Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal:

Our price information is intended to be a guide, and a variety of factors can make a case more complex (see below), or protracted as the matter progresses.  The above estimates assume a solicitor or associate lawyer progressing the matter under supervision from a Senior Associate or Partner.

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of between £1,520 and £4,200 per day (excluding VAT), depending on the hourly rate of the employment lawyer. This additional charge applies irrespective of counsel’s attendance at a Hearing. Counsel’s fees are not included in the above estimates and explained further under “Disbursements”.

Our hourly rates are as follows:

Partner £525/490/430

Senior Associate £385

Associate £325

Solicitor or Legal Executive £275

Trainee £190

Paralegal £170

Legal Assistant £120

All fees are exclusive of VAT which will be payable in addition.

What is included

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 claim or response;

• reviewing and advising on claim or response from the other party;

• exploring 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; and

• 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, 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 on your individual needs.

There are however factors which may make a case more complex and impact costs. These should be considered at the outset and include:

• unrepresented claimants, known as litigants in person;

• requirement to amend claims or provide further information;

• preliminary issues to be determined;

• the volume of documentation;

• the number of witnesses;

• if the claim concerns whistleblowing (automatic unfair dismissal); and

• any discrimination connected to the dismissal.

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, and its complexity (see above). If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 6 to 8 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case will be heard on the date fixed by the Tribunal, often having regard to all parties’ availability.  We would expect simple cases to be heard within 6 months.  This is largely dependent also upon the resources of the Tribunal centre responsible for your case.  More complex/longer cases could take over a year to be heard.  Anything longer than 18 months for a full hearing is still regarded as unusual, though not unheard of.  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.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as travel, subsistence and accommodation expenses or counsel’s fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Our price information is exclusive of disbursements.

Counsel's fees can vary significantly (depending on the experience and seniority of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).  Counsel’s hourly rates can range from £150 to £600 + VAT.  They tend to charge fixed fees for attending and preparing for hearings or advice meetings (conferences) or for providing written opinions or draft statements of case.  When we instruct counsel, we will always agree their fees with you in advance and would ask for you to make a payment on account of their fees before the instructions are confirmed.