All cases will vary in how much work will be required from start to finish. We assess each case’s need for budgeting and financial planning on its own merit.
The vast majority of cases of unfair or wrongful dismissal claims will fall into one of the following categories;
- Standard
- Moderate
- Difficult and/or
- Complex
This cost guideline is designed for the provision of advice and representation to employees in relation to the bringing of claims before the Employment Tribunal against an employer for unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal and the provision of advice and representation to employers in relation to unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal claims brought against them by their employees.
Here, we try our best to give ballpark estimates for the areas in which you might expect to fund the case through to the trial/final hearing.
Please bear in mind that there is always difficulty in predicting costs in advance, as often one does not know how a case will develop until it is actually up and running.
It can sometimes be impossible to predict what/which of the issues will be raised by your opposite numbers, or whether a change in their circumstances and the manner in which they choose to run their case may cause further work to become necessary. For example, an application for specific disclosure to force your opponent to reveal important evidence will cause additional cost to that of the standard disclosure.
We always advise you to make a contingency in your financial planning for the possibility of any diversion in your case.
As such, subject to the above qualifications, our price ranges will usually fall into the following categories:
Standard case: £10,000 – £12,000 + VAT (£12,000 – £14,400)
Moderate case: £20,000 – £30,000 + VAT (£24,000 – £36,000)
Difficult case: £50,000 – £70,000 + VAT (£60,000 – £84,000)
Complex case: £125,000 + VAT upwards (£150,000 upwards) as a minimum
Please note that these category prices are subject to change, should the need for further work to be carried out arise. We will of course let you know if this is the case in advance, so to enable you to plan accordingly.
Your claim will be billed at an hourly rate based on the level of experience of the fee earner(s) who are managing your case. For example, work conducted by the most senior lawyer(s) will be charged at an hourly rate of £375 plus VAT (£450), and paralegal work will be charged at an hourly rate of £150 plus VAT (£180). We will keep you informed of any work that needs to be undertaken and by which member of our staff. We will update you of all the stages throughout your matter.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter and are payable to third parties by you. These are often, court fees, fees for expert reports and fees paid to a barrister to represent you at a hearing. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smooth process. You will reimburse us for any disbursement which we pay on your behalf.
Barrister’s fees for attending an Employment Tribunal hearing (excluding preparation) are estimated (not quote) between £2000 – £5,000 per day + VAT (£2,400- £6000) for a simple hearing to a moderately complex hearing. More complex cases attract higher fees. The fees charged depend on the experience of the barrister and the complexity of the case. Costs for more complex cases will be given on an individual basis once an appropriate barrister is identified to be instructed to assist with your case.
Stages
- Initial instruction.
- Review of your Evidence.
- Advising you on validity of your claim or defence and any potential remedies that might be available to you.
- Pre-claim reconciliation – this involves a mandatory settlement exploration involving ACAS.
Application stage
- Preparation and submission of application to Employment Tribunal on behalf of Employee.
- Preparation and submission of Response to an application on behalf of Employer.
Directions stage
- The Employment Tribunal in nearly all cases, directs the parties to follow a specific timetable/set of steps designed to get the case ready for the interim hearing(s) and the Trial.
- For example, direction for the parties to disclose and inspect the documents relevant to the case.
- The Claimant prepares and serves a Schedule of Loss and counter-Schedule of Loss.
- Preparation of Witness Statements are exchanged on behalf of Employer and Employee, plus expert evidence (if required) etc.
The hearing(s)
- The Employment Tribunal will hear from the parties and their witnesses and deliver a judgment at the end.
- Upon judgment, a party may be given the right to appeal the Employment Tribunal’s decision, however, if this arises we will discuss your options, your prospects and the associated costs separately and it is beyond the ambit of this cost guideline to provide a cost guideline for unknown matters.
Mr Omid Khub, who has at least eleven years of post-qualification experience, together with our team of paralegals, (and if so appropriate, including one or more of our consultant Solicitors or a Barrister of various expertise and years of experience) would be handling your matter, if you so choose to instruct us, and would be able to elaborate further upon any enquiry that you may have. Your matter will always be conducted under Mr Omid Khub’s supervision unless through unforeseen circumstances this would not be possible, in which case we will notify you should this arise.