EMPLOYER FEES
01223 415372

Joanne offers free initial advice for employers and then a number of funding options:

We usually act for employers on a traditional hourly rate basis whereby the level of our costs will depend on the amount of time we have spent on your matter.

We are also prepared to undertake work on a fixed fee basis. So for example, if we are drafting basic contracts of employment with a standard disciplinary and grievance procedure for a small business we charge a fixed fee of £500 + VAT.

Please call to discuss this further if this service is of interest to you.

• Fees in Unfair and Wrongful Dismissal Cases

All cases are different and it is not generally possible to give accurate information about the likely total cost of defending an unfair or wrongful dismissal claim until we have met with you and discussed your case in full.
However, based on our experience the following are typical ranges of fees for running a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal from beginning to end:-

Simple Cases
£5000 to £7000 plus vat currently at 20% and disbursements such as Barristers fees and medical fees.

Medium Complexity Cases
£7000 to £12,000 plus vat currently at 20% and disbursements such as Barristers fees and medical fees.

High Complexity Cases
£12,000 to £20,000 plus vat currently at 20% and disbursements such as Barristers fees and medical fees.

Factors that could make a case more complex include:-

• If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or provide further information about an existing claim.
• Making or defending a costs application.
• Complex preliminary issues such as whether the Claimant is disabled.
• The number of witnesses and documents.
• If it is an automatic unfair dismissal after whistleblowing.
• Allegations of discrimination which are linked to unfair dismissal.
• The length of the final Hearing.

Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle payment of disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process although we will ask you to pay these funds to us before the costs are incurred.

When instructing a Barrister to represent you at a Hearing we will negotiate their fees on your behalf. Generally, fees for a Preliminary Hearing will be from £750 to £1250 plus vat. For final Hearings fees depend on length of Hearing but for a shorter 2 day Hearing the Brief fee for the Barrister's preparation of the case and attendance at the Employment Tribunal on the first day may be around £2000 plus vat. For further days known as Refreshers these may be in the region of £1000 to £1250 plus vat per extra day. This is dependent on the experience of the Barrister and complexity of the case.

Key Stages
The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:-

• Reviewing the papers, advising you on the merits of the claim and likely compensation which will be revisited throughout the matter and may be reviewed.
• Entering into pre-claim conciliation with ACAS to explore whether a settlement can be reached before issuing proceedings.
• Reviewing and advising on the Claim from the other party.
• Preparing the Response.
• Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process.
• Preparing a Schedule of loss.
• Preparing for Preliminary Hearing or Preliminary Hearing Case Management Discussion and attending if appropriate.
• Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents.
• Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing the content with witnesses.
• Preparing the bundle of documents for the final hearing if ordered to do so.
• Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements.
• Agreeing a List of Issues, chronology and cast list.
• Preparation for final Hearing to include instructing the Barrister to represent you. As mentioned above the Barrister's fees are payable in addition to our fees.

How long will my matter take?
The time that it takes from us meeting to take your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If settlement is achieved during the ACAS Early Conciliation period then this may only take 6 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a final Hearing in the South Eastern Tribunal region following the Covid-19 pandemic this could take up to 2 years depending on how many Hearings take place. 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.

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We accept payment by credit and debit cards.

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