Pricing Transparency - Employment.

Pricing for Employment Tribunal Claim for Unfair Dismissal

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal (not including advocacy at any hearing):-

Very simple case: (for example, a wages claim) 2,000-3,000 plus VAT Simple case: £3,000-£5,000 plus VAT 

Medium complexity case: £5,000-£10,000 plus VAT High complexity case: £10,000-£35,000 plus VAT 

Very complex case: (for example, a multi-day, multi-witness case with significant documentation and possibly involving complex points on whistleblowing or discrimination) £35,000-£150,000 plus VAT

Factors that could make a case more complex:

• Number of days hearing
• 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 Counsel attending a Tribunal Hearing of between £2,000-3000 per day (excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow between 1 – 5 days depending on the complexity of the case (in very complex cases this could be more).

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 are estimated at between £2,000 to £3,000 plus VAT per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation). Our team has several decades worth of collective experience in delivering high quality work relating to employment matters. We have two members on our team who may work on your matter; Jacqui Swift and Debbie Mactaggart. Please find a link to their detailed profiles here.

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 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, 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.

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 up to 3 months to resolve. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case could take up to one year or more. 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.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this information, please contact us at Haddletons, Windsor House, Cornwall Road, Harrogate HG1 2PW or email at [email protected] or by telephone on +44 (0) 333 023 1700.