Employment Tribunal Claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal

Our fees for bringing and defending Employment Tribunal claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal are:

If your case is simple                                                                                  £3,000-£5,000

If your case is of medium complexity                                                      £6,000-£10,000

If your case is of high complexity                                                             £10,000-£20,000

Factors that could make your case more complex (there may be others):

• 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. dismissal by reason of whistleblowing
• Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal

Attending a Tribunal Hearing                                                                  £1,500 per day

(we would generally allow 1-5 days depending on the complexity of your case)

All our fees will have VAT added to them at the prevailing rate.

In addition to the above charges disbursements may be incurred throughout the transaction.

If there is a possibility that you will have access to other funding arrangements, for example Legal Expenses Insurance or Trade Union Membership these will be discussed at your first appointment.

What are Disbursements?

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Court fees or expert’s fees. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

What are the likely Disbursements?

Counsel’s fees are estimated at £1,500 to £3,000 per day (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).

What is included in the cost?

There are a number of steps to the Tribunal process and we will:

• Meet with you to take full instructions and review all relevant documentation
• Provide you with an assessment of your claim or defence and advise you appropriately
• Draft the claim or defence form (ET1 or ET3)
• Prepare documents for disclosure
• If acting for the respondent, prepare the bundle for hearing
• Take and draft witness statements
• Correspond with you, the Tribunal and the other party, and any other relevant parties and conduct settlement negotiations on your behalf, if appropriate.

How long will my case take?

It is difficult to estimate the likely timescale of a case as each case is different but this will be discussed with you at the outset.

Typically, it takes 1-2 weeks from when you instruct us to lodge the ET1 (claim form). The other party then has 28 days in which to respond. If the case continues to final hearing most tribunal cases are listed for full hearing after around 6-9 months from the date the ET1 (claim form) is lodged. This timescale can and does vary, depending on which Tribunal location the case is listed at.

Who will be doing my work?

Our dedicated Employment team has many years of collective experience in delivering high quality work. One of the following team members will be working on your matter:

Hannah Strawbridge                 Associate Solicitor                 Hourly rate £230

Lewis Holroyd                               Solicitor                                  Hourly rate £180