Hard to Fire
Soft Landing · Chapter 4 · Consultation route

The Legal Consultation Prep Sheet

Counsel can work faster when the facts arrive before the feelings. Bring an authorized document set, a clean chronology, and the questions that could change your next move.

Output: One consultation packet and one written next-step decision.

Documents0/7 document statuses recorded
Chronology0/8 chronology categories resolved
Questions0/8 questions prepared
OutputPacket open · Decision open

Consultation packet still has an unresolved section.

Next: record Complete separation agreement, exhibits, and disclosures.

1. Authorized documents

Bring copies you already possess or are authorized to retain. Do not forward company-confidential files to yourself. Do not export customer, employee, financial, source-code, strategy, investigation, or privileged material. Do not access systems after authorization ends. Tell counsel what may exist and let counsel advise on lawful preservation or requests.

1. Complete separation agreement, exhibits, and disclosures
2. Offer letter and amendments
3. Benefit, bonus, commission, equity, and plan documents
4. Relevant performance reviews, warnings, or performance plans
5. Complaint, leave, accommodation, wage, or ethics correspondence
6. Layoff notices and official company communications
7. Chapter 2 Decoder and Chapter 3 worksheet

2. One-page chronology

Record one event per line. Separate what you observed from what you inferred. Quote only words you can support.

1. Hire dateOpen
2. Recent reviewOpen
3. Complaint, leave, accommodation, wage, or ethics eventOpen
4. Performance actionOpen
5. Selection noticeOpen
6. Separation meetingOpen
7. Agreement receiptOpen
8. Known deadlineOpen

3. Questions for counsel

Prepare the questions before the meeting. Afterward, mark each one Answered, Follow-up required, or Not applicable. A prepared-only question keeps the final packet open.

1. Which deadlines and forums apply to these facts?
2. Does the age-waiver disclosure require further review?
3. Does the chronology raise a retaliation, discrimination, leave, wage, or contract issue?
4. What current state law affects the restrictive covenant?
5. Which documents may I lawfully preserve or request?
6. Should I negotiate directly, pause, or communicate through counsel?
7. What does your fee cover, and what could change it?
8. What outcome should I seek without assuming a claim or recovery?

4. Deadline check

A severance negotiation does not automatically stop another filing clock. Verify the current deadline through the EEOC, the relevant state or local agency, and qualified counsel. Federal employees use a different process. If 60 days or fewer may remain, use the EEOC's expedited filing information.

The controlling deadline isn't recorded yet.

5. Written next-step decision

The written route isn't recorded yet.

Completion test: The packet records every document status, resolves every chronology category, prepares every counsel question, verifies the deadline source, and records the route, decision date, responsible person, and next action. After the meeting, no question remains marked only as prepared.

The route is a decision you can defend. No score. No prediction. This tool provides routing and preparation, not legal advice, case valuation, a filing deadline, or a prediction of enforceability or recovery.

Monday Move

Record the controlling deadline and its source. Then complete the earliest unresolved chronology event with an observed fact and lawful source.