We offer an initial fixed fee appointment of up to an hour for £250 + VAT. After the initial appointment we will provide a cost estimate for the work anticipated for your individual matter. The initial appointment fixed fee does not include advice on Settlement Agreements whereby we try to limit the fee to the contribution being offered by the employer (where reasonable) which is determined by the individual Agreement. We would tell you in advance if our fee is likely to be more than this if for example the case is protracted, complex, involves material amendments to the Agreement or negotiation with the employer. The employee remains responsible for ensuring that our fee is discharged and is payable irrespective of whether or not the employee ultimately accepts the terms of the Agreement. The firm’s minimum fee for advising, negotiating and concluding a proposed Settlement Agreement is £350 plus VAT.
Our estimates will be bespoke depending upon your individual situation. We charge at hourly rates for the time spent on your case. The work will be completed by one of our Employment team whose details are displayed in the profile section of our website but in summary the hourly rates of our senior solicitors who conduct this work are:
| Joy Johnson | £250 + VAT |
It may be appropriate to instruct Counsel to attend a hearing. The fees to instruct Counsel will depend on the experience of the advocate and their involvement with your matter.
Below are indicative costs for acting for employees bringing a claim to the Employment Tribunal for unfair or wrongful dismissal.
Example and key stages of a claim:
Typical Unfair Dismissal Claim
| Notice of Claim/Letter Before Action | £500–£1,000 + VAT |
| ACAS Early Conciliation | £250–£1,500 + VAT (dependent on engagement by other side) |
| ET1 – Grounds of Complaint | £500–£1,500 + VAT |
| ET3 – Grounds of Resistance | £500–£1,500 + VAT |
| Preliminary Hearing/PHR | £500–£1,000 + VAT |
| Disclosure | £500–£1,000 + VAT |
| Witness Statements | £750–£1,000 + VAT per witness |
| Preparation of Trial Bundle(s) | £500–£1,500 + VAT |
| Final Hearing | £1,000–£2,000 + VAT for 1st day then £750 plus VAT per day thereafter |
| Estimate of between | £5,000 + VAT to £12,000 + VAT to proceed through to a final hearing lasting 1 day |
If your matter is atypical and more complex than normal or there are elements of discrimination, where the other party fail to cooperate or where we do not receive timely and accurate instructions, these estimates are likely to be exceeded.
These example fees do not take into account matters that are unforeseeable at the outset of your matter which can cause unexpected difficulties and additional time and are therefore likely to increase the cost of your matter. For example where there is a large amount of documentation, if experts are required or if a large number of witnesses are required.
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, e.g. court fees or experts. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process and they should be the same at all firms if they are just charging you what they are being charged.
Time estimates
The time taken to take a matter, if necessary, all the way to a final hearing at an Employment Tribunal (not including any Appeal) can vary significantly. Typically we would expect a matter to be listed for final hearing approximately 9-15 months after issuing a claim.
The main fixed dates are the limitation dates for bringing an Employment Tribunal claim (for Unfair Dismissal with no other grounds of complaint this is typically 3 months less one day following the Effective Date of Termination). Other deadlines/limitation dates may apply so always seek advice as soon as possible. Once a claim has been issued the respondent will then have 28 days following receipt of your claim from the Tribunal.
