Los Angeles Severance Agreement Lawyers

Legal Counsel for Clients in Los Angeles County, Orange County & the Inland Empire

For employees about to be terminated or who have already been terminated, The Work Justice Firm can aggressively negotiate severance packages. Even if you are in the middle of the process, we can step in and work for fair treatment and compensation. If your employer has offered severance, we can often negotiate a significantly higher amount.

Employers often draft severance agreements to protect themselves. The language is commonly broad and intended to insulate the employer from claims. Similar language is frequently not included to protect the employee. 

Most severance agreements require employees to waive their right to sue the company for any reason, including discrimination, retaliation, and failure to pay all due wages. Once you sign, you cannot bring claims even if you later discover you have viable disputes.

Our Los Angeles severance agreement attorneys can help you navigate these agreements, protect your rights, and pursue optimum terms. We can also assist in resolving any disputes that arise later between you and your employer. 

In California, severance agreements often intersect with other important state protections, such as final wage timing rules, penalties for unpaid wages, and laws governing releases of discrimination and retaliation claims. In some situations, you may have more leverage than you realize because of what happened leading up to your termination, the timing of your layoff, or patterns affecting multiple employees. When you work with us, we evaluate not only the written offer but also the circumstances of your employment in Los Angeles to help you understand whether the proposal reflects the value of the rights you are being asked to give up.

We also take time to explain how a severance agreement can affect your next steps, including unemployment benefits, future job searches, and references from your former employer. Many employees are understandably focused on the dollar amount being offered and may overlook non-monetary terms that can limit their ability to work in the same industry or speak honestly about their experience. By reviewing the entire package with you, we help you make a fully informed decision about whether to sign, request changes, or consider pursuing separate legal claims.

Discuss your case in a free consultation with our team at The Work Justice Firm. Call (323) 675-3337 or contact us online. Hablamos español.

Severance Pay 

Severance pay is what your employer gives you if you are laid off or fired. Employers are not required to offer severance pay but often do in exchange for you giving up your legal rights, including the right to sue the company for violations that may have occurred. 

Our skilled employment lawyers can advise you about what rights you may be waiving in a severance agreement. We work to maximize the settlement pay you receive.

Severance agreements are a common practice in employment law, particularly when an employer wants to reduce legal risks after terminating an employee. While California law does not require employers to provide severance pay, many companies offer severance packages as part of their company policies or as a goodwill gesture. 

However, poorly drafted or unfair agreements can leave employees at a disadvantage, which is why understanding these contracts within the employment law framework is essential.

In the Los Angeles area, severance pay can also be tied to factors such as the size of the employer, your role and length of service, and whether the termination is part of a larger reduction in force. Some employers may use formulas based on years of service, while others make case-by-case decisions or follow internal guidelines that are not shared with employees. We help you evaluate whether the offer reasonably accounts for things like unpaid bonuses, commissions, accrued vacation, or other compensation you may be owed under California law.

When we review severance pay, we also look beyond the immediate number on the page and consider how long it may take you to find comparable work in your industry and location. A short period of pay may not be sufficient if you held a senior position or work in a competitive field. By comparing the proposed severance pay to your potential legal claims and your realistic job search timeline, we can help you decide whether to push for a higher amount, additional weeks of pay, or other forms of compensation that better support your transition.

Components of Severance Agreements

Severance agreements may include:

• Lump sum or continued payments after termination
• Continuation of health benefits
• Non-disparagement or confidentiality clauses
• Non-compete or non-solicitation provisions
• Waiver of legal claims against the employer

Because severance agreements can significantly impact your future job opportunities and legal rights, it is crucial to carefully review the terms before signing.

Other common components can address how your departure will be communicated inside and outside the company, whether you will receive a neutral or positive reference, and what happens to stock options, equity, or deferred compensation. Some agreements include cooperation clauses that require you to assist the company with future investigations or litigation, sometimes without additional pay. We review these provisions with you so you understand what will be expected of you after you leave and whether the agreement fairly compensates you for those obligations.

The way these components are drafted can make a significant difference in how restrictive or flexible the agreement is for you. For example, a broad non-disparagement clause might limit what you can say about your experience, even in private conversations, while a more carefully tailored clause can protect your reputation without silencing you entirely. By identifying areas where language can be narrowed or clarified, we work to make the severance agreement more balanced and less likely to create future conflicts.

How Our Severance Agreement Review Process Works

When you reach out to The Work Justice Firm with a proposed severance agreement, we follow a clear, step-by-step review process so you know what to expect and do not feel rushed. We start by listening to your story, including your job duties, how long you worked for the company, and what happened leading up to your termination. Understanding the context helps us see whether there may be discrimination, retaliation, or wage issues that increase the value of the rights you are being asked to release.

After we understand your background, we go through the written severance agreement with you, provision by provision. We highlight clauses that affect your pay, benefits, ability to work for competitors, and ability to speak about your experience. In many cases, we will discuss how similar agreements are typically structured for employees in comparable roles in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California. This helps you see where the document is in line with common practice and where it may be unusually restrictive or incomplete.

Based on that review, we talk with you about possible changes and priorities so any negotiation strategy reflects your goals. For some employees, increasing the severance amount is the most important concern, while others may want to focus on tailoring confidentiality language, securing a helpful reference, or clarifying what will be said if future employers call human resources. Once we have a plan, we can communicate directly with your employer or their counsel, allowing you to step back from difficult conversations and rely on our team to move the process forward in a professional way.

Get legal advice about your severance agreement. Call (323) 675-3337 or contact us online for a free consultation.