What we do
We provide specialist settlement agreement and employment law advice across England and Wales. Whether you are an employee navigating a difficult exit or an employer managing a sensitive departure, we provide the expert guidance you need.
Independent legal advice for employees before signing any settlement agreement.
Support when redundancy or workplace disputes lead to a proposed exit package.
Representation for unfair dismissal, discrimination and breach of contract claims.
Drafting, negotiation and defence support for businesses managing employment exits.
Service 01
If your employer has presented you with a settlement agreement, you are legally required to obtain independent legal advice from a qualified solicitor before signing. This is not optional — without it, the agreement has no legal effect. At Settlement Solicitors, we provide clear, expert advice to ensure you fully understand what you are agreeing to and whether the terms are fair.
Settlement agreements (formerly known as compromise agreements) are legally binding contracts. By signing, you waive your right to bring most employment claims against your employer in exchange for a financial payment. The stakes are significant, and the initial offer made by an employer is rarely their best.
Our solicitors carry out a thorough review of every clause in your agreement, advising you on:
In the vast majority of cases, yes. It is standard and expected practice for employers to make a contribution towards the employee's legal costs when presenting a settlement agreement — typically between £250 and £500 plus VAT for a straightforward matter. In many cases, this contribution covers our fees entirely, meaning there is no cost to you.
We will be transparent about fees from the outset and will tell you immediately whether any shortfall exists before commencing any work.
In most cases, yes. Employers routinely make an opening offer that anticipates negotiation. Our solicitors are experienced negotiators who regularly secure improved financial payments, enhanced notice periods, better reference terms, and the removal of unreasonable post-termination restrictions for our clients.
We will give you an honest, realistic assessment of what is achievable in your particular circumstances and will handle negotiations directly with your employer or their legal advisers on your behalf.
We understand that settlement agreements routinely come with tight deadlines imposed by employers. In most cases, we are able to review your agreement, advise you fully, and complete the certification process within 24 to 48 hours. Where necessary, we offer same-day turnaround — call us directly on 020 3058 3365 to discuss your timeline.
Service 02
Being told that your role is at risk of redundancy is a stressful and unsettling experience. Whether the process has just begun or your employer has already made you a financial offer, our solicitors can help you understand your rights, challenge unfair treatment, and ensure you receive everything you are entitled to.
Many employees accept the first redundancy offer they receive without realising there is significant scope to negotiate a better outcome. An enhanced redundancy payment, full notice pay, extended garden leave, and a strong reference are all common improvements our solicitors achieve for clients.
If you have been employed for two or more years and your role is being made redundant, you are entitled to a statutory redundancy payment calculated on the basis of your age, length of service, and weekly pay. However, the statutory minimum is often just the starting point — your employment contract may provide for an enhanced redundancy payment, and there may be additional sums owed to you by way of notice pay, accrued holiday, and outstanding bonus.
Not every redundancy is a genuine redundancy. Employers sometimes use the redundancy process as a vehicle to remove an employee they wish to exit for other reasons. This can give rise to a claim for unfair dismissal, and in some cases, if the redundancy is connected to a protected characteristic such as age, pregnancy, disability, or trade union membership, it may also constitute unlawful discrimination.
We will assess the circumstances of your redundancy honestly and advise you on whether the process your employer has followed is legally sound. Common procedural failings include inadequate consultation, flawed selection criteria, failure to consider suitable alternative roles, and pre-determination of the outcome.
Many redundancy exits are concluded by way of a settlement agreement. This allows the employer to make a clean break and provides the employee with a financial package in exchange for waiving employment claims. A well-negotiated settlement agreement in a redundancy context can deliver significantly more than the statutory minimum — sometimes several months of additional salary.
Where your employment contract contains restrictive covenants — clauses that limit your ability to work for competitors, solicit clients, or contact former colleagues — we will advise you on their enforceability and seek to have unreasonable restrictions reduced or removed as part of the settlement negotiations.
