Fees

Costs Information – Employment Tribunal Claims for Unfair or Wrongful Dismissal

Please find below pricing information in respect of bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal.

Unfair Dismissal Cases (including combined claims of wrongful dismissal)

The following prices in respect of bringing or defending claims for unfair dismissal (including wrongful dismissal claims) are based on average prices taken from our experience in handling matters of this nature but are subject to change depending on individual circumstances and distinct complexities.

Low complexity case: £4,000.00-£10,000.00 (plus VAT)

Medium complexity case: £10,000.00-£20,000.00 (plus VAT)

High complexity case: £20,000.00-£100,000.00 (plus VAT)

Wrongful Dismissal Cases (in isolation)

The following prices in respect of bringing or defending claims for unfair dismissal are based on average prices taken from our experience in handling matters of this nature but are subject to change depending on individual circumstances and distinct complexities.

Low complexity case: £2,000.00-£4,000.00 (plus VAT)

Medium complexity case: £4,000.00-£10,000.00 (plus VAT)

High complexity case: £10,000.00-£100,000.00 (plus VAT)

The following is a list of 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 of £1,000.00 per day (excluding VAT) to represent you at an Employment Tribunal Hearing or if you want us to attend alongside Counsel, see below. You will be told once your Hearing has been listed by the Employment Tribunal how many days your Hearing will last.

Our pricing structure has been arrived at based on the hourly rates of the fee earners in our Employment Department. In this respect, Ben McFeely, Senior Partner and Head of Department, charges at the rate of £285.00 plus VAT per hour and Charlea Ogley, Trainee Legal Executive, charges at the rate of £160.00 plus VAT per hour.

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.

The only disbursements expected in bringing or defending unfair or wrongful dismissal claims are Counsel’s fees and they are estimated between £1,000.00 to £3,000.00 plus VAT per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).

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 the 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 a 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 indicative stages only and if some of the stages above are not required your legal fees may be lower. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only take our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged based 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 18 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 26-52 weeks from the date a claim form is submitted to the Employment Tribunals on your behalf, although this is likely to be longer in the most complex of cases. 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. This time estimate is also based on cases progressing in the Leeds Employment Tribunal, our local Tribunal Centre. Timescales as to the completion of a case may differ if they have to be progressed in a different region, this is due to differing case backlogs at other Tribunals Centres. Again, we will give you a more accurate timescale once we have received more information from you and as your individual matter progresses.

For details of members of the team who may work on your matter please view our profiles section. The team are supervised by Ben McFeely.