Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal to include representation at Trial is estimated as follows:
Simple case:
£8,000 - £10,000
plus VAT at 20%Medium complexity case:
£10,000 - £18,000
plus VAT at 20%High complexity case:
£18,000 - £35,000
plus VAT at 20%Our hourly charging rates are:-
- • Directors/Consultants: £295
- • Senior associates £285
- • Associates: £275
- • Solicitors £265
- • Trainees/paralegals £200
- • Secretaries £150
All fees quoted above are exclusive of VAT, which is currently charged at 20%. VAT is payable in addition to our fees and, where applicable, on disbursements.
Factors that could make a case more complex include:
- If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
- Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
- Making or defending a costs application
- Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
- The number of witnesses and documents
- If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer
- Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal
- If the claim is multi-claim
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs payable to third parties and are separate from our fees. These may include Barrister’s fees, expert fees (for example medical evidence in discrimination claims), and transcription or copying costs where required. VAT may be payable on certain disbursements, including Barrister’s fees, depending on the supplier. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Barrister’s fees are estimated to be between £850 to £1,500 per day plus VAT at 20% (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).
These fees do not include appeals to the Employment Appeal Tribunal, enforcement action, or separate advice on settlement agreements unless expressly agreed
There are currently no fees payable to bring a claim in the Employment Tribunal or to lodge an appeal in the Employment Appeal Tribunal. Previous proposals to reintroduce modest fees have not been implemented, and the tribunal system remains free to access.
Key stages
The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:
- Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
- Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
- Preparing claim or response
- Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
- Preparing an application to strike out all or part of a Claim of Response
- Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
- Preparing or considering a schedule of loss and the preparation of any counter-schedule
- Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
- Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
- Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
- Preparing bundle of documents where directed
- Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
- Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
- Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to a Barrister
How long will my matter take?
The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 2-4 weeks. If the claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 9-12 months. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.
The Employment Tribunal does not usually order one party to pay the other’s legal costs. Costs orders are only made in limited circumstances, for example where a party or their representative has acted unreasonably, vexatiously, abusively, or otherwise improperly in the conduct of proceedings
The Employment Tribunal team
The team are listed below. Stephen Foote oversees all Employment Tribunal work.
