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Our Resolve. Your Resolution.
Wrongful dismissal claims focus purely on whether your contract was terminated in accordance with the terms of your contract. Unfair dismissal claims look at the reasons why your employment was terminated and whether these are valid under prevailing employment law.
The price and service information on this page relates only to making claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal. Please call us on 01904 558600 to discuss our service and charges in relation to other aspects of employment law advice.
It is really important to seek specialist employment legal advice, otherwise you may:
It is important to understand that not all unfair or wrongful dismissal claims proceed all the way to the Employment Tribunal. In many cases, particularly with the help of experienced employment lawyers, the parties settle before incurring significant costs or time. Early advice from us will improve your chances of reaching a favourable settlement.
| What’s covered | Typical timescales* | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Meeting & advice as to prospects | Meet with you, review your claim and provide written advice as to prospects of success | 1-3 weeks |
| 2 Drafting & submitting the claim form and details of your dispute | Prepare the claim form and details Seek your instructions where required Finalise following your instructions and final approval Submit claim online | 2-3 weeks |
| 3 Review the content of the detailed defence | Review the content Seek your instructions and further relevant evidence on the defence content Provide a revised view on prospects | 1-2 weeks |
4 Prepare a Schedule of Loss | Obtain detailed financial information from you Prepare draft schedule Finalise and supply to the employer | 1-3 weeks |
| 5 Disclosure of Documents | Gather all relevant evidence from you and collate for disclosure Review documents disclosed by your employer and obtain information from you on the content | 1-6 weeks |
| 6 Bundle preparation | Review and agree the proposed bundle index from your employer | 1-2 weeks |
| 7 Witness statements | Prepare a witness statement Review statements received from your employer | 3-6 weeks |
| 8 Final Hearing | Instruct a barrister to represent you at the hearing | 1 week |
* Please note that the timescales given above relate to the time which we anticipate it will take for us to undertake that particular stage of the work. The time that it might take from commencing your claim to reaching the final hearing will vary depending upon various factors (including how busy the tribunal is) but could be typically anything from 6 to 18 months.
We tailor our support to your circumstances and requirements. The charges can vary in a number of ways dependent upon factors such as:
As a result, our charges will need to take these aspects into account. Note also that, if you have employment claims’ cover (for example, as an ‘add-on’ to your household insurance), then you may be able to recover these costs from your insurer.
Our fees for a wrongful or unfair dismissal claim (taken through stages 1-8) start from £6,000 exc VAT (£7,200 inc VAT). This assumes the most simple and straightforward unfair dismissal claim involving, amongst other things, simple facts and minimal documentary evidence, no more than one witness for either party, no preliminary hearings or applications and minimal communications with your employer.
Typically wrongful or unfair dismissal claims can involve significant documentary evidence, several witnesses and challenges from the other party. As a guide, our fees, on average, for a wrongful or unfair dismissal claim (taken through stages 1-8) are £14,700 exc VAT (£17,640 inc VAT). These fees are based on the following hourly rates: partner-level solicitor £378 inc VAT; solicitor £234 inc VAT; trainee solicitor £144 inc VAT. Higher hourly rates may apply in cases where our advice is being sought at short notice and we need to prioritise and resource accordingly.
None of the figures above take into account unfair dismissal claims which are accompanied by other more complex claims such as the following (non-exhaustive) examples:-
In cases involving other complex issues, we will provide a quotation for the work bespoke to your particular circumstances.
Our fees do not include Counsel's fees for representing you at a hearing which are estimated between £1,200 (inc VAT) per day and £4,800 (inc VAT) per day (depending on the seniority of the barrister).
Other charges which may apply in more unusual situations:
Your matter will predominantly be looked after by a qualified, regulated solicitor who focuses exclusively on employment law and the majority of the work will be undertaken by them directly. From time to time, they may delegate certain aspects of the work, under their supervision, to a trainee solicitor. Click on the 'Meet the team' button on this page for more details about our employment law advisers.
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