Service 03
If your employer has treated you unlawfully, the Employment Tribunal provides a route to obtain compensation and vindication. We represent employees at every stage of the Tribunal process — from initial advice and the early conciliation process through ACAS, to preparing the claim, exchange of documents, witness statements, and the final hearing.
Employment Tribunal proceedings are time-sensitive. In most cases, you have only three months less one day from the act complained of to commence proceedings. Delaying in taking advice can mean losing the right to bring a claim entirely, so it is important to speak to a solicitor as quickly as possible if you believe you have been wronged.
If you have been employed for two or more years and your employer has dismissed you without a fair reason or without following a fair procedure, you may have a claim for unfair dismissal. Fair reasons for dismissal are limited by law to conduct, capability, redundancy, a statutory illegality, and some other substantial reason. Even where a potentially fair reason exists, the employer must follow a fair procedure — and a failure to do so can make an otherwise defensible dismissal unfair.
Compensation for unfair dismissal consists of a basic award (calculated in the same way as a statutory redundancy payment) and a compensatory award intended to reflect your actual financial loss. The compensatory award is currently capped at the lower of £115,115 or one year's gross pay.
The Equality Act 2010 protects employees from discrimination, harassment, and victimisation on the basis of nine protected characteristics: age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.
Discrimination claims can be significantly more valuable than unfair dismissal claims because there is no cap on compensation, and awards for injury to feelings can be substantial. We advise on all forms of discrimination including direct discrimination, indirect discrimination, harassment, and failure to make reasonable adjustments for disabled employees.
Wrongful dismissal is a contractual claim arising when an employer dismisses an employee in breach of contract — most commonly by failing to give the contractual or statutory notice period. Unlike unfair dismissal, wrongful dismissal claims can be brought from day one of employment and can be pursued in the civil courts as well as the Employment Tribunal.
The majority of Employment Tribunal claims settle before reaching a final hearing, often through ACAS early conciliation or COT3 settlement. We advise on the merits of any settlement offer at every stage and will negotiate strongly on your behalf to achieve the best possible outcome without the stress and cost of a final hearing where this is in your interests.
Service 04
We act for employers of all sizes — from owner-managed businesses to large corporate organisations — on the full range of employment law matters. Our advice is commercially focused, practical, and designed to help you manage employment risk while achieving your business objectives.
A well-drafted settlement agreement provides your business with certainty that a departing employee will not bring claims in the future. We draft clear, comprehensive agreements that are tailored to the specific circumstances of each departure — addressing the financial package, reference terms, confidentiality, post-termination restrictions, and any other matters relevant to the situation.
We also advise on the appropriate level of legal fee contribution to offer the employee, the correct certification requirements, and how to structure the termination package for maximum tax efficiency.
If a current or former employee has brought a Tribunal claim against your business, prompt and expert legal advice is essential. We will assess the merits of the claim honestly, advise on the prospects of defending it successfully, and manage your defence from the initial ET3 response through to the final hearing.
We have significant experience in defending claims for unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing detriment, and breach of contract. We will also advise on early settlement where this is in your commercial interests, and will handle ACAS conciliation and without-prejudice negotiations on your behalf.
Collective and individual redundancy processes are legally complex and, if not properly managed, can give rise to costly Tribunal claims. We advise employers on consultation obligations, selection criteria, at-risk pools, suitable alternative employment, and the procedural steps required to make a redundancy legally defensible.
Where the redundancy process is being used to manage the exit of a specific individual, we advise on the risks and the most appropriate approach — including whether a protected conversation or settlement agreement is the better route.
Under section 111A of the Employment Rights Act 1996, employers can have off-the-record conversations with employees about terminating the employment relationship without those discussions being admissible in an unfair dismissal claim. We advise on how to conduct protected conversations safely, what can and cannot be said, and how to follow up with a settlement agreement where the conversation is productive.
Free, confidential assessment for employees and employers. We respond within 2 hours during business hours.