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We have set out below the issues you need to consider in relation to Legal Fees and disbursements for presenting or defending a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal.

Our Legal Fees cover all the work required to handle your case from instruction to conclusion.

Legal Fees

Legal Fees are the amount you will be required to pay for all the work performed by us in actioning your instructions from commencement of your case to conclusion.

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal will be based on the amount of time it takes. The work will be undertaken by our employment law team, our charge out rates are:

  • Senior employment lawyer: £325 – £500 plus VAT (£390 – £600 inclusive of VAT)
  • Associate solicitors: £275 plus VAT (£330 inclusive of VAT)
  • Trainees: £150 plus VAT (£180 inclusive of VAT)
  • Paralegals: £100 plus VAT (£120 inclusive of VAT)

 

An estimate of our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal is:

  • Simple case: Fees £5,000 – £15,000 plus VAT (a total of £6,000 – £18,000 inclusive of VAT)
  • Medium complexity case: Fees £15,000 – £30,000 plus VAT (a total of £18,000 – £36,000 inclusive of VAT)
  • High complexity case: Fees £30,000 -£80,000,000 plus VAT (a total of £36,000 – £96,000 inclusive of VAT)

 

If your matter becomes complex (see below) our fees may increase further, and we will notify you in advance of any increased costs.

– There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of £1,000 – £2,000 plus VAT per day (a total of £1,200 – £2,400 Inc. VAT). Generally, we would allow 1- 3 days depending on the complexity of your case.

– VAT will be payable on our fees and most disbursements and we will clearly confirm which disbursements carry VAT in our formal quotation or as we advise you to incur them.

If at any stage our fees change, we will notify you and discuss the reason for any changes.

This will typically occur if you change your instructions or your case involves an unforeseen complexity.

In addition, there may be other claims being brought, for example sex discrimination or equal pay.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Counsel’s fees estimated between £1,000 – £3,000 plus VAT per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing. (There will be an additional charge for their preparation time of between £1,000 – £3,000 plus VAT per day.)

Stages of the Process

The precise stages involved in unfair or wrong dismissal claims vary according to the circumstances. We have set out the key stages of a standard transaction: –

  • 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 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.
  • Reporting to you on the conclusion of the matter and closing your file.

 

You may have other funding options available, such as legal expenses cover under a household or car insurance policy. We advise you to check this before your first appointment as this may be a condition of cover.

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of 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 claim 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 4- 8 weeks.

If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 5- 12 months.

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.

Factors That Could Make A Case More Complex

The following factors may make your case more complex and impact on your legal fees and disbursements: –

  • 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 the employment status of the individual bringing proceedings; questions of jurisdiction; or whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties).
  • Factual dispute about the sums owed.
  • The number of witnesses.
  • The evidence available and the number of documents.
  • Problems linked to disclosure of documents, admissibility and requests for specific disclosure.
  • If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim, for example, if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer.
  • Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal.
  • Where there is a mediation or lengthy settlement discussions and or negotiation of settlement terms, especially where preparations for a hearing must continue in order to meet Tribunal deadlines.
  • The number of days the case is listed for final hearing.

 

Should any of these factors occur we will notify you and discuss with you any increase in our legal fees or disbursements.