Settlement Agreement Solicitors
Settlement Advice is a trading name of RGF Lawyers Limited, a law firm authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA No. 8004856). We act for employees only, never employers, and we advise entirely by phone and video across England and Wales. Reviews submitted before 2pm on a working day are handled the same day, and in nearly every agreement your employer pays our fee under the legal-fees clause. More about who we are.
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Why must a settlement agreement be signed off by a solicitor?
Because the law says the waiver is not valid otherwise. Under section 203 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, a settlement agreement only binds you if you have received advice on its terms and effect from a relevant independent adviser who is covered by professional indemnity insurance and identified in the agreement. That adviser is almost always a solicitor, and their independence from your employer is the point of the requirement. In practice the adviser also signs a certificate confirming the advice, which employers require before completing. If your paperwork still calls it a compromise agreement, the same requirement applies; that is the pre-2013 name for the same document.
What does a settlement agreement solicitor do?
Three things: check the agreement clause by clause and explain what each one means for you; advise whether the offer is fair against your statutory and contractual position and any claims you would be waiving; and give the advice that satisfies the statutory conditions, signing the adviser's certificate employers require before completion. Where the offer is short, the solicitor can also negotiate improvements before anything is signed.
What the written review covers
The advice you receive is a written, clause-by-clause review. These are the ten things it always covers, with the guide that goes deeper on each:
- 1
The waiver of claims: exactly which claims you are giving up, and whether any (personal injury, accrued pension rights) should be carved out.
- 2
The payment clauses: what is contractual, what is ex-gratia, and whether the figure is right for your situation.
- 3
Tax treatment and the tax indemnity: what falls within the £30,000 exemption and what the indemnity makes you liable for.
- 4
Notice and PILON: whether notice is worked, paid in lieu, and how post-employment notice pay is taxed.
- 5
The reference: whether wording is agreed and attached, not just promised.
- 6
Restrictive covenants: non-compete, non-solicitation and garden leave terms that outlast the agreement.
- 7
Confidentiality and its carve-outs: you must stay free to report to regulators, whistleblow and speak to the police.
- 8
Holiday, bonus and benefits: accrued holiday, pro-rata bonus and share or pension positions often go missing from first drafts.
- 9
The legal-fees clause: the contribution your employer pays for this advice, and what happens if it does not cover the work.
- 10
Time to decide: the Acas Code treats 10 calendar days to consider an offer as a minimum reasonable period.
Who pays, and what it costs you
Nearly every UK settlement agreement contains a legal-fees clause: your employer contributes to the cost of your independent advice, because without that advice the agreement cannot bind you. Standard review: £0 to the employee; the employer pays under the agreement's legal-fees clause. If a contribution is unusually low or absent, we tell you upfront in the free initial review, before any cost arises. Negotiation, where needed, is quoted individually and agreed upfront before any work begins.
What "same-day review" means here
One specific promise: upload or describe your agreement before 2pm on a working day (Monday to Friday) and a solicitor reviews it the same working day. Submissions after 2pm or at the weekend are picked up the next working day. Your advice call is then booked at a time you choose. Read more on what to have ready for a same-day review, and what to do if your employer's deadline is shorter than the Acas Code's 10-day guidance.
What we do, and what we do not do
We do
- Act for employees only
- Review and advise on settlement agreements, with the signed adviser's certificate
- Negotiate improvements where the offer is short
- Work entirely remotely, nationwide, by phone and video
We do not
- Employer-side advice (we represent employees only)
- Tribunal advocacy beyond pre-tribunal settlement
- Ongoing employment-law representation (we focus only on settlement agreements)
- Scottish settlement agreements (England and Wales only)
Settlement agreements by situation
The right questions depend on why the agreement is on the table. Start with your situation:
Does it matter where your solicitor is?
No. The Employment Rights Act 1996 applies across England and Wales, the advice requirement is satisfied by phone and video, and signing is electronic. What matters is that the adviser is independent, qualified and insured, not their postcode. We act for employees across England and Wales from one remote team; the city pages below exist so you can see how we help people in your area, not because you need to travel anywhere.
Solicitor or lawyer: is there a difference?
"Lawyer" is the umbrella term; "solicitor" is the regulated title. For a settlement agreement the person advising you must be a relevant independent adviser under section 203, and ours are solicitors regulated by the SRA. More on our settlement agreement lawyers page.
Settlement agreement solicitors: your questions
Do I need a solicitor for a settlement agreement?
Yes, in practice. A settlement agreement is only legally binding under section 203 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 if you have taken advice from a relevant independent adviser, usually a solicitor, who must be insured and identified in the agreement. Without that advice, the waiver of claims is not valid.
Who pays settlement agreement solicitors?
Nearly every UK settlement agreement includes a legal-fees clause in which your employer contributes to the cost of your independent advice, because the agreement is not binding without that advice. Standard review: £0 to the employee; the employer pays under the agreement's legal-fees clause.
How long do I have to consider a settlement agreement?
The Acas Code of Practice on settlement agreements says employees should be given a minimum of 10 calendar days to consider a written offer and take advice, unless the parties agree otherwise. A shorter deadline without good reason is worth challenging, and most employers will extend.
Is a settlement agreement legally binding?
Once the statutory conditions are met, including advice from an insured, independent adviser who is identified in the agreement, a settlement agreement is a binding contract. You cannot usually bring the waived claims afterwards, which is exactly why the advice requirement exists.
What happens if I do not sign?
Nothing happens automatically. The offer lapses or is withdrawn, and your employment position is whatever it was before: a live redundancy process, a disciplinary, or ordinary employment. Sometimes not signing leads to a better offer; sometimes it means proceeding to the underlying process. Advice helps you judge which.
Can I negotiate a settlement agreement?
Often, yes. The first draft is the employer's opening position. Whether there is room depends on the strength of any claims, how much the employer wants certainty, and timing. Negotiation, where needed, is quoted individually and agreed upfront before any work begins.
Do I have to use the solicitor my employer recommends?
No. The whole point of the statutory advice requirement is that the adviser is independent of your employer. You are free to choose any qualified adviser; the legal-fees clause pays your chosen solicitor the same way.
Do I need a solicitor near me, or can it be done remotely?
Remotely. There is no requirement to meet in person: the review, the advice call and the signed certificate are all handled by phone, video and e-signature. That is how we act for employees across the whole of the UK from one team.
How quickly can a settlement agreement be reviewed?
Submit before 2pm on a working day and we review the agreement the same working day. The advice call happens at a time you choose, and signing is electronic, so the whole process commonly completes within days rather than weeks.
Are settlement agreement solicitors legitimate?
Check the SRA register. Any firm doing this work must be authorised and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority, carry professional indemnity insurance, and give you a named adviser who is identified in your agreement. We are RGF Lawyers Limited, SRA number 8004856, and you can verify that entry directly.
Get your agreement reviewed today
Upload your settlement agreement before 2pm and a solicitor reviews it the same working day. Free to you when your employer pays our fee. Or work out your position first with the settlement calculator or the redundancy pay calculator.
Start your free review