Create your free

Settlement and Release Agreement

with a vetted template & direct download
Get template
Join 100,000+ other people

Settlement and Release Agreement

This Agreement is entered by and between Jonas Adam, individually or collectively as the "Signee" and Jane Smith, as the "Signer", together referred to as the "Parties".
The Contract is dated [the date both parties sign].

1. Agreement terms

The Parties agree that the following agreement is dependent on the terms presented as follow:

Protect yourself

with our library of vetted, plain English templates

Save time

generating your agreement with a few questions only

Get peace of mind

with a standard and transparent process

Join 100,000+ people
who trusted us with their legal documents

,,
Discovering Prospero templated contract has saved me countless hours dealing with stressful and costly paperwork.
It has now become my go-to service for all my personal and business legal needs.

Mary Fowler, Atlanta

Our 3-step process to create your Settlement and Release Agreement

Getting your template with Prospero is as easy as 1-2-3. And you can even e-sign it online.

1.
Choose your template online
Choose from a variety of agreement templates covering a wide range of personal and business needs.
2.
Answer questions
Use our simple online tool to gather all the information you need to generate your contract. You can save your progress if you need more time.
3.
Download or e-sign your document
Once all your information is gathered and validated, you can export your agreement as a PDF or e-sign directly online to make it legally binding.

Get started and generate your

Settlement and Release Agreement

Generating your form...
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.

What is a Settlement and Release Agreement?

Sometimes, lawsuits hit a point where it is no longer worth the time and energy (not to mention the money) it takes to continue fighting for what you think you deserve. In these circumstances, a Settlement and Release Agreement is a quick and legally binding way to find a swift compromise and an end to the legal battle.  

This agreement can also be used for defendants who prefer to settle outside of a court situation. This allows you to resolve the issue before having to spend the money and time going before a judge. As a plaintiff (or person who is filing a lawsuit), this agreement will let you clearly define the terms that you will require before settling. Keep in mind that while a release agreement is generally used to release either parties before any disputes happen, a settlement and release agreement is used after those disputes.

Generally speaking, neither party in a lawsuit wants to be engaged in a drawn out and prolonged legal battle. They cost tons of money in attorney fees, filing fees, and court fees. They also cost time and energy preparing depositions and discoveries. This sample Settlement and Release Agreement template will allow you to clearly and easily define the terms under which you are willing to settle a lawsuit outside of court, and it is a legally binding agreement you can use if one party tries to back out of the agreement or fails to follow through with their obligations. 


When should I use a sample Settlement and Release Agreement template?

There are a few different circumstances that might require you to grab a sample Settlement and Release Agreement template. These are great if you want to settle outside of court. A Defendant should use this agreement if they are involved in a lawsuit and wish to settle it outside of court instead of fighting all the charges and hoping for a ruling in their favor. 

If you are filing a lawsuit against a business, this might also be a good idea for you. Many businesses would rather settle outside of court than have their good reputation dragged through the press in a public lawsuit. This sample Settlement and Release Agreement template will allow you to clearly define the terms that you would be willing to settle instead of taking them to court, where they may suffer in the eyes of the press.

When people get into legal battles, it can become ugly very quickly. This is especially true if one party is particularly emotionally invested, or feels slighted. This becomes especially complicated in convoluted situations and disputes where things are grey, and both sides have a very strong case in the dispute. A Settlement and Release Agreement can allow both parties to find a compromise instead of prolonged legal battles.

Whether you are the defendant or the one bringing the suit against them, it is in your best interest to find an agreeable and quick end to the dispute. Civil suits are very expensive for both parties. If the other party is willing to discuss your terms and negotiate with you, then you can avoid the time and money on both sides. This is easier than a legal dispute, faster than a legal dispute, and saves both parties a lot of time and effort. It’s highly likely that the other party involved in your suit would also rather settle outside of court and avoid the extra time and money, so if you are willing to negotiate you can use the Settlement and Release Agreement template.


Why do I need a sample Settlement and Release Agreement template?

This document is very important. It is legally binding and may end up costing you a lot of money if you do not perform it correctly. That’s why we recommend using our sample Settlement and Release Agreement template as a basis for your claim.

This document needs to be undertaken with the same gravitas that you would use for any other formal legal contract or document. There are a lot of different ways that a settlement might fail or turn south, and you need to make sure that you are careful when assigning terms. 


