CONTRACT REVIEW
Many people don’t look at the detail of their employment contract until they need to rely on it in a dispute. It is sensible to get a solicitor to review your contract before agreeing to it, to get advice on issues you don’t understand and the consequences of agreeing to terms in the contract. This will give you peace of mind that you fully understand the real-life impact of the terms – including the ‘what-ifs’.
In more complex contracts that contain clauses dealing with bonuses and share options, intellectual property, restrictions on what you can and can’t do after termination and so on, it can be very useful to be clear what the wording means and what obligations you may be taking on. We can also highlight any terms that are not enforceable – for example, a term that attempts to override statutory employment rights, or an unreasonably restrictive covenant.
It can also be a good idea to review your contract following a dispute with your employer. A review will be able to confirm whether there might be any other potential problems lurking in your agreement, which can be addressed at sooner rather than later.
CHANGES TO YOUR CONTRACT
During your employment, your employer may wish to make changes to your contract. This could be for several reasons, such as a restructure, a change in work location, or to save money if business isn’t going well.
Generally, changes can only be made to your contract if you agree (although there are exceptions). Understanding the impact of the changes can help you weigh up the proposed changes against the alternatives. For example, if the company is trying to save money to avoid redundancy, a review of the changes can help you to decide whether the impact of the changes is proportionate to the risk of opposing them.
If you want to negotiate changes to your contract, we can represent you in discussions.
We can advise on such things as:
notice periods
salary and bonus schemes
financial and other benefits
protection of confidential information and intellectual property
post-termination restrictions, non-solicitation and non-compete clauses.
WHAT DOES IT COST?
We charge an hourly rate, so the exact cost will depend on the time it takes to carry out a review and to advise. This in turn will depend on how long and complex the contract is. We will ask for information on your role, industry-specific questions (if relevant), the length of your agreement and the type of clauses included. We will also ask you to identify any areas of concern or issues on which you may want guidance. One of our solicitors will then be able to give you an accurate estimate of the cost of the review.
If you ask us to help with negotiating your contract the time it takes to negotiate changes in your contract will also depend upon how willing your employer is to negotiate.
GET IN TOUCH
Do you have a legal matter you'd like to discuss with us? Get in touch using the details below or use the form here and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your enquiry.
Address: Spencer Shaw Solicitors Limited
St Mary's House, 68 Harborne Park Road,
Harborne, Birmingham, B17 0DH
Opening hours:
Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 5:00PM
Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays - Closed
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