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Fixed fee employment tribunal claims

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Employment law is rarely straightforward, which is why it is so important that individuals and businesses seek the right professional, qualified legal advice from an employment lawyer, when faced with an employment-related dispute.

If your dispute reaches the employment tribunal, regardless of whether you are bringing a claim or defending one, you are potentially looking at a considerable cost outlay. Employment lawyers have traditionally charged for their advice by the hour but, with a Tribunal case, this can run into many thousands of pounds.

The alternative is to consider our fixed fee employment tribunal service in relation to bringing or defending an unfair dismissal claim. This is designed to be a more cost-effective solution for clients who are bringing or defending an employment tribunal claim by providing certainty regarding legal costs.

"The team, which is led by Tina Chander, also represents employers and employees at tribunals. It has a particularly strong track record of successfully handling discrimination claims."

Our fixed fee service

We are aware that employment law disputes are challenging and so our offering mirrors the needs of our clients. Our aim is to always reach a resolution in the most cost-effective way possible and, of course, to give you peace of mind that the costs will not spiral.

Our employment solicitors charge a stage-by-stage fixed fee for representing and assisting you throughout what can be a daunting and indeed complicated process.

Our fixed fee tribunal package fees are very competitive. However, this doesn’t mean any compromise on the quality of the advice you will receive.

It is important to note that, in most cases, going to tribunal should be a last resort due to the cost, time and emotional strain involved. This is why it is a requirement that all prospective cases are run through the ACAS Early Conciliation Service before proceeding.

It is also worth considering mediation which is an increasingly popular method of resolving employment disputes. Our team have an experienced mediator who, acting as a mutual facilitator, can help you achieve the result you need both cost-effectively and without the added stress of going to a tribunal.

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Our costs are fixed

We don’t want our clients to have any nasty surprises, so all of our costs are totally transparent.

Our pricing model covers all the work needed to take your case to a final hearing. The table below breaks down the usual stages involved in the unfair dismissal employment tribunal process so you can see exactly what is included in the service we provide.

"They're professional, approachable and explain things in layman's terms."

Chambers UK

For employees

	Fee breakdown
Initial consultation to provide overview of service and tribunal process.	Free
First consultation to take instructions, provide preliminary advice on prospects of success and advice on navigating the ACAS Early Conciliation and employment tribunal process. Confirmation of advice sent in writing after consultation.	£500 + VAT
Full review of relevant documentation	£500 + VAT
Draft and issue ET1 form and grounds of complaint	£2,000 + VAT
Draft a merits report	£300 + VAT
Review ET3 and grounds of resistance, provide advice on next steps and provide update on prospects of success.	£300 + VAT
Draft a schedule of loss	£400 + VAT
Compile a list of relevant documents and prepare documents for disclosure.	£300 + VAT
Review of additional documents disclosed by the employer	£500 + VAT
Agree bundle of documents with the employer	£250 + VAT
Draft witness statements	£1,800 + VAT
Instruct counsel for representation at final hearing.	£350 + VAT
Preparation of mitigation bundle or documents including index.	£250 + VAT
Preparing updated schedule of loss prior to final hearing.	£250 + VAT
	Maximum total fee for all stages: £7,700 + VAT

"Tina is known for her enthusiasm and her ability to tune into her clients's wavelength. She provides clear, straightforward and no nonsense advice when clients need it the most. “First class, prompt and easy to understand”

Louise Stuart, R G Wilbrey (Consultants) Ltd

For employers

	Fee breakdown
Initial consultation to provide overview of service and tribunal process.	Free
First consultation to take instructions, provide preliminary advice on prospects of success and advice on navigating the ACAS Early Conciliation and employment tribunal process. Confirmation of advice sent in writing after consultation.	£500 + VAT
Full review of relevant documentation, including ET1 and grounds of claim.	£850 + VAT
Draft and issue ET3 form and grounds of resistance to include liaising with all relevant employees to take instructions for content.	£2,500 + VAT
Draft a merits report.	£300 + VAT
Compile a list of documents and prepare documents for disclosure.	£500 + VAT
Review of employee's documentation and provide updated merits report.	£250 + VAT
Preparation of bundle for final hearing (including bundle index)	£500 + VAT
Agree bundle of documents with employee's solicitor.	£250 + VAT
Draft witness statements.	Up to £3,500 + VAT
Review of schedule of loss and updated schedule of loss.	£250 + VAT per review
Instruct counsel for representation at final hearing.	£350 + VAT
Review of mitigation bundle if received by employee.	£250 + VAT
	Total fee for all stages: £10,000 + VAT

How does our fixed fee tribunal service work?

There is no obligation to instruct us to represent you at each stage in the process. You are free to choose which elements of the service you require our assistance with and which elements you would be happy to complete without our assistance. The table above therefore sets out the maximum amount you would pay for our representation, subject to the exclusions below.

The decision regarding the level of our input doesn’t need to be made at the outset of the matter - you can decide as the case progresses how much involvement you want us to have!
You will be allocated a solicitor and a paralegal to your case, both of whom will be available directly via telephone and email. All work undertaken by a paralegal will be supervised by your allocated solicitor.
We will request money to be paid on account in advance of each stage. Money must be paid with sufficient time for us to complete the work and meet the required deadline. In any case, money on account must be paid no later than 14 days before the required deadline. Where more time is required (for example, in respect of drafting witness statements), we will discuss this with you in advance.

If we reach a settlement or the case is withdrawn (or struck out upon a successful strike out application) you will only pay for the work that has been undertaken. Where a matter concludes midway through a particular stage, we will discuss reducing the fee for that stage with you depending on the amount of work already undertaken.

What is excluded?

The following services are not included within the fixed fee; however, we will discuss and agree any additional fees with you in advance.

Preparation for any preliminary hearings – these are not routinely part of the process for unfair dismissal claims, however, on occasion a preliminary hearing may be scheduled where there is a preliminary issue to be determined (for example, employment status);
Counsel’s (Barrister’s) fees for representation at hearings;
Our fees for attending hearings either as support or for representation (preliminary hearings only);
Reasonable travel to/from hearings or meetings requested by client;
Appeals against judgements;
Applications (e.g. application for the case to be struck out or an application for costs);
Settlement negotiations;
Counter-schedule of loss if required (for employers); and
Counter-mitigation bundle if required (for employers).

Please note that this list is non-exhaustive.

Our fixed fee service only applies to unfair dismissal and constructive dismissal cases. If you would like our assistance with bringing or defending either of these types of claims, but there are additional elements involved (for example discrimination), please contact us and we will discuss creating a bespoke fixed fee package with you.