Costs and fees – Employment services – Business

The potential costs for either bringing or defending claims in the Employment Tribunal, based on our hourly rates, are as follows:

Unfair Dismissal

Average case: £4,000 to £10,000 (plus VAT of £800 – £2,000)

Complex case £10,000 to £20,000 (plus VAT of £2,000 – £4,000)

Highly complex case £20,000 + (plus VAT of £4,000 +)

Wrongful Dismissal

Simple case: £3,000 to £6,000 (plus VAT of £600 – £1,200)

Medium complexity case: £7,000 to £10,000 (plus VAT of £1,400 – £2,000)

High complexity case: £10,000 + (plus VAT of £2,000 +)

In both types of matter there will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of £1,750 per day (plus £350 VAT). On average, hearings are 2 – 3 days, however, depending on the complexity of your case this can range from as little as 3 hours up to 10 days.

Expenses

In addition to our charges there are likely to be expenses that are payable to third parties or incurred by us such as travel expenses.  We handle the payment of any expenses on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

The most likely expenses are:

• Motoring expenses, which will be charged at 45p per mile;

• Train fare expenses as relevant; and

• If you require a barrister to attend the hearing on your behalf, their fees are estimated at being between £750 to £1,500 per day (plus VAT of £150 to £300) depending on their experience. This includes the barrister’s hearing preparation.

Factors Which Make the Case More Complex

Our estimate of costs and timescales do not include matters which can arise and make the case more complex.  Such matters include:

• If it becomes necessary to make or defend applications to amend 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 upon by the parties);

• The number of witnesses and documents;

• If the claim is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. an allegation of dismissal relating to whistleblowing; and

• Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal.