Can I revoke a settlement agreement?

First of all, it matters who drafted the agreement, who are the parties to the agreement, and what precisely is being "settled"? Typically an "agreement for judgment" is the most binding settlement agreement, since the agreement becomes an order of the court once it is approved by the presiding judge. However, you have to already be in court (i.e., sue or be sued) to get the benefit of that. Was there a lawsuit filed or a lawsuit threatened?

Yes, details of a settlement agreement can be made public, especially when a governmental body is involved due to the Public Information or Open Records Act. This act states that the public has a right to access information on government affairs and official acts of public officials and employees unless expressly excepted. However, there are exceptions to this general rule. For instance, disclosure of personnel information that would "constitute a clearly unwarranted invasion of personal privacy" is excepted. This is not to say that all settlement agreements are public. In some cases, parties to a settlement agreement may choose to include confidentiality clauses, which prevent the details of the settlement from being disclosed to the public or any third party. The legal rule for agreements between attorneys or parties touching any suit pending is that they will not be enforced unless they are in writing, signed and filed with the papers as part of the record, or unless they are made in open court and entered of record.

In Washington, there are no punitive damages. Employment resolutions are usually based on some percentage or multiple of a person's salary. It is your job to reach a settlement that is fair and reasonable for you, not for a litigant against you (that's their job, not yours). If you are having difficulty resolving this dispute, you may want to consider mediation. Before you pay the employee, be sure to have them sign a full and complete release of all current and future liability and claims against you individually, your business, your heirs; etc. Also, if you have business insurance, it's possible you are entitled to a free attorney to represent you in this dispute.

I'm so sorry to hear about this. However, you posted on ContractsCounsel in the "question and answer" part of ContractsCounsel - I think you should obtain legal help, and for this, you need to post your request in the "project" area and expect to pay an attorney for help and advice. I'm sorry, I'm unable to answer all your questions - I just dropped in to provide these comments to you. (Also, please do not ask for me for a project, and I am not available for this type of work right now).

Dear Nezar, Most universities and technical colleges have a date by which you must drop a class without incurring the charges for the class--it's called a drop window. Usually that is a 2-4 week period. If you took classes and dropped them late in the semester, it was probably after the drop window for the school. I suggest reviewing the school's policy on dropping classes and trying to speak to someone in authority about negotiating a lower payment or explaining that you did not understand the drop window policy. If you need assistance in negotiating with the school, I am happy to write a letter or advocate on your behalf a settlement. Thanks, Attorney Sarah DeBruin, One Law Group SC, Green Bay, WI, sdebruin@onelawgroupsc.com and phone 920-330-9208.