Handed a severance agreement in New York?

What the release actually does.

Buried past the payment terms is the clause that matters: a general release extinguishing discrimination, retaliation, harassment, wage, and contract claims, everything, forever. If your termination followed a complaint to HR, a medical leave, a pregnancy, an accommodation request, or years of strong reviews ended by a sudden pretext, the claims being released may be worth a multiple of the offer. That is exactly the situation severance is designed to close cheaply.

The clocks inside the document.

If you are 40 or older, federal law generally requires 21 days to consider an age release, 45 in a group termination, plus 7 days to revoke after signing. Those windows exist so you can get advice. Companies present them as pressure; they are actually your leverage, and asking for review within them is routine and expected. Employers do not pull offers because you consulted a lawyer.

What is negotiable.

More than the number. Weeks of pay, the treatment of unvested equity and bonuses, benefits continuation, a neutral reference, mutual non-disparagement, narrowing or eliminating a non-compete, and the release's carve-outs are all moved routinely, especially where the timing of the termination gives you claim leverage. The worst realistic outcome of a professional counter is the original offer, still on the table.

How the review works.

Send the agreement. We review it, tell you plainly what you are releasing, whether the facts suggest claims worth asserting, and what a counter should demand. The engagement structure depends on the matter and is stated up front in writing, and the initial consultation costs nothing. What it protects is the largest severance decision most people ever make, on a deadline the company chose.