Employment law pricing and services
We provide clear and transparent information about our costs, the services we offer and the expertise of our team for specific types of work.
We have outlined typical costs and the services included, but we recognise that every case is unique. When you engage us, we’ll give you a clear, tailored cost estimate based on your specific needs and circumstances.
Please note, we may update the information below from time to time.
Hourly rates
We charge standard hourly rates for advising on Employment Tribunal claims. Our hourly rates vary by location and experience, and you can learn more about our team and their experience in our here. Our standard hourly rates, as at January 2025, are:
| Level | Hourly Rate |
|---|---|
| Partners | £395 – £450 plus VAT |
| Solicitors/Associates | £225 – £395 plus VAT |
| Trainee | £175 – £195 plus VAT |
| Administrator/Paralegal | £150 – £175 plus VAT |
Employment Tribunal fees
We successfully resolve many cases without the need for a full Employment Tribunal hearing. However, if a hearing is necessary, we focus on keeping our costs fair and in proportion to the potential financial compensation.
Employment Tribunal claims can vary significantly based on the legal issues and specific details of each case. Factors affecting case complexity and cost include:
- Multiple hearings or the need to make or defend applications.
- Hearings cancelled by the Tribunal at a late stage.
- Amending claims and advising on new information provided.
- Defending claims brought by litigants in person.
- Complicated or additional preliminary issues.
- Number of hearing days.
- Multiple witnesses (any special requirements) and documents in a case.
- Multiple claimants or respondents.
- Unreasonable, obstructive or vexatious conduct during proceedings.
- Expert witness evidence.
- An appeal, reconsideration or additional action is taken.
If your case does go to a Tribunal, here’s a general guide to the estimated costs (not including disbursements):
| Type of case | Fees |
|---|---|
| Preliminary advice | £2,000 – £5,000 plus VAT |
| Simple case | £15,000 – £25,000 plus VAT |
| Medium complexity case | £20,000 – £60,000 plus VAT |
| High complexity case | £80,000 – £140,000 plus VAT |
Disbursements
Disbursements are additional costs related to your case that are paid to third parties, such as court fees, expert or counsel’s fees. We manage these payments on your behalf to help keep the process straightforward.
Counsel’s fees typically range from £2,000 to £40,000 plus VAT for case preparation, including the first day at the Employment Tribunal. For each additional hearing day, fees range from £600 to £6,000, depending on the barrister’s experience.
With your agreement, we may also recommend involving a barrister to review your case, advise in conference, or assess witness statements. The cost for a conference generally falls between £1,500 and £4,000 plus VAT, depending on the level of preparation needed.
Payment of bills
If you choose to proceed, we will request funds on account to cover future work. We issue invoices at the end of each calendar month for work completed and maintain a balance on your account to ensure continuity of service.
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.
- 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 documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents.
- Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses.
- Preparing 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.
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 yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged on your individual needs.
Time period
The length of time it takes to settle a claim depends on the nature of the claim and the stage at which the case is resolved. If an agreement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, the process typically takes around 4–6 weeks. However, if your case proceeds to a final hearing, it could take between 4–24 months.
This is a general estimate, and we will provide a more accurate timeline as we learn more about your case and as it progresses. It’s also important to note that delays can occur due to the availability of Employment Tribunal judges and staff, particularly during busy periods. More complex cases involving multiple hearing days may take longer than 24 months.
How can we help?
Call us on 03702 188 990, email us at [email protected] or complete our online form to request a call back to discuss your case.
