Employment Tribunals (Employers)

Wrongful dismissal/unfair dismissal

Complexity	Cost
Straight forward	Between £2,500 to £7,500 (Excluding VAT)
Moderate	Between £7,500 to £15,000 (Excluding VAT)
Complex	Between £15,000 to £50,000 (Excluding VAT)

Factors that determine the complexity of your case:

• When it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing defence
• Defending claims brought by litigants in person
• Making or defending a costs application
• The number of directions/preliminary hearings arranged by the Tribunal
• Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
• Consideration of share option/share schemes and bonuses/incentive plans
• The number of witnesses and documents
• Consideration of complex terms in a service agreement, lengthy executive contract of employment or associated documentation
• Consideration of a lengthy history of events
• If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim (if the employee has been dismissed after whistle-blowing on their employer)
• Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal

Additional costs that may occur

Disbursements are costs that are payable to third parties, such as court fees etc. As a firm, we will handle the payment of these fees on your behalf to ensure a smoother and efficient process.   Disbursements – £1,250 – £1,750 (excluding VAT)

If it is necessary to instruct a barrister, depending on the complexity of the case, they will attend any tribunal hearings and prepare information in advance of your hearing/s.   Fees are dependent on the Barrister’s experience and range between the following: One day Between £750 to £1,500 (Excluding VAT) Two days  between £1,250 to £2,000 (Excluding VAT) Three days  between £1,500 to £2,500 (Excluding VAT) Four days  Between £2,000 to £3,500 (Excluding VAT) Five days  Between £2,500 to £4,500 (Excluding VAT)

These fees cover working on:

• Taking instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation
• Entering into pre-claim conciliation to determine whether pre-settlement can be reached
• Preparing response
• Reviewing and advising on claim from other party
• Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement through the process
• Considering a schedule of loss
• Preparing for (and attending) a preliminary case management hearing
• Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
• Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
• Preparing bundle documents
• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
• Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or case list
• Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to counsel

If some of the stages above are not required, you can expect to pay a reduced fee.

The time it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends on the stage at which your matter is resolved.

These timeframes below are estimates; you will be kept aware of the process, as the matter progresses.

Stage settled	Timeframe
Pre-claim conciliation	Expect your matter to resolve between 2-6 weeks
Final Hearing	Expect your matter to resolve between 26-52 weeks