Unfair or Wrongful Dismissal

Employment disputes can escalate quickly so it’s essential to know the potential costs. We offer transparent ranges depending on case complexity.

  • Simple case: £3,000-£6,000 (excluding VAT)
  • Medium complexity case: £6,000-£10,000 (excluding VAT)
  • High complexity case: £10,000-£50,000 (excluding VAT)

(The rate of VAT on all fees and disbursements where indicated is 20%)

Factors that could make a case more complex:

  • If it is 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 cost 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 it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim, e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer 
  • Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal 

There will be an additional charge for counsel attending a Tribunal Hearing. Generally, we would allow 1 – 3 days, depending on the complexity of your case.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Counsel's fees are estimated between £2,000 to 5,000 per day (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation)

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 a claim or response
  • Reviewing and advising on claims or responses from other parties
  • 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 on a bundle of documents
  • Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing on their content with witnesses 
  • preparing a bundle of documents 
  • Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements
  • Agreeing on a list of issues, a chronology and/or a cast list
  • Preparation and attendance at the Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel

The stages set out above are an indication, and if some of the 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.

How long will my matter take?

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case will likely take 4 - 8 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case will likely take up to 4 months. This is just an estimate, and we will, of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as the matter progresses.