Independent Legal Advice Support

You should seek advice as soon as you receive a proposed redundancy, settlement, compromise, severance or mutual termination agreement, and before signing it. These documents may determine the payments you receive, the date and terms of your departure, and whether you agree not to pursue certain employment-related claims.

The purpose of independent advice is to ensure you understand the agreement and its consequences, rather than simply confirming that you have read it. Irish employment-law decisions place particular importance on free and informed consent where an employee is asked to waive legal rights. If your employer has given you a deadline, tell us when you contact us so that the timing can be considered at the outset.

We explain the agreement as a whole, with particular attention to what you will receive, what you are being asked to give up and what obligations will continue after employment ends. Depending on the document, this can include statutory and enhanced redundancy payments, notice or pay in lieu, unpaid wages, accrued holiday, bonus or commission, pension arrangements, references and the proposed termination date.

We also consider clauses dealing with the settlement or waiver of claims, confidentiality, non-disparagement, post-employment restrictions and any requirement to repay money in particular circumstances. The advice is specific to your document and circumstances; it is not a standard sign-off. We will identify matters that may require clarification and explain the available options.

We advise on agreements arising from individual redundancy, collective redundancy programmes and negotiated employment departures. These may be described as redundancy agreements, compromise agreements, severance agreements, settlement agreements or mutual termination agreements. The title alone does not determine what an agreement means or which legal rights are affected.

For example, a redundancy package may include both payments already due under employment law and an additional, discretionary payment in return for particular commitments. A mutual termination agreement may document a negotiated departure that is not a statutory redundancy. We examine the actual terms and the circumstances in which the agreement has been offered, rather than assuming that similarly named documents have the same effect.

We know that employees are frequently asked to consider an agreement within a limited period. Our appointment and document-review process is designed to make the advice stage as straightforward and prompt as possible, including remote consultations where suitable.

When you contact us, tell us the precise deadline and provide the agreement as early as you can. We can explain the next available appointment options and whether any additional documents or checks are required. A particular turnaround cannot be guaranteed before the documents and solicitor availability have been assessed. If there is insufficient time for meaningful advice, you may need to ask your employer for an extension; we can discuss how best to approach that request. You should not feel that obtaining advice requires you to sign without understanding the terms.

Please have the complete proposed agreement, including all schedules and attachments, together with the covering letter or communication explaining the offer. If available, it is helpful to have your employment contract, any notice of redundancy or termination, and a breakdown of the proposed payments. Where you have specific concerns about a clause, note them in advance so they can be discussed during the consultation.

Tell us your proposed last working day, the signing deadline and whether your employer has agreed to contribute to legal fees. We may also request identification or further employment documents where appropriate. We will tell you how to provide sensitive documents securely. Do not wait until every document is assembled before raising an urgent deadline with us.

Once the necessary information has been received, an employment solicitor will meet with you to discuss the proposed agreement. Depending on what is suitable and available, the consultation may be conducted by video, telephone or in person. The solicitor will explain the principal terms and their legal effect, answer your questions and discuss any issues that require further consideration.

Appropriate identification and client-onboarding checks may also be completed. Where the agreement requires a solicitor's confirmation that independent advice has been given, we can explain that step and provide the relevant confirmation when it is appropriate to do so. A consultation does not mean that you have agreed to sign. If further clarification or assistance is needed, we will explain the next steps and any separate work involved.

Employers commonly offer to pay or contribute towards the cost of independent legal advice when asking an employee to enter a settlement or exit agreement. This arrangement may be recorded in the agreement or in the accompanying correspondence. It should not be assumed that every employer pays the full fee, or that all types of advice and negotiation are included in a contribution.

We can discuss the proposed contribution and explain the relevant fee arrangements before you decide whether to instruct us. If the employer's contribution does not cover the work required, any additional cost should be clarified with you. The source of the fee does not change our professional obligation to provide independent advice to the employee who is our client.

Yes. Our client is the individual employee receiving advice. We do not act as the employer's adviser in that consultation, and the employer's payment of or contribution towards the fee does not give the employer control over what we advise.

Your discussion with your solicitor is confidential and subject to the ordinary professional rules governing legal advice and solicitor-client communications. In a coordinated redundancy programme, there may be an agreed administrative process to confirm that an appointment took place or that advice has been provided. That is different from disclosing the content of the advice or your private questions. We will explain any necessary communications or confirmations and the limits that apply in your particular matter.

The consultation is intended to give you meaningful advice, not simply to read out the agreement or provide a certificate. If a provision is unclear or raises a concern, we can explain why it matters, what the proposed wording means for you and what alternatives or clarification may be appropriate.

Sometimes the terms will be straightforward. In other cases, the payment breakdown, waiver of claims, employment reference or post-employment restrictions may warrant further consideration. Whether additional correspondence or negotiation is undertaken will depend on your instructions and the scope of the engagement. We will make that distinction clear rather than assuming that a short advice appointment includes an open-ended negotiation service.

No. Taking legal advice does not oblige you to accept the employer's proposal. The decision whether to sign is yours. The solicitor's role is to explain the terms, the rights and options relevant to you, and the potential implications of accepting or declining the offer.

You may decide to sign, seek clarification or ask for changes, or decide not to proceed. The consequences of each option depend on your employment circumstances and the proposed terms. For example, an offer may be subject to a stated expiry date, while separate statutory rights or complaint time limits may also need to be considered. If you are uncertain about what happens if you decline, make this a specific question during the consultation.

These may all appear in the same exit package, but they are not necessarily the same entitlement. Where you meet the relevant eligibility requirements, statutory redundancy is a payment calculated under Irish redundancy legislation, generally by reference to service and a capped weekly rate. An employer may separately offer an enhanced or ex gratia payment above the statutory minimum, sometimes in return for agreed settlement terms.

Salary owed, accrued holiday, bonuses and notice or pay in lieu of notice may be dealt with separately. The categories also matter for tax: statutory redundancy is generally exempt from Income Tax and USC, while other termination payments can have different treatment depending on their nature and applicable reliefs. We can identify the elements of the proposed package and explain where specialist tax advice may be needed. Do not assume that the full headline amount will be paid tax-free.

Where an employer proposes redundancies affecting a larger group, separate rules may require consultation with employees' representatives and notification to the relevant Minister. The detail depends on the number of employees and the circumstances. That collective process is distinct from your own independent advice on a proposed exit or settlement agreement.

Even if many colleagues have received similar documents, you are entitled to understand how the terms affect your individual position, including your length of service, proposed payments, notice, ongoing restrictions and any waiver of claims. We regularly organise consultations for substantial groups of employees, but each consultation remains individual and confidential. You can raise questions specific to your circumstances even where a common briefing has been offered.

These provisions deserve careful attention because some obligations can continue well after your employment has ended. A confidentiality clause may regulate information about the agreement or your employment; a non-disparagement clause may address statements about the parties; and a restrictive covenant may purport to limit particular work, clients or activities after departure.

We can explain what the wording seeks to prevent, its duration, relevant exceptions and whether clarification or amendment should be considered. Not every restriction has the same legal effect. In particular, Irish law provides specific protections concerning non-disclosure clauses related to certain discrimination, victimisation and harassment allegations. If your agreement contains any such provision, it should be reviewed in light of the applicable statutory rules rather than treated as ordinary boilerplate.