a contribution towards your legal costs when you seek compulsory independent legal advice for a settlement agreement. Usually, they will pay a fixed amount towards your legal fees between £250 and £750 plus VAT which is normally sufficient to cover your costs, unless your case becomes more complex. Where cases do become more costly and complicated, we will ask that your employer covers these extra costs.
Contact our specialist settlement agreement solicitors in Lincoln
To make an appointment or to find out more about how our settlement agreement solicitors in Lincoln can help you with a settlement agreement, telephone our dedicated team on 01522 803050 or email: enquiries@birdandco.co.uk Alternatively, you can complete our quick online enquiry form and we will get back to you, shortly.