Our Fees

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We’re legally obliged to give you some transparency about what it costs to bring an unfair dismissal claim at the Employment Tribunal. We’d do that anyway - we hate hidden fees and lawyer waffle. Every case is different, but here’s an indication of what you can expect.

 Our costs typically cover:

• Reviewing your documents and advising on the strength of your claim.
   
• Drafting your claim (the ET1) and dealing with the early procedural stages.
   
• Negotiating settlement through ACAS.
   
• Preparing witness statements, document bundles, and schedules of loss.
   
• Preparing for and representing you at the Employment Tribunal (either by us or a barrister we instruct).
   

We’ll handle the process from start to finish - you won’t be left wondering what’s happening.

 There are a few extras you’ll need to budget for:

• Barrister’s fees if you want representation at a hearing (usually £1,000–£3,000 per day + VAT, depending on experience)
   
• Expert witnesses (rare, but sometimes needed)
   
• Travel and accommodation where necessary

• Court fees if you bring a claim in court rather than tribunal
   
• Enforcement costs if you win and need to make your employer actually pay up
   

We’ll always tell you about these in advance and get your agreement before incurring these expenses or disbursements.

Some unfair dismissal cases are straightforward: you were dismissed, the employer botched the procedure, and that’s that. Others are a tangle of allegations, long email chains, and multiple witnesses.

Costs can go up when:

• There are additional claims (like discrimination, whistleblowing, or breach of contract)
   
• There are preliminary hearings or lots of evidence to review
   
• The employer’s lawyers decide to fight every point
   
• You need multiple witnesses or expert input

• You or your opponent behave unreasonably
   

We’ll give you a stage-by-stage cost forecast and revise it if things get complicated. 

 We know legal fees are a big deal. There are a few ways to structure things:

• Hourly rate - You pay for the time spent. We’ll tell you the rate before we start and give you time estimates for each stage. This can result in variable fees.
   
• Fixed or capped fees - For defined stages (for example, “up to lodging the claim”) or for self-contained pieces of work (such as "drafting your Particulars of Claim").
   
• No win, no fee / conditional fee - In suitable cases, we might take the risk with you. You only pay if you win or settle, usually as a percentage of your compensation (typically 25% plus VAT). It is very unusual for us to take on a case on this basis - it would need to be high value and with a high chance of success to reflect a fair risk/benefit ratio. You will still need to fund and pay expenses/disbursements in advance (see above for examples).
   
• Insurance - Some people have legal expenses cover through home or employment insurance - you should check whether you have this. It may not cover all of your fees if we represent you, and we will have to negotiate with your insurer directly.

• Union - if you are a member, and your case meets their merits threshold, your union may instruct their own solicitors to represent you or (less commonly) may fund your case with us.
   

We’ll discuss all this at the outset and confirm the funding arrangements in writing, so you know exactly what you’re signing up to.

We will invoice you at the start for the first stages of work, and then usually monthly or at other appropriate intervals in advance of work to be done, and then a final invoice at the end (unless we’ve agreed a conditional fee arrangement). You will need to pay your invoice within 7 days or earlier if you want work undertaken sooner.

If you are paying an hourly rate based on estimates, then you’ll get an account of the time spent and work done at each stage. If you are paying fixed fees, then we don't time record our work (to save time and costs) so we provide a detailed description of the scope of the work at each stage in advance. If anything is likely to exceed an estimate, or the work exceeds the agreed scope of a fixed fee, then we’ll tell you as soon as we can.

Q - Do I have to pay if I lose?

A - If you’re on a standard hourly or fixed fee arrangement, yes you pay for the time we spend on your case. If you’re on a “no win, no fee”, you don’t pay our legal fees if you lose, but you will still need to pay for disbursements like barrister or expert fees.

Q - Could I be ordered to pay my employer’s costs?

A - It’s rare. The Employment Tribunal only does this if someone acts unreasonably or vexatiously - for example, bringing a hopeless claim or ignoring tribunal orders, or acting purely out of spite. We’ll advise you about the risks of this.

Q - Would I get my costs back from my employer if I win?

A - Very unlikely. The Employment Tribunal only awards costs if the employer acts unreasonably - for example, by pursuing a defence that is hopeless or ignoring tribunal orders, or in some cases refusing to accept a reasonable offer of settlement.

Q - Can we settle early?

A - Yes, and often we do. Most cases settle before a final hearing. We’ll push for a good deal early on to save you time, stress, and money.

Employment litigation is inherently risky and unpredictable. Your employer might behave sensibly and settle. Or they might dig in and spend a fortune fighting. It's a very difficult to predict tribunal outcomes, because evidence can change even during a hearing, and Employment Judges have a wide discretion when deciding what damages to award, and each case is considered on its own merits with first instance decisions not forming binding precedents.

We’ll be clear about the risks, realistic about your prospects, and transparent about the costs at every stage.

That’s how we work. No smoke, no mirrors, no hidden charges.

• If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend statements of case or to provide further information about an existing matter
• If you have previously acted for yourself
• Dealing with costs applications
• Complex preliminary issues
• The number of witnesses and documents
• Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the proceedings
• The conduct of either party
• Delays by the Regulator or the employer

 You may want to check your home contents, business and motor insurance policies to see if you have "before the event insurance" which might cover your legal fees. This is sometimes called Family Legal Protection or Legal Expenses Insurance.  If you have this, then you can choose to use the insurance company's advisers for free (they may or may not be qualified solicitors) or you can choose your own legal representatives  (like us of course), and we will need to enter into an agreement with your insurer. The insurer may not pay all of your fees, so please discuss this with us. You may also be a member of a Union, and should ask if they will either provide legal representation for you, or if they will cover your legal fees with your choice of solicitors.