We are transparent about the fees associated with employment tribunal and in accordance with our regulatory obligations we provide guidelines in relation to our fees for representing clients in claims for unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal.
Our hourly fee rate for claimants (unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal claims) is £190 plus VAT. Our Claimant rates are discounted from our standard rates.
These fee rates cover all our work in handling an unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal tribunal case. The total costs will be dependent on a range of factors, including how long the case lasts, its complexity and the number of witnesses called. As there are a lot of factors that will affect the fees we charge we are only able to provide you with average costs. We can provide a full fee quote once we understand the issues of the case and once we have advised on the merits of a case. To do this we will need to undertake an assessment of your case which is likely to cost between £350 to £550. We are able to offer fixed fees once we have undertaken the initial review
The average fees that we charge a claimant who claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal (without any additional claims, such as discrimination), where the case goes all the way to a final hearing are as follows:
Simple case: £5,000 to £10,000 + VAT
Medium complexity case: £7,500 to £15,000 + VAT
High complexity case: £12,500 to £35,000 + VAT
The average fees indication does not include:
- Barristers fees (the advocate who will argue your case at the Final Hearing). The fees will depend on the seniority of the barrister (It could be as little as £500/day and as much as £3,000/day). It may also be necessary to meet with the barrister before the hearing which can cost in the region of £500 to £1500 (and sometimes more than that if you are instructing a senior barrister on a very complicated and/or detailed case)
- The costs of us attending the Final Hearing (we can discuss whether this is required or whether you would prefer us to undertake the advocacy)
- Photocopying papers – budget £20-£30 for this
- Expenses instructing experts (this might include a medical report and the costs will vary)
- Travel expenses (outside a 25 mile radius)
In our experience most cases do not reach a Final Hearing. We aim to get a satisfactory outcome for our clients and this often means agreeing a settlement before significant fees are incurred.
Reducing the level of fees
We recommend the following actions are undertaken by our claimant clients with a view to reducing the level of fees:
- Organising documents relevant to your claim in date order and providing a separate list describing what the documents are.
- Providing detailed instructions and detailed responses to documents, pleadings, communication received from the former employer or its representative.
- Accepting sensible offers of settlement.
- Daily requests for updates. We will update you regarding your cases as soon as there is any news. Unnecessary communication costs money!
Factors that can make a case more costly include:
- Amending the defence or having to ask or provide further information
- Where there are preliminary issues and Preliminary Hearings
- Defending a claim that are brought by an unrepresented claimant
- Making or defending a costs application
- Large numbers of witnesses
- Where documents need to be redacted, for example, because of legal privilege
- The number of days that the main hearing lasts
