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Transparency in price & service

The Solicitors Regulation Authority has published Transparency Rules to ensure consumers have the information they need to make an informed choice of legal services providers, including understanding what the costs may be in relation to certain matters.

We will always be happy to discuss what work is likely to be entailed and the potential associated costs when dealing with your employment law needs. Please feel free to contact a member of our team to explore in more detail.

Regarding our core team of employment lawyers, the following provides an outline of our potential fees in bringing or defending ‘ordinary’ unfair dismissal and/or wrongful dismissal claims (in respect of unpaid notice) in an Employment Tribunal.

Please note that the below indicative figures are not quotes, and exclude disbursements (explained below). They also do not relate  to more complex claims (such as discrimination). If you are in any doubt as to the relevant claims applicable to your dispute please contact a member of our team to discuss. More complex claims are likely to be more expensive than the potential costs outlined below.

You may also have other funding options available (such as cover under an insurance policy). Again, a member of our team will be happy to discuss this with you.

  • Simple case: £20,000 - £50,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
  • Medium complexity case: £50,000 - £80,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
  • High complexity case: £80,000 - £250,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

We typically charge based on an hourly rate which varies depending on the member(s) of staff dealing with your matter. The seniority of the member(s) of staff dealing with your case will depend on its complexity. We will discuss this with you when you instruct us.

In the most complex discrimination and/or whistleblowing cases, costs can exceed the figures set out above.

Example factors that could make a case more complex (and expensive) include the following:

  • 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 and/or against multiple respondents;
  • making or defending a costs application;
  • dealing with complex preliminary issues (such as whether a claim has been brought within the applicable time-limits);
  • the number of witnesses and documents;
  • the length of the hearing; and
  • the seniority of the lawyers working on your case.

Generally, we would allow 2-7 days for a Tribunal Hearing, depending on the complexity of your case (although the length of your hearing could be outside of this range). Once we have more details on your case, we will be able provide a more accurate indication of the possible duration of your hearing.

For businesses, we may also be able to support you in defending Employment Tribunal claims via our rockhopper service.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter payable to third parties such as barristers and court fees. You will be responsible for all sums charged by such third parties. We may arrange for you to be invoiced direct by them or we may handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Employment Tribunals do not currently charge fees for bringing or defending claims but there may be courier or copying charges, for example, in preparing disclosure or bundles of documents for the Employment Tribunal.

The fees associated with a barrister will depend on the specific barrister, their experience, the complexity of the issues, the volume of documentation, the amount of work they need to undertake and the length of the hearing. They also vary between barristers’ chambers as different chambers have different fee rates. However, as a guide, barrister’s fees could be between £1,000 - £10,000 per day excluding VAT, charged at 20% (depending on seniority and experience of the barrister and the complexity of your case) for attending a Tribunal Hearing. In addition there would be a brief fee which covers much of the  case preparation. Once again, please contact a member of our team to discuss the potential options and costs in this regard.

Key stages

The range of fees summarised above is intended to address the typical stages of a claim in the Employment Tribunal for unfair dismissal and/or wrongful dismissal claims (in respect of notice periods). These stages may include:

  • taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and potential compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and will be subject to change);
  • entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
  • preparing your claim or response (as applicable);
  • reviewing and advising on the merits of your claim or response and the recommended strategy;
  • exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process;
  • preparing or considering a schedule of loss;
  • 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 content with witnesses;
  • preparing a bundle of documents for trial;
  • reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements;
  • agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or a cast list; and
  • preparation and attendance at a Final Hearing, including giving instructions to a barrister.

Depending on the complexity of the matter and the specific work required the range of fees estimated above may increase or decrease. Further, you may wish to handle the claim yourself in whole or in part and only seek our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can be discussed on a case-by-case basis with a member of our team and may positively impact the related costs.

How long will my matter take?

The time that it takes from receiving your initial instructions to the final conclusion of your matter will depend on the specific circumstances and the specific Tribunal where the claim issued. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your  case could take 2-8 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case could take 6-18 months. However, these are just estimates and Employment Tribunal resources are under particular strain at present, and there are currently substantial delays in getting hearing dates, especially for longer hearings. We will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses. Please contact a member of our team to discuss in more detail.