Business Employment Law Pricing

We have experience working at all levels in business, from advising boards of directors to helping individuals when they have been subject to unfair treatment by their employer. We appreciate it can be a stressful time and members of the team will use their skills and abilities to meet the challenges you face as well as inform you of the progress without resorting to legal jargon. 

We feel it is important that you know about our pricing before we start work for you. As each case we handle is different, it is difficult to give exact figures, but by way of an example, our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal is listed below.

Please note that where stated, VAT will be charged at the prevailing rate - currently 20%.

It is important to note that most cases are settled without the need for a trial before an Employment Tribunal and we work hard at all times to avoid unnecessary expenditures. In estimating likely costs we are required to assume that the case actually reaches and is heard at a trial.

• Simple case: £5,000 - £7,000 (plus VAT)
• Medium complexity case: £7,000 - £12,000 (plus VAT)
• High complexity case: £12,000 - £18,000 (plus VAT)

What could make a case more complex?

• The factual background of the dispute – if your dispute involves claims of discrimination, then they can be more complex than might otherwise be the case.
• The approach adopted by the other side – if your former employer or employee is “deliberately awkward” this can mean that costs increase outside of our control.
• The amount of documentation involved on both sides.
• 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
• Complex preliminary issues, such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
• The number of witnesses and documents
• If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer
• Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of £1,000 per day (plus VAT and disbursements). Generally, we would allow one to two days depending on the complexity of your case. More complex cases will typically last three or more days.

Disbursements

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

If you choose to instruct a barrister (and we will discuss with you if this is necessary), his or her fees will be in addition to those set out above. Counsel's fees vary greatly depending on the level of expertise and experience of the barrister selected. We try and use a limited number of barrister's chambers in an endeavour to ensure that we are always offered competitive fees. To include trial preparation these costs might range between £750.00 (plus VAT) and £5,000.00 (plus VAT) for preparation and the first day of trial and thereafter at a daily rate of between £600.00 (plus VAT) and £1,500.00 (plus VAT), depending on expertise and experience. Despite the cost differential, we would typically advise that more experienced barristers are used for more complex cases as the value added can be significant.