Fixed-Term Contract Lawyers
Cut Short? You're Owed the Rest
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Your partner on the path toYour partner tothe rest of your term.
A fixed term isn't a disposable one. End it early and they may owe the whole thing. Mirza Law gets back what you're owed, so you can move on.
Do not sign anything.
One signature settles everything: your notice, your bonus, your benefits, your claim. Get the offer checked first. The review is free.
Your offer letter, annotated.
Dear Employee,
"Your engagement ends with the expiry of your fixed-term contract."
If you kept working past the end date, that contract is gone. The law treats you as a permanent employee, owed full severance based on all your time here.
"As the contract has simply reached its term, no severance is owed."
Not necessarily. If your contract was renewed again and again, courts often ignore it. You may be owed severance from your very first day, not nothing.
"We are ending the engagement before the term is complete."
Cut a fixed-term contract short and the employer often owes the entire balance of the term, every remaining month, not a few weeks' notice.
"This offer remains open until Friday at 5:00 p.m."
Their deadline, not yours. Your claim is good for two years. Deadlines like this exist to get a signature before you get advice.
"In exchange, you agree to release all claims against the company."
The only sentence in the letter you can't undo. Everything above it can still change. This one can't, once you sign.
Sincerely,
Human Resources
"If your employer ends a fixed-term contract early, they often owe the whole rest of the term, not just a few weeks' notice."
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From offer
to what you're owed
Free review
Send your termination letter, your offer, and your employment contract. We read the fine print and work out what you're really owed, not just the legal minimum.
Negotiation
We send your employer the real number in writing, with the court cases that back it up. Most claims settle right here, with no courtroom. We push until the offer matches what you're owed.
Resolution
We check the fine print on the release, you sign, and your settlement lands in your bank account. This chapter closes and you move forward on your terms.
Amir Mirza
Managing Attorney
Licensed: 2017Fixed-term contracts in Ontario, explained
Ended early? They may owe the rest of the term
With a fixed-term contract, cutting it short often means the employer has to pay out the balance of the term, not just a few weeks. Six months into a one-year deal can mean six months owed. Fixed-term doesn't mean disposable, and what you're owed can be far more than what's offered.
Renewing contracts don't reset the clock
Stringing together back-to-back contracts doesn't wipe the slate each year. If you've been there for years on renewing terms, your real length of service is all of it, and your severance reflects that. Employers sometimes use rolling contracts to look like they owe less. Usually they owe the same as if you'd been permanent the whole time.
Worked past the end date? You're likely a regular employee now
Once a fixed-term contract ends and you keep working, the law usually treats you as employed under an ordinary, ongoing arrangement, with all your time counting. So if they let you go, you're owed severance based on everything, not just the latest contract.
How many renewals before you're permanent?
Usually not many. Once you're past the second or third renewal, courts often treat the contract as meaningless and you as a regular, permanent employee. Ten years of yearly contracts is ten years of service, and your severance is figured on all of it, not the few weeks a contract might name.
Non-renewal isn't always a free pass
Simply not renewing your contract isn't a clean way to owe you nothing, especially after years on repeated terms, or when the “non-renewal” conveniently follows a failed performance plan. If your years add up, a non-renewal can still leave them owing you severance.
Before you accept what's offered
Have the contract wording checked, because with fixed-term deals the gap between what's offered and what's owed can be large. The review is free, and we work on contingency.
Our Clients
Mirza Law has earned 4.8 stars on Google, and
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I couldn't be happier with the legal representation I received from Mirza Law. Amir negotiated a significantly higher severance package from what I was initially offered. I’m very grateful for the outcome. He explained every step of the process and was responsive throughout my case.
I highly recommend Amir Mirza if your long-term disability insurance claim was denied and you are considering taking legal action. Amir provided me with several options and explained how the process works very thoroughly. He took the time to answer all of my questions and concerns and always responded in a timely manner. I appreciated his caring approach during a stressful time in my life and never felt pressured to pursue litigation when speaking with him.
Mirza Law was professional, responsive, and easy to work with. The team provided clear guidance throughout the process and made everything straightforward to understand. I appreciated their support and would recommend them to anyone looking for reliable legal assistance.
I can't say enough great things about my experience with this firm. Amir was incredibly helpful and secured a much better settlement than I was initially offered. Couldn't have asked for more. I would definitely recommend Mirza Law.
My wife's long term disability benefits were cut off after two years and the team at Mirza Law helped us to get them back. We were working with Amir who dealt with our insurance company directly. He took the time to explain the whole process and laid out our options so we always understood where things stood.
I reached out to this law firm after being denied by Manulife for my long term disability benefits. Amir is genuinely one of the kindest and caring lawyers I have ever met. He guided me through this very difficult period in my life. I understood each part of the process and never felt rushed.
I couldn't be happier with the legal representation I received from Mirza Law. Amir negotiated a significantly higher severance package from what I was initially offered. I’m very grateful for the outcome. He explained every step of the process and was responsive throughout my case.
I highly recommend Amir Mirza if your long-term disability insurance claim was denied and you are considering taking legal action. Amir provided me with several options and explained how the process works very thoroughly. He took the time to answer all of my questions and concerns and always responded in a timely manner. I appreciated his caring approach during a stressful time in my life and never felt pressured to pursue litigation when speaking with him.
Mirza Law was professional, responsive, and easy to work with. The team provided clear guidance throughout the process and made everything straightforward to understand. I appreciated their support and would recommend them to anyone looking for reliable legal assistance.
I can't say enough great things about my experience with this firm. Amir was incredibly helpful and secured a much better settlement than I was initially offered. Couldn't have asked for more. I would definitely recommend Mirza Law.
My wife's long term disability benefits were cut off after two years and the team at Mirza Law helped us to get them back. We were working with Amir who dealt with our insurance company directly. He took the time to explain the whole process and laid out our options so we always understood where things stood.
I reached out to this law firm after being denied by Manulife for my long term disability benefits. Amir is genuinely one of the kindest and caring lawyers I have ever met. He guided me through this very difficult period in my life. I understood each part of the process and never felt rushed.
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