Employment Law Pricing

Our Fees

We will either agree a fixed sum with you at the start of your case or charge based on the time it takes to deal with your case. Our standard hourly rates range from £100 plus VAT for one of our solicitors to £350 plus VAT for a Director.

Typical Costs for Employees

To give a general idea of our fees (excluding disbursements – see below), the typical ranges for an employee bringing an unfair or wrongful dismissal claim are:

• Simple cases: £10,000 – £14,000 (excluding VAT)

• Medium complexity cases: £14,000 – £20,000 (excluding VAT)

• High complexity cases: £20,000 – £40,000+ (excluding VAT)

Typical Costs for Employers

For employers defending a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal, the ranges are usually higher:

• Simple cases: £12,000 – £18,000 (excluding VAT)

• Medium complexity cases: £18,000 – £23,000 (excluding VAT)

• High complexity cases: £23,000 – £55,000+ (excluding VAT)

Fixed fees usually fall within these estimates.

Factors Affecting Complexity

The time spent on a case, and therefore the cost, can vary significantly depending on complexity. Cases become more complex if:

• It is necessary to attend a long hearing

• Applications must be made or defended to amend claims or provide further information

• Claims are brought by litigants in person

• A costs application must be made or defended

• Complex preliminary issues arise, such as whether the claimant is disabled (if not agreed by the parties)

• There are many witnesses or documents

• It is an automatic unfair dismissal claim, such as dismissal after whistleblowing

• There are allegations of discrimination linked to the dismissal

Simpler matters, such as employee settlement agreements, cost far less and may be paid by the employer. Call us on 0203 488 3078 if you are unsure what type of case you have and we will guide you further.

Disbursements

You will need to pay for disbursements in addition to our fees. In unfair or wrongful dismissal claims, the most common disbursement is barrister’s fees. A barrister is often instructed to deal with a Tribunal hearing if your case does not settle beforehand, which often happens. Barrister’s fees are usually around £1,000 plus VAT per day. We will guide you on this whenever external costs need to be incurred.

Other Costs to Consider

Normally, you do not have to pay your opponent’s costs in an employment claim. If we think you are at risk of paying these costs, we will discuss this with you at the earliest stage.

Examples of Our Charges

Here is a typical example (for illustration only) of the legal costs of bringing an employment Tribunal claim by an employee that is relatively simple and settles within six weeks:

Our legal fees: £15,000 plus VAT (£18,000 inclusive of VAT at 20%)
Counsel’s fees: for a 3-day hearing (£3,000 plus VAT = £3,600 inclusive of VAT at 20%)
Total: £21,600

For a medium complexity case that results in a 3–5 day hearing before conclusion, the costs are:

Our legal fees: £15,000 plus VAT (£18,000 inclusive of VAT at 20%)
Counsel’s fees: for a 3-day hearing (£3,000 plus VAT = £3,600 inclusive of VAT at 20%)
Total: £21,600

Key Stages of Your Claim

The examples above cover all work in relation to:

• Taking your initial instructions, reviewing papers, and advising on your prospects of success and likely compensation (this may be revisited throughout the case)

• Entering into pre-claim conciliation with ACAS where mandatory

• Preparing your claim or response

• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s claim or response

• Exploring and negotiating a settlement throughout

• Preparing or considering a schedule of loss

• Preparing for and attending a Preliminary Hearing

• Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle

• Taking witness statements, drafting statements, and agreeing their content

• Preparing bundles of documents for the final hearing

• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements

• Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology, and/or cast list

• Preparing instructions to the barrister (if this is not handled in-house) for the final hearing

If some of these stages are not required, your fees may be reduced. Some clients prefer to handle certain stages of straightforward matters themselves and only seek our advice when necessary. If we consider this approach appropriate, it can also reduce your overall cost.

Timeframe for Your Case

The time it takes from your initial instructions to the end of your case depends largely on when it is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim discussions, your case is likely to take 3–4 weeks. If it proceeds to a final hearing, it is likely to take 18–36 weeks. We can give you a more accurate estimate once we have details of your case and as it progresses.

Who Will Handle Your Case

Our team includes qualified lawyers and experienced paralegals who specialise in employment law. Once we know who will handle your case, we will introduce you and provide full details of their background and qualifications.

Regardless of who works on your case, a senior lawyer or director will supervise the matter.