Employment disputes & tribunals

Employers use many reasons for dismissing employees including performance, sickness, absence and gross misconduct. If you feel you have been treated unfairly, getting legal advice as quickly as possible is essential, as there are strict time limits for pursuing unfair dismissal claims.

Our specialist employment lawyers can help:

• Advise whether you have a case for claiming wrongful and/or unfair dismissal
• Explain your options
• Advise on whether the best course of action is the employment tribunal or court
• Support you through pursuing your claim
• Ensure you are fully prepared for the employment tribunal
• Negotiate the best financial outcome
• Achieve a quick resolution.

We provide excellent levels of client service and understanding at this stressful time and will help you to secure the best outcome at tribunal or a sensible commercial settlement.

We offer highly competitive legal services with fixed fees and no hidden extras, and ensure that you are kept up to date with how your matter is proceeding

We are committed to full transparency and giving our clients meaningful choice as to the basis on which they wish to proceed. 98% of our clients rated our service as ‘excellent’.

How much does an employment tribunal cost?

We have set out below our typical fees for bringing employment tribunal (ET) claims, on behalf of individual employees (claimants), for unfair and wrongful dismissal. These fees are based on cases that proceed to a final tribunal hearing and are based on our experience of the average time a matter takes to be dealt with and the team’s hourly rates. If your case concludes earlier the fee will be less, for example, if an out of tribunal settlement is agreed or if your employer accepts liability.

There are typically three levels of employment claim depending on the complexity and the fee varies accordingly. We have also set out in more detail how we charge and the factors that will affect what the total fee will be for your claim. All fees are exclusive of VAT charged at 20%*.

• Simple ET claim – fees range from £11,500 – £22,000*
• Medium ET claim– fees range from £21,000 – £42,000*
• Complex ET claim – fees range from £42,000 – £115,000*.

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of between £1,350 and £3,115 per day (excluding VAT), depending on the hourly rate of the employment lawyer.

Do check your household insurance, as you may find that it covers you for certain legal fees.

Key stages in the process

The fee ranges set out above will cover all of the work in relation to the typical stages of an employment tribunal claim.

These stages are an indication only. If some of the stages are not required, the fee will be at the lower end of the scale and if there are additional stages, the fee will be at the higher end. We have set out below the factors that will usually affect the overall fee. There are also things outside of our control, such as tribunal availability and location. We would ensure that you are updated on these factors at the outset and as the case progresses.

You may wish to handle the claim or parts of it yourself and only seek our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged based on your individual needs.

Factors affecting the overall fee

Unfortunately, it is impossible to list all the factors that could affect the overall fee, as each case varies. We have set out below the most common factors:

• The conduct of the opponent
• The amount of correspondence and documents
• The length of ET hearing.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs and expenses related to your case that are payable to third parties, such as barrister’s fees. As we instruct the barrister on your behalf we handle the payment of their fees on your behalf, having first obtained money on account from you.

We will usually recommend that we instruct a barrister to represent you at the final hearing and at any preliminary hearing to determine substantive legal issues.

Counsel fees ranging from £1,500 – £5,000 per day, depending on their level of experience and availability, we would obtain a quote.

Fees will depend on availability and level of experience and are subject to quotes from barristers.

Travel expenses will be charged to you for attending any hearings on your behalf or with you. The amount of the expenses will depend on the location of the hearing and the number of times that travel is incurred.

How long does the employment tribunal process take?

The time from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your claim depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take two to six weeks to conclude.

If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, then typically it’s between 12 to 24 months from when your claim was submitted to the tribunal.

The date for the final hearing is usually set at the preliminary hearing, which generally takes place three months after the deadline for the other party’s formal response to your claim.

Facing a difficult situation regarding your employment such as redundancy or unfair treatment can be frightening and stressful. It can feel as if all the cards are stacked in favour of your employer. It’s important to understand that employment legislation exists to protect employees and getting advice on your rights can give you an entirely different picture. Getting advice from our Kent based employment lawyers can help you achieve a quick resolution, maximum compensation and an amicable exit.

Our team of specialist employment lawyers in Kent have the necessary expertise to handle a full range of employment law issues.

We have a proven track record of winning employment tribunal claims and regularly achieve great success in negotiating severance packages and assisting in the facilitation of exit strategies.

Facing a difficult situation regarding your employment such as redundancy or unfair treatment can be frightening and stressful. It can feel as if all the cards are stacked in favour of your employer. It’s important to understand that employment legislation exists to protect employees and getting advice on your rights can give you an entirely different picture. Getting advice from our Kent based employment lawyers can help you achieve a quick resolution, maximum compensation and an amicable exit.

Our team of specialist employment lawyers in Kent have the necessary expertise to handle a full range of employment law issues.

We have a proven track record of winning employment tribunal claims and regularly achieve great success in negotiating severance packages and assisting in the facilitation of exit strategies.