Severance Agreements: Retain Legal Counsel to Review Before You Sign

June 9, 2017
The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford

Severance Agreements: Retain Legal Counsel to Review Before You Sign

When you are hired by a new employer, you may be excited at the possibility of doing something that you enjoy and providing for yourself and your family. Through the excitement, you may not entertain the possibility that you could someday be terminated from your job and what termination might entail for you and your loved ones. You also may fail to negotiate certain terms of your employment in lieu of termination, such as contracting for a severance agreement. If you or a loved has been presented with a severance agreement, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced employment attorney here at The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C., so that we can confidentially strategize with you about enhancing the proposed severance agreement and making sure that you avoid any possible landmines that your employer may have included in the proposed severance agreement.  

Severance Agreements in Maryland and D.C.

To avoid future discrimination charges and lawsuits from a terminated employee, employers in the Baltimore and D.C. Metropolitan area will often utilize a severance agreement to protect themselves. This agreement is meant to ease any burden of unemployment and transitioning to a new job for an employee, but also to eliminate any employee claims against the employer. Severance agreements can address whether an employer will give an employee severance payments in the case of termination, provide positive job references, provide benefits, enforce a non-competition clause, and how the termination will be classified (“terminated” vs. “resigning”). It is important to seek legal advice and representation when offered a severance agreement by your employer because a good employment attorney can effectively advocate on your behalf to the employer, as well as provide insight into what the severance agreement entails and help you understand your rights when terminated. Also, seeking legal advice can protect your interests and ensure that you will be able to collect unemployment benefits while also getting severance pay from your employer, if applicable.  

If your employer had legal counsel draft the severance agreement, why would you not want your own legal counsel to advise you before you sign it?  Do not let the fear of endless legal fees discourage you from contacting us.  At The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C., we review severance agreements on a fixed/flat fee basis, which means that you will know exactly what your fee will be for our services and you won’t pay a penny more.

Need Legal Advice?

Being terminated by an employer is never an easy situation and can leave you with all sorts of mixed emotions. However, if you have negotiated a good severance agreement, life can be a lot less overwhelming while you are trying to find new employment. If you or a loved one is seeking guidance on a severance agreement that has been offered by your employer, it is in your best interest to contact an experienced Baltimore and D.C. employment attorney here at The Law Firm of J.W. Stafford, L.L.C. so that we can put our expertise to work for you.

(image courtesy of Anton Repponen)