Employment Tribunal Claims Fees.

Employment Tribunal Claim Service Pricing Information for Unfair Dismissal or Wrongful Dismissal Fees.

Our fees for dealing with unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal claims are based on hourly rates. The hourly rates of the team who may deal with your matter range from £187 to £325 plus VAT (£224.40 to £390 with VAT). We anticipate that our fees for dealing with your matter will be in the following ranges, if we are instructed from and in relation to the beginning of ACAS Early Conciliation up to and including to a final hearing:

Simple case: £7,000 to £10,000 plus VAT (£8,400 to £12,000 with VAT)

Medium complexity case: £10,000 to £20,000 plus VAT (£12,000 to £24,000 with VAT)

High complexity case: £24,000 to £50,000+ plus VAT (£28,800 to £60,000+ with VAT)

Factors that could make the matter more complex include:

If there is a dispute as to whether there was a dismissal
If automatic unfair dismissal is alleged (including due to the requirement for a preliminary hearing)
If there was a long and/or detailed history of relevant events which led to dismissal
If multiple and/or detailed allegations were made by either party that are relevant to the dismissal
If there is a lot of documentary evidence
If there are pertinent witnesses beyond the claimant, a dismissing officer and an appeal officer
If a party fails to comply with the Tribunals’ directions or otherwise conducts the proceedings in an unreasonable manner
If there is detailed evidence relating to quantum (compensation), such as in relation to complex remuneration arrangements, pension loss, the availability of new work, the assessment of income from a business set up by the claimant post dismissal, and/or any impact of ill health on the claimant’s ability to work

Other types of employment claim will involve different charges. Please ask us for details.

Disbursements

Often, a barrister will be instructed to represent you at a final hearing rather than one of our solicitors. The cost of a barrister will depend upon their level of experience and expertise, and can range from approximately £1,000 plus VAT (£1,200 with VAT) per day for a very junior barrister and to over £3,000 plus VAT (over £3,600 with VAT) for a very senior barrister. The above indications of fees are inclusive of the cost of representation at a final hearing, whether that is by a barrister or one of our solicitors.

If a medical report is to be obtained in relation to the assessment of compensation, costs can be as low as around £100 plus VAT (£120 with VAT) for obtaining a short report from a GP to in the region of £1,000 to £2,500 plus VAT (£1,200 to £3,000 with VAT) for obtaining a medico-legal report from a consultant.

Services Included

The following services and key stages are included within the above indicated fees:-

Early Conciliation

Meeting with you to receive your initial instructions and provide initial advice
Considering your instructions in detail and all necessary documents and preparing a written advice regarding the merits and potential value of claims, likely costs and strategy
Liaising with you, ACAS and the other side during Early Conciliation

Proceedings

If you are a claimant, preparing and submitting a claim (ET1) and considering, and advising in respect of, the response (ET3)
If you are a respondent, considering and advising in respect of the claim (ET1) and preparing and submitting a response (ET3)
If applicable, preparing for and attending at any preliminary hearing(s)
If you are a claimant, preparing a schedule of loss
If you are a respondent, considering the claimant’s schedule of loss and, if necessary, preparing a counter-schedule
Disclosing documents and considering and advising in respect of documents disclosed by the other side
Agreeing, and if you are a respondent preparing, a trial bundle
Preparing and exchanging witness statements and considering and advising in respect of the other side’s statements
Where necessary, preparing a chronology, statement of agreed facts and/or a list of issues
Preparing for and attending at a final hearing, or instructing a barrister in that regard

Timescales

Early Conciliation: Once commenced, the Early Conciliation period can last for up to four weeks, unless there remains a prospect of settlement and the parties agree to an extension, which can extend the period to six weeks.

Proceedings: How long a matter will take to reach a final hearing will depend on factors such as whether a preliminary hearing is required, the likely duration of the final hearing and how busy the Tribunals are. Currently, it can take more than 11 months from the commencement of proceedings for a one day case to reach a hearing, and more than 14 months for a case requiring 10 days or more.

The Team

Find out more about the individuals who may be working on your case via the links below. Their profiles will include information as to their experience and qualifications.

John Merry, partner and head of the employment department
Gemma Workman, solicitor

Accreditations