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Employment Law for Employees

Employment Tribunal Fees for Employees

Have you been wrongly or unfairly dismissed by your employer?  Do you believe you have been discriminated against in the course of your employment?  If so, you may have grounds to bring an Employment Tribunal claim against them.

We would always recommend seeking legal advice before proceeding with any claims or approaching Acas Early Conciliation.  Understanding your rights at the outset can save time in the future and, while there are time limits in which you can make a claim, taking the time initially could make all the difference.

Our expert Employment Lawyers explain more here about the fees for bringing such a claim and the process involved.

Initial consultation

In order for us to understand the nature of your claim and be able to provide the most relevant, tailored advice, it is important for us to have an initial consultation.  During this meeting, we will review your potential claim and the likelihood of success based on the facts, the legal time limits and your length of service. 

These consultations usually take between 60-90 minutes and are charged at the following hourly rates:

Due to the amount of time needed to accurately assess your situation and to fully explain your rights, we do not currently offer free initial consultations, no-win no-fee arrangements or conditional fee agreements. 

Employment Tribunal costs

Should you choose to instruct us, our fees to represent you are based on an hourly rate as follows:

It may also be necessary for a Trainee Solicitor or Paralegal to work on your matter.  We will inform of you of the relevant team member and their hourly rate, which will range from £100 - £175 (plus VAT at 20%).  Our Senior Legal Assistant, Niki Coombes, will also be involved, whose hourly rate for work that is chargeable is £150 per hour + VAT at 20%. Niki will be completing the administrative work required to progress your matter, which is not chargeable.

We appreciate that this will be a significant amount of money to spend financing your claim, and therefore we are happy to discuss setting a limit on the amount you wish to incur to fit with your budget.  We will review your claim regularly to ensure costs do not escalate and that they are not disproportionate to the claims being pursued.

We would also recommend you review your home contents insurance as, occasionally, these policies can include legal expenses cover, which could offer financial support in your claim.

The total overall cost for legal fees to bring your claim against your employer will largely be subject to the complexity of your matter as this will determine the amount of time spent.

If you are willing to consider early settlement, this is likely to resolve matters swiftly. Our involvement could be limited to managing negotiations and liaising with Acas Early Conciliation, meaning a fee of between £500 to £1,000 (plus VAT at 20%). 

Should you wish to proceed to Tribunal, our fees will be higher depending on the nature of your claim:

  • For a wrongful and/ or unfair dismissal claim that requires a one to two day Final Hearing, costs could be in the region of £10,000 to £15,000 (plus VAT at 20%), with additional barrister's fees of £2,000 - £6,000 (plus VAT at 20%)
  • In more complex cases and where there are discrimination claims involved this is likely to be in the region of £15,000 to £25,000 (plus VAT at 20%) and barrister’s fees that will be approximately £3,000 - £6,000 (plus VAT at 20%). 

Factors that would make a case more complex would be when unforeseen complications arise or when additional time  is required from our lawyers, for example:

  • A preliminary hearing or mediation is needed
  • There are additional claims such as whistleblowing
  • Additional applications are made after the preliminary hearing
  • There are multiple witnesses to interview or bundles of documentation to review
  • There are additional days required in the hearing
  • Negotiations are protracted or, for senior roles, there are additional benefits to resolve relating to shares, bonus payments etc
  • Any change or delay in providing the facts
  • If you wish to appeal

Once we have obtained your full instructions, we will be able to provide an estimate of fees for the work required, and we can provide our advice on when to involve a barrister with options to keep costs down if this is necessary. Your estimate will be updated as the case progresses and we will ensure that a course of action is agreed before pursuing matters further.

Process for bringing a claim against your employer

There are several stages involved when bringing a claim against your employer.  Once you have confirmed that you wish us to take forward your claim, we will carry out the following work:

  1. Examine the relevant documents and compiling the evidence for the potential claim(s).
  2. Provide you with an overview of the work we will complete as well as likely costs involved.
  3. Contact your (former) employer appraising them of the situation and asking for a settlement.
  4. Liaise with Acas Early Conciliation to begin the process of negotiating a settlement.
  5. Should this not be successful, we will draft the ET1 form to file with the Employment Tribunal.
  6. Make arrangements and preparations for the preliminary hearing with the Judge.
  7. Once the findings are returned from the Judge with the timeline for the claim, we will commence work on your schedule of loss, detailing the impact your employer’s actions have had on you financially.
  8. We will collate the relevant documentation relating to your case such as emails, contracts, witness statements etc, in addition to reviewing the documentation provided by the other side.
  9. We will work with our barrister contacts to find you the most appropriate representation for the Employment Tribunal.

Our fees do not include providing advice for queries relating to taxation or state benefits, and we are not able to enforce any awards made to you in terms of compensation.

Timescales involved

As with estimated costs, the length of time your claim will take will be governed by the complexity of your matter and other variables including:

  • The speed that documents are received from the employer’s representation.
  • The availability of the Employment Tribunal.
  • The clarity within the documents you provide us.
  • The outcome of each stage, for example, whether settlement is reached.

In our experience, Employment Tribunal claims can take between 12 to 18 months.  We appreciate this will be an unnerving time for you, and we will keep you up-to-date throughout the process.

Third party payments

In addition to our legal fees, it is likely you will encounter third party payments, also known as disbursements. 

This will include barrister’s fees to represent you in the Tribunal hearings and any preliminary hearings.  As mentioned above, these will fluctuate depending on the nature of your claim, the seniority of the barrister and how long the hearing will be.  Typically, barrister’s fees will range from £2,000 to £6,000 (plus VAT at 20%).  We will always consult with you prior to appointing a barrister and will make recommendations based on the specifics of your claim, the barrister’s expertise as well as your budget. 

Additional disbursements may involve travel fees, accommodation costs, medical reports and photocopying which will all be determined by the third party in question.   

Currently there are no fees payable to the Employment Tribunal in order to bring a claim against your employer; however this is under review by the Government and may be re-introduced in November 2024.  Should these return, these would be payable by you when bringing the claim.    

Contact our Employment Tribunal Claim Solicitors

Should you wish to bring a claim against your employer or former employer, you can contact a member of our Employment Law team in our offices in Andover, Romsey, Salisbury, Totton or Witney by using the Contact Form, emailing info@parkerbullen.com or calling one of the phone numbers below: