Employment Law

Whether you're an employee or senior executive, our specialist employment solicitors have the know-how to handle any dispute or other legal problem you encounter.

Employment is a complex area of law. Our leading team does more than provide authoritative advice - we also ensure our legal advice is delivered in way that is simple for clients to understand.

Our employment lawyers know your priority is to keep your career on track. We're with you for the journey, from understanding the terms of your contract of employment through to advising on disciplinary and grievance procedures should they come your way.

We're known for being responsive, able to navigate complex problems and only settling for excellence. It's the blueprint for the way we provide clear solutions and practical, useable advice wherever you're located in the UK.

Employment Tribunal claims – price transparency

Costs

Our expert employment lawyers charge an hourly rate for all work that they undertake. The hourly rates of our employment lawyers range from £240 plus VAT to £390 plus VAT.

As a general guide, our pricing for bringing and defending Employment Tribunal claims (for wrongful dismissal, unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing etc.) are:

Simple case: between £5,000 - £12,000 (plus VAT and disbursements)
Medium complexity case: £12,000 and £18,000 (plus VAT and disbursements
High complexity case: between £18,000 and £30,000 (plus VAT and disbursements).

It is difficult to give an accurate estimate of the total amount of fees you are likely to incur in Employment Tribunal proceedings as each case is assessed on its own facts. We will be able to give you a more accurate estimate once we have further information on your proposed claim and we will update this as the matter progresses.

All quoted prices attract VAT at 20%.

Factors that could make a case more complex:

• 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

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing (charged at 7 hours of the solicitors’ time for each day of the Hearing that you wish your solicitor to attend).

Disbursements

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

Counsel's fees range between £700 to £10,000 plus VAT per day (including Brief Fee) (fees depend on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).

Additional disbursements

Medical reports / OH reports - £500 plus VAT - £5,000 plus VAT

Translation fees - £250 - £2,000 plus VAT

Handwriting experts - £500 - £1,500 plus VAT

Company searches/solvency checks - £35 - £500 plus VAT

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)
• Preparing claim or response
• Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
• 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 their content with witnesses
• Preparing bundle of documents
• 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 Counsel

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of the stages above are not required, you will not be charged for this. 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 on your individual needs.

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 4-6 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 12-18 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.

Key individuals

Our list of experienced employment professionals with experience in this area is available here

Our employment team are under the direct supervision of Emma Thompson.