We charge most of our work on an hourly rate basis.
Our hourly rate for individuals and businesses starts at £275 per hour (plus VAT at 20%) but varies depending on the work involved and can be up to £425 (plus VAT at 20%) in especially urgent or complex cases. It is possible to agree fixed fees for specific projects.
Employment Tribunal Cases
The key steps and stages in employment tribunal cases can vary but the following gives an indication of the stages and timescales you should expect:
| Stage | Timescale |
| Initial instructions and advice on the merits of the claim or defence | 2-4 weeks |
| Pre-action correspondence and ACAS conciliation | 1-3 months |
| Preparing the claim or response | 3-6 months |
| Preliminary Hearing – to decide a timetable for how the claim will progress, the issues, when to exchange documents and witness statements etc. | 3-6 months |
| Final hearing | 12-24 months |
Employment tribunal cases can take 1-2 years (and sometimes longer in complex cases) from first instruction to final resolution.
Costs
You can typically expect to pay fees such as these for our main services:
| Our service | Typical fee |
| Preparing a settlement agreement | £950 to £2,000 plus VAT at 20% |
| Standard non-complex employment tribunal case – preparing initial advice and managing case through to settlement or through final hearing where appropriate | £30,000 to £70,000 plus VAT at 20%, including disbursements |
| Complex tribunal case e.g. discrimination, whistleblowing, automatic unfair dismissal – preparing initial advice and managing case through to settlement or through final hearing where appropriate | £50,000 to £120,000 or more plus VAT at 20%, including disbursements |
| Other work as per instructions | £275 to £425 per hour plus VAT at 20% |
Typical disbursements include charges such as barrister’s fees, experts’ reports, photocopying documents etc.
| Disbursement | Typical cost |
| Barrister’s fees – initial advice | £2,500 to £10,000 plus VAT at 20% |
| Barrister’s fees – preparation and attendance at tribunal | From £2,500 for a short interim hearing to £75,000 or more for a longer or more complex final hearing, plus VAT at 20% |
| Expert reports e.g. medical | £2,500 to £10,000 or more plus VAT at 20% |
| Photocopying | £500 to £5,000 or more plus VAT at 20% for preparing and checking formal documents such as trial bundles |
Factors that might make a case more expensive include cases:
- With multiple parties or where there is a litigant in person
- Where there are a large number of witnesses or documents
- Where there are applications to the tribunal
- Where there are split trials on liability and damage
- Where there is a dispute around medical evidence
We will discuss any of these issues with you in more detail if they are relevant to your case.
We will provide you with a full cost estimate at the outset of the matter if this is possible and will keep you regularly informed as to the costs accrued.
Our team
Our experienced team includes:
