Understanding Severance Agreements, Employment Contracts and Releases

If an employer terminates an employee, they sometimes offer a severance package. This involves signing a severance agreement and receiving severance pay to ease the transition as you search for new employment. However, severance agreements include a lot of legal terms with very specific meanings. It can be difficult to understand exactly what you are signing.

At AQUINO LAW, we are here to help you. Our founding lawyer, Rhonel T. Aquino, has represented workers’ rights for over two decades. He understands the details of employment and California contract law, and will help you to understand all of the issues regarding a severance agreement. We always provide personalized and honest counsel to our clients in Southern California. We are committed to standing up for you and protect you against unfair employment contracts and releases.  We serve all of Southern California, particularly Orange County and Los Angeles County.  We have same day appointments in Irvine and Long Beach.

Being let go from a job can be both emotionally and financially stressful. A severance package is supposed to help reduce that stress, but oftentimes it can be the cause of anxiety because of the complex details and wording that an experienced lawyer can assist you with.  Employment contracts and releases can get very technical and tricky.

It is important to know exactly what you are signing and agreeing to with a contract. Going over your severance agreement with an experienced lawyer can help ensure you understand your rights. Severance agreements generally include:

• The total amount of severance pay you will receive and how you will receive it
• How long benefits such as health insurance will continue
• Negotiations not to work for a competitor for a set time
• Negotiations not to file a wrongful termination lawsuit and other claims

Receiving this information on top of losing your job can be overwhelming. Often, clients simply want to find out if their employment has been terminated properly.  We serve all of Southern California, particularly Orange County and Los Angeles County and can meet the same day in Irvine or Long Beach.

AQUINO LAW has the experience and resources available to help you get through this situation and negotiate fair severance agreements. We are lawyers who can help you understand the laws and benefits involved, as well as the rights you may be waiving by signing the agreement.  Employment contracts and releases must be carefully handled.

We are committed to protecting your rights. Therefore, if we find your severance package to be unfair, we can help you negotiate a new agreement. Mr. Aquino has successfully increased the amount of severance pay in numerous cases and brokered reference letters. He has even negotiated reclassification in the agreement from termination to resignation.

If you have any questions about your severance agreement or wish to negotiate a better one, we are here to help and serve Orange County and Los Angeles County regularly.  Same day appointments are available in Irvine and Long Beach.