We summarise below a range of typical fees that might be involved in bringing or defending claims in the Employment Tribunal. However, every case is different. At the outset, we will analyse your case and provide you with a tailored estimate of fees.
Who will do the work?
All work will be carried out by qualified solicitors assisted by paralegals, trainee solicitors, and other support staff.
Simple case: £5000-£7000 (excluding VAT)
Medium complexity case: £7,000-£15,000 (excluding VAT)
High complexity case: £15,000-£20,000 (excluding VAT)
Factors that could make a case more complex:
- Where more than one claim is brought, such as unfair dismissal and discrimination.
- 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 upon 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
There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing depending on the seniority of the solicitor this normally ranges from £500-£750 per day (excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow 2-7 days for the case to be heard, depending on its complexity.
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 the claim or response
- Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other parties
- 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 on a bundle of documents
- Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
- Preparing bundle of documents
- Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
- Agreeing on a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
- Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Counsel’s fees estimated between £750 to £2000 plus VAT per day (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).
The stages set out above are an indication and if some of the stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged with you on an individual basis.
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 AcAs Early Conciliation, your case is likely to take 1-4 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 16-52 weeks depending on the complexity of the case and the availability of the Employment Tribunal to list the case for hearing. 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.