Employment settlement deeds for New Zealand employers and workers

The main problem is usually not that the parties had a discussion, but that they later remember the deal differently. Disputes can arise over payment timing, whether claims were fully released, what can be said about the departure, or whether extra obligations were intended. A deed gives the settlement a clear written structure and helps avoid loose ends. It is especially useful where there has been conflict, a negotiated exit, or multiple terms agreed at different times. The document should reflect the actual facts carefully, because wording alone cannot fix a confused or incomplete agreement.

A settlement deed often records any agreed payment, the timing of that payment, releases of claims, confidentiality terms, statements about liability, return of company property, and sometimes an agreed reference or internal announcement. Depending on the matter, it may also deal with restraints, withdrawal of allegations, or how accrued entitlements are treated. Not every deed needs every clause. The drafting depends on what has actually been agreed and what risks remain open if the matter is not closed out clearly. Earlier correspondence or draft offers can also affect how the deed should be framed.

It depends on the history of the issue, the documents already exchanged, and whether the parties are settling a clean exit or resolving allegations with more complexity behind them. For example, a straightforward departure may need concise payment and release wording, while a more sensitive matter may need careful treatment of confidentiality, references or non-disparagement language. The drafting should be matched to the commercial arrangement, the documents already in use and the facts around how the work is performed. If there are inconsistencies between the proposed terms and the existing employment documents, those should be addressed before the deed is finalised.

Templates can miss the points that matter most in a live employment matter. They may be too broad, too narrow, or inconsistent with what the parties have actually negotiated. A template also may not deal well with staged payments, disputed allegations, resignation wording, or practical issues like company property and future communications. A tailored deed We will make the key issues clear so you can decide what to do next. This service is for the deed and related drafting work, not ongoing representation in negotiations, disputes or wider HR management.

That depends on how settled the commercial deal already is. If both sides have largely agreed the terms, drafting or review is usually more straightforward. If there are competing versions of events, changing offers, or unresolved wording around release or confidentiality, the process can take longer because the deed needs to match the final position accurately. Once engaged, we review the background, prepare or revise the deed, and raise any issues that need clarification before signing. If you are working to a proposed exit date or payment date, flag that early.

Just submit an enquiry via this page or click the 'get started' button on our website to submit an enquiry. After you've submitted an enquiry, one of our legal consultants will review your enquiry within 1 business day and get in touch to get a better idea of exactly what you are looking for.

Then your legal consultant will send through an email with a bit more information about the services you need, along with a fixed fee quote setting out costs, scope of the service and timing. Have a read through it, and if you're happy with the scope, you can accept and sign our engagement letter online - easy!

Once you've formally accepted, we'll connect you with a specialist lawyer and they will work with you to complete your project. They will contact you by email or phone if they need to get in touch.

Sprintlaw works on fixed-fee pricing wherever possible, so you can review the scope and cost before you decide whether to proceed. For the Employment Settlement Deed service, pricing starts from $900.00.

After you enquire, a legal consultant will confirm what is included, the expected timing and whether any extra work is needed before you engage us.

We operate completely online, which means we can help you wherever you are in New Zealand. We have office spaces in Sydney, and in Melbourne, but our use of technology allows our team members to work remotely from around the world. Our legal team are mostly based in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth. We also have a London office for Sprintlaw UK.

Our legal team is made up of experienced lawyers, who are specialists in various areas of law and hold an Australian legal practising certificate. None of our Sprintlaw lawyers are New Zealand qualified lawyers and they do not currently hold a New Zealand practising certificate.

They provide legal services working remotely from Australia via our 'legal consultancy' model, through which (under section 6 and section 35 of the New Zealand Lawyers and Conveyancers Act 2006) our Australian legal team are permitted to provide legal services to New Zealand businesses provided they do not provide services in certain 'reserved' areas of law. You can read our FAQ page to learn a bit more about our 'legal consultancy' model.

Given the strong similarities between Australian and New Zealand law, and the areas of law in which we practice (being small business and startup law), we do not view the fact that our lawyers have not qualified in New Zealand as having any substantive impact on the quality of our service. We are committed to ensuring that we provide high quality, affordable legal services to all our New Zealand clients.

Our legal team have all trained at leading firms, but have left the traditional corporate law world to join us on our mission to create a new and better way of delivering legal services. They have specialist expertise in technology law, intellectual property law, contract drafting and review, corporate law and commercial law.