EMPLOYMENT AND SEVERANCE COUNSEL
Severance agreements are usually signed under a deadline.
Employment matters arrive with dates attached. A severance agreement comes with a signing deadline, a termination raises questions that get harder to answer as time passes, and an internal complaint has its own timetable.
This page is general information about the kinds of matters Yes Legal handles. It is not legal advice about your situation.
THE PROBLEM
The problem this addresses.
A severance agreement is drafted by the employer and presented as standard. Some of it usually is. The parts that are not standard tend to be the release, the restrictions on what you may say or do afterwards, and what you give up by signing.
The question is rarely whether to sign. It is what you are being asked to release, what that release is worth, and whether the number in front of you reflects it.
MATTERS THAT MAY FALL IN THIS AREA
Matters that may fall within this area.
This is not an exhaustive list, and whether the firm can assist depends on the specific matter.
Review of a severance or separation agreement before you sign
Termination, layoff, and resignation questions
Retaliation and wrongful termination concerns
Workplace disputes and internal complaints
Employment agreement and offer letter review
Confidentiality, non-solicitation, and post-employment restrictions
Employer-side advice on documentation and process
Whether Yes Legal can assist with any particular matter depends on the facts, on a conflict check, and on current commitments. Nothing on this page is an offer to represent you.
THE INTRODUCTORY CALL
What an introductory conversation can determine.
The introductory call is a free call about intake, scope, and fit. No legal advice is given during it, and it does not create an attorney-client relationship.
FIRST
What the deadline really is
Whether the date you have been given is a statutory review period, a negotiable internal date, or something else, and how much room that leaves.
THEN
What you are being asked to give up
What the release covers, what survives it, and which restrictions continue to bind you after the employment ends.
NEXT
Whether there is anything to negotiate
An honest view of whether your circumstances support asking for more, and what asking is likely to cost in time and goodwill.
BEFORE YOU CALL
What to have ready.
None of this is required in order to make contact. Having it to hand makes the conversation more useful.
The severance or separation agreement, including every attachment
Your employment agreement, offer letter, or contract
The employee handbook or policies, if you have them
Any written communication about the termination or the dispute
Dates: when you were told, when you were given the document, and by when you have been asked to respond
The employer name and the names of anyone else involved, for the conflict check
Please do not send documents, account numbers, medical records, or anything privileged until the firm has run a conflict check and asked for them.
AFTER THE CALL
Possible next steps.
A focused review
A defined review of the agreement setting out what it does, what it releases, and what is worth questioning.
Negotiation of terms
Assistance responding to the employer, whether on the amount, the wording of the release, or the post-employment restrictions.
A decision to sign as offered
Often the right answer, and easier to make once you know what you are signing rather than hoping it is standard.
What contacting the firm does not do
Sending a message, submitting the intake form, or speaking with the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship, does not mean Yes Legal has accepted your matter, does not guarantee any outcome, and does not protect or extend a filing deadline. Representation begins only after conflicts are cleared and a written engagement agreement is signed.
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions people ask about this.
I have been given a deadline to sign. Is there time to have it reviewed?
Frequently there is, but that depends entirely on the date you have been given. Call (619) 491-7076 rather than submitting a form and waiting, and say what the date is when you call.
Can the firm tell me what my case is worth?
Not from a website and not from a first call. A valuation depends on facts, documents, and evidence that have to be reviewed before anyone can responsibly put a number on them.
Does the firm act for employers as well as employees?
The firm advises on both sides depending on the matter. A conflict check is run before any substantive discussion, which is why the intake form asks for the names of everyone involved.
RELATED
Other pages that may be relevant.
Legal Assessments
A defined, paid legal assessment that reviews your documents and facts, identifies the issues and deadlines, and delivers a written action plan with practical options.
Disputes and Pre-Litigation
Demand letters, responses, negotiation strategy, settlement analysis, and pre-litigation planning for California disputes, built around your objective and your leverage.
Contracts and Business
Drafting, review, revision, and negotiation of California contracts and business agreements, structured around the decision you are actually making.
START HERE
Request an introductory call.
Describe what happened, what you need, and whether a date is approaching. Yes Legal will review the information and contact you about the next step, including when it cannot take the matter.
Contacting Yes Legal does not create an attorney-client relationship. Representation begins only after a written engagement agreement is signed.