Employment Tribunal Fees
This information only relates to wrongful or unfair dismissal claims. Please contact us for further information relating to other cases.
A range of funding options are available in Employment matters including hourly rates, fixed fees, Damages Based Agreements (no win no fee, with disbursements sometimes payable) and insurance-based funding. The hourly rates are between £130 to £275 (excluding VAT) per hour, depending upon whether a trainee solicitor/paralegal, solicitor, partner or head of department is carrying out the work.
Example Costs
The costs of pursuing or defending an Employment Tribunal claim are difficult to estimate without further details. We advise they you should contact one of our experts on 01228 522215 to discuss the matter. This will enable our experts to provide you with an estimate based on your circumstances.
There are a number of factors that can determine the costs of Tribunal proceedings including (but not limited to):
- The number of witnesses
- The stage of our instructions
- The documents that are required
- Other elements of employment laws such as discrimination
- The need for initial (preliminary) hearings
- The length of the estimated hearing
A range of costs* could be from £3,000 to £18,000 plus VAT. More complicated multiday hearings may exceed these figures.
Disbursements
You may have to pay disbursements as you progress your case. These are costs payable to third parties, such as court fees. You may in Employment Tribunal matters wish to instruct a Barrister or Counsel to represent you. We will discuss this with you during your matter. Our solicitors carry out most of the advocacy on Employment Tribunal matters themselves.
There are currently no Court fees for pursuing an Employment Tribunal claim since they were abolished in 2017.
What Does This Cover?
The fees set out above cover all of the work required to take the matter from initial instructions to a final hearing. They do not cover the costs of enforcing any judgement if this is not received.
In Employment Tribunal matters the level of work and key stages depends on the individual circumstances of the case however this is likely to include:
- Taking your initial instructions
- Considering and reviewing your documents and advising you in writing of your prospects of success and likely award;
- Initial discussion with the other party or their representatives;
- Further negotiations through ACAS early conciliation;
- Preparing the Employment Tribunal documentation such as a Claim (ET1) or Defence (ET3);
- Preparing a quantum schedule detailing your loss and expected reward;
- Preparing for and continuing the Employment Tribunal process including:
- attendance at meetings or Preliminary Hearings;
- exchanging documents with the other party;
- witness statements;
- the bundle of documents;
- attendance at a final hearing.
Timescales
As with costs much depends on the case and its circumstances, and we will update as your case progresses. If the matter is resolved quickly then the timescale should be within 2-6 weeks of your instructions. However, most matters that settle prior to hearings do so in an average of 8-16 weeks.
If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 26-52 weeks depending on the likely length of the hearing. This is the average time provided by ACAS, however much depends on the listing availability at the Employment Tribunal.
*Please note the costs and estimates given above are solely in relation to wrongful or unfair dismissal claims.