You may want to consider a neutral third party when negotiating a Settlement and Release Agreement. (Source)


Settlement agreements that are not negotiated well may result in someone losing their career. You may also end up with the dissolution of a partnership or a joint venture, a bad deal, or any number of other issues. So a clearly written Settlement and Release Agreement that prevents you from receiving the settlement money and terms that you thought you had agreed to. Having an attorney draw them up, or at the least using a sample Settlement and Release Agreement template will help avoid these costly mistakes.


What should I include in the Settlement and Release Agreement?

Scope of the release

You should define the scope of your release. These are the claims that are involved. At the core, a Settlement and Release Agreement is the decision that you are releasing them fro the possibility of a future lawsuit over the claims of your suit. This Settlement and Release Agreement, therefore, must define what the claim is that is being resolved. This needs to cover what you want it to cover and nothing else. 

General versus specific or narrow release

You should consider whether you want to give them a specific release from a single claim or a general release. Specific releases resolve only a specific claim in the issue. If, for example, you are suing because someone failed to pay you the agreed upon and contractually obligated amount for a good or service, then the specific release would resolve that issue.  General releases will resolve “any and all claims” that the plaintiff has against the defendant at the time of the Settlement and Release Agreement. If you are worried about future issues, then you can specify that it is a general release that only includes actions taken up to the date of the contract but not any potential future claims if the defendant acts again. 

Dismissal with or without prejudice

You also need to determine whether the claims will be dismissed with prejudice or without. If you just dismiss claims, ten they can be filed again at a future date. If you dismiss them with prejudice, then they are permanently put to rest and may never be reopened.

One-sided or two-sided release

You also want to include both parties that are included in the release. If, for example, the dispute is over a license or patent, then you may want to make sure that all of your companies are protected by the release so the plaintiff can’t sue all of your business partners for the same reason individually. However, a plaintiff could justifiably ask for a much larger settlement in order to release all companies rather than just one. 


Settlement and Release Agreements are legally binding documents, so make sure to be clear. (Source)


You also need to clearly define your terms. Make sure that both parties negotiating for the Settlement and Release Agreement have the legal authority to enter into this legally binding contract and make those decisions. Finally, plan for contingencies and insist upon confidentiality. 

General Contractor Agreements

For people that are looking to have work done on their home or commercial build will need a general contractor. The general contractor agreement is important to maintain timelines and outline expectations of a project. This is drawn up to clear up any confusion and resolve conflicts. Do not allow a general contractor to start working without this agreement as it could be a huge personal liability. 

The following are the essential elements of a general contractor agreement: 

  • Names of the client, contractor, and address of the property where the project is being completed. 
  • A detailed description of what is to be done and materials to be used.
  • Overall costs for specific changes in the scope of the project.
  • Payment terms and forms of payment that are accepted. 
  • Expectations of date of completion. Other details like days working on the project or times the project is to be worked on is important. 

Both parties are protected by these agreements and they are essential to maintaining the integrity of the project. The right general contractor can produce quality work at reasonable prices!

Subcontractor Agreements 

A marketing company that contracts out work they receive from a client like that of content writing would require a subcontractor agreement. A subcontractor is tasked to undertake a portion of a project if they do specialized work. Entire projects can be subcontracted out as well with the company working with the subcontractor at a lower price than they are receiving. The subcontractor agreement is to protect both parties and should be extremely thorough.

Far too many companies take advantage of subcontractors so the agreement should contain the following:

  • The description of what the project entails is extremely important. Scope creep happens often where the scope of the project changes without change in compensation. 
  • The duration of the project must be highlighted along with deadlines associated. 
  • Payment terms should be exact and payment accepted should be listed.
  • Grounds for the termination of the agreement.
  • A non-compete clause should be present along with an NDA in certain situations.

Business agreements should always be looked over by a legal professional. Certain language can impact an agreement in major ways. 

Joint Venture Agreements

Joint ventures are quite common in today’s business world. Plenty of companies partner with others that have expertise or staff that they do not possess. These types of ventures will require a joint venture agreement to be drawn up. If the companies are going to remain separate yet work on a specific project together this is a joint venture rather than formal partnership. 

The following are the essential details that a joint venture agreement should contain:

  • The parties that are entering the venture together must be named. Monetary commitments must also be detailed along with the length of the venture.
  • Grounds for the termination of the agreement are important. Being associated with a company enduring a PR nightmare is not the company that many businesses want to keep. 
  •  NDAs are commonly signed as the companies will work very closely together. This could reveal certain information about products or sensitive information on the inner workings of a business.

Joint ventures can maximize profits for both parties involved. Consider a joint venture with a trusted and reputable company to reap the benefits!

Related templates