Clear Costs Before We Begin
The cost of advising on a settlement agreement depends mainly on the length and complexity of the agreement, the issues involved and if you require us to negotiate changes with your employer.
We will confirm the fee with you before we begin work so you know what the legal advice is expected to cost.
The exact fee will depend on the length and complexity of your agreement and the amount of legal advice required.
If substantial additional work is required beyond the standard review and advice, we will explain the cost before carrying out that work.
If you would like us to negotiate an improved payment or amendments to other terms, we will explain the additional cost before negotiation begins.
Your employer will often contribute towards your legal fees. The amount available should normally be stated in the settlement agreement. We will check this when reviewing your documents.
What You Receive
For a straightforward settlement agreement, our work will normally include reviewing the agreement, discussing its terms with you and explaining the effect of signing it.
Legal Fee Contribution
Employers commonly offer a contribution towards an employee's legal costs because independent legal advice is required before the settlement agreement can become legally binding.
The contribution should normally be set out in the agreement. We can check the amount offered when you send the agreement to us.
In a straightforward matter, the employer's contribution may cover all or most of the cost of obtaining the required legal advice.
If the employer's contribution does not cover the work required, we will explain the difference and any amount you would need to pay before proceeding.
More Complex Agreements
Not every settlement agreement requires the same amount of work. Additional fees may apply if the matter requires substantially more work than a standard review and advice appointment.
We will tell you if additional work is required and agree the cost with you before carrying it out.
Changes To Your Offer
If you are unhappy with the financial offer or another term of the agreement, you may want us to consider if changes could reasonably be requested.
Negotiation is different from simply providing the independent legal advice required to sign the agreement. It can involve assessing your legal position, identifying appropriate changes, corresponding with your employer or its solicitor and considering revised offers or draft agreements.
Because the amount of negotiation required varies considerably from one case to another, we will discuss the work required and confirm the additional fee before negotiations begin.
You can find more information on our negotiating a settlement agreement page.
Before Instructing Us
When you send us your settlement agreement, we can check the legal fee contribution offered by your employer and assess the work required.
We will then explain the fee for dealing with your agreement and tell you if the employer's contribution is expected to cover it.
If there is an amount for you to pay personally, or if additional work may result in further fees, this will be explained before that work is undertaken.