Unfair/Wrongful dismissal – Fees
The Firm charges on an hourly basis for the work carried out by solicitors. The hourly rate depends on the seniority of the solicitor carrying out the work and will vary between £310 p/h and £495 p/h plus VAT at 20%. There may be preferential rates available for corporate clients and/or large pieces of work.
Each claim (or defence to a claim) is different and the work required in each case can vary significantly. It is highly likely that a complex high-value unfair dismissal claim based on protected disclosures (whistleblowing) will require more time and attention that a relatively simple unfair dismissal claim based on a stand-alone redundancy. However, we have sought to give indicative costings for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal based on certain standard scenarios. Please be aware these are purely indicative and do not constitute an estimate or quote for a specific matter. For a more accurate estimate you should speak to the individual solicitor with conduct of your case.
Simple case: £8,000-£15,000 (plus VAT at 20%)
Medium complexity case: £12,000-£25,000 (plus VAT at 20%)
High complexity case: £20,000-£40,000 (plus VAT at 20%)
The figures above do not include (i) disbursements including barrister’s fees, expert’s fees, Court and Tribunal fees and/or travel costs – some of which attract VAT at 20%, or (ii) incidental costs such as photocopying charges, postal charges and/or courier charges.
Factors that could make a case more complex:
- If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend or strike out claims or to provide further information about an existing claim.
- Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person.
- Making or defending a costs application.
- Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties) or whether the claimant is an employee.
- The number of witnesses and documents.
- If it is an automatically 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.
- The value of the claim and whether there are complex losses claimed under a pension scheme, share scheme or other equity based scheme.
There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of £1,300 – 2,000 per day (plus VAT at 20%). Generally, we would allow 1-3 days depending on the complexity of your case.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Court/Tribunal fees, barristers’ fees, expert’s fees and travel costs. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
Barrister’s fees are generally between £1,500 to 3,500 plus VAT at 20% per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending and providing advocacy at a Tribunal Hearing (plus their preparation time). For more complex cases you may choose a more senior barrister and the daily rate may be higher.
Key stages
The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:
- Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
- Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached
- Preparing claim or response/defence
- Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
- Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
- Preparing or considering a Schedule of Loss
- Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
- Exchanging lists of documents and copies with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
- Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
- Preparing the bundle of documents
- Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
- Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
- Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel (barrister)
The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim or defence yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.
How long will my matter take?
The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation/negotiation, your case is likely to take 2-6 weeks. If the claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 5-12 months. This is just an estimate and we will of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information from the parties and the relevant Tribunal and as the matter progresses.