Employment tribunal claims for unfair and wrongful dismissal
We are required by the Solicitor’s Regulation Authority to publish information on the prices we charge for certain services. Those services include employment tribunal claims for unfair and wrongful dismissal where we act for members of the public and for business.
The information on this page does not apply to you or your organisation where you have agreed a different charging arrangement with us. We often agree bespoke discounted rates with particular clients, for example where they are able to guarantee a minimum spend. The information here does not apply to those types of arrangement. Nor does it apply to those of our clients (including NHS bodies and charities) who instruct us under the terms of a framework agreement or other arrangement, which sometimes includes a fixed fee.
Our standard, non-discounted hourly rates for employment tribunal claims are set out below. Where we refer to VAT we mean the current standard rate of VAT.
Partners £350 plus VAT
Associates £290 plus VAT
Senior solicitors £270 plus VAT
Solicitors £235 plus VAT
Paralegals £150 plus VAT
Trainees £150 plus VAT
Librarian/researcher £150 plus VAT
Employment tribunal claims are dealt with by our employment law department. Read more about their experience.
The amount of work we do (and therefore our costs) in an employment tribunal claim will depend on the type of claim and the circumstances of the case. An important factor is whether there is a linked claim such as discrimination or whistleblowing because these types of additional claim will usually increase the complexity of the case and the number of witness who may be required. Another factor that impacts on the likely legal costs is the length of the final hearing, which is determined by the employment tribunal, based on the complexity of the case and the number of witnesses.
With your agreement we will assign your case to a member of our employment team based on the level of skill and experience required and our capacity. We make our pricing structure and our estimate of costs clear at the outset of each case and, where appropriate, keep that estimate under review.
Depending on complexity, it can take between from three months and eighteen months (or longer) to prepare an unfair/wrongful dismissal case for a final hearing. Some cases require several preliminary hearings during the months leading up to a final hearing.
A hearing for a straightforward claim such as wrongful dismissal can usually be heard by an employment tribunal within one day. Unfair dismissal hearings often last between two and five days. Cases involving more complicated claims such as discrimination and whistleblowing, or where there are many witnesses, can take three weeks or longer to be heard.
As a very rough guide, an estimate of our costs in an employment tribunal claim may be calculated by multiplying the anticipated length of the hearing (in days) by £7,500 plus VAT and disbursements (expenses). For example, a rough cost estimate for us to prepare and represent a client in a case with an anticipated hearing length of four days would be £30,000 plus VAT (4 x 7,500). This would typically include:
- time we spend liaising with you about the case;
- settlement discussions
- dealing with disclosure, which is the identification and assessment of documents relevant to the claim;
- interviewing witnesses and preparing witness statements;
- preparing and photocopying hearing bundles; and
- preparing for and attending hearings on your behalf (or instructing a barrister to do so). These may be preliminary hearings, final hearings or remedy hearings.
Disbursements (expenses) will include the use of counsel, where appropriate. Counsel’s fees are negotiated on your behalf and agreed with you. Counsel’s fees might typically be estimated between £500 – £5,000 per day plus VAT depending on their relevant seniority and experience.
These costs do not include the cost of challenging or appealing against the employment tribunal’s decisions. Of course, the rule of thumb referred to above is only very approximate and cannot take account of the specific circumstances of the case.