SETTLEMENT AGREEMENTS -The Importance of Employment Law Advice

At GALVAN SOLICITORS, we regularly advise employees across Ireland understand and negotiate settlement agreements, either after redundancy, restructuring or workplace disputes, to ensure their rights are protected and their exit terms are fair. Here’s what you should know before signing anything.

A Settlement agreement (sometimes referred to as a severance or termination agreement) is a legal contract that ends your employment on agreed terms. In most cases, it includes:

A financial package
A waiver of potential legal claims (e.g. unfair dismissal)
Clauses about confidentiality, references, and restrictive clauses that limit future employment.

It is important to consult with an employment law solicitor before signing any settlement agreement to ensure you fully understand its implications. In most cases, the waiver of legal rights is only valid if you’ve received independent legal advice and indeed this is often a specific requirement of the Agreement and in the majority of cases, your employer will contribute to your legal costs.

At GALVAN SOLICITORS, we have extensive experience advising on all aspects of settlement agreements. We will:

Explain the agreement in plain English
Advise on whether the terms are fair
Help you negotiate improvements, if needed
Ensure the final document is legally binding and enforceable.

Do not sign until you have had independent legal advice. GALVAN SOLICITORS will help you exit on the right terms.