Are Severance Agreements Required in California?

I am asked on a daily basis whether Severance Agreements or Separation Agreements are required under the law in California. No, they are not required. Employers provide them for several different reasons, but mainly to foreclose the soon to be ex-employees pursuit of a legal claim in court. Some companies state that they do it for good will but in my opinion most companies only provide severance or separation agreements to avoid future lawsuits.