Employment Law Fees

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal

Simple case: £400–£1,000 (excluding VAT)

Medium complexity case: £800-£5,000 (excluding VAT)

High complexity case: £3,000-£10,000 (excluding VAT)

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 costs application
• Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed 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 attending a Tribunal Hearing of £500 per day (excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow 2-5 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 estimated between £500 to £1,500 per day (depending on 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 claim or response
• Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
• 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 a bundle of documents
• Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
  preparing bundle of documents
• Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
  agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
• Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of 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 is likely to take 2-4 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 26-52 weeks. 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.

Pricing

We put our pricing structure directly on our website for our prospects to see. This way, you know exactly what to expect without any hidden costs.

Some of our clients have financial difficulties and we are very competitive, therefore you will find our pricing to be very reasonable compared to our counterparts. That’s why we take our cases on a contingent fee basis.

We are aware of the concerns regarding the cost of legal work and we do not charge for the initial consultation. Our aim is to agree the cost from the outset and through each agreed stage. We offer very competitive rates and will attempt to agree fixed fees for work whenever is possible to do so. We promise to keep your matter with the same solicitor throughout the transaction and you will be provided with a direct line to the solicitor assisting you. This will enables us to provide a consistent quality and efficient service at all times.

For a more in-depth analysis of our pricing structure please use our drop down menu or quick links.

Probate

Applying for the grant, collecting and distributing the assets

We anticipate this will take between 6 and 20 hours work at £100 – £217 per hour. Total costs estimated at £800 – £12,500 (Excluding VAT).

The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.

We will handle the full process for you. This quote is for estates where:

• There is a valid will
• There is no more than one property
• There are no more than 4 bank or building society accounts
• There are no other intangible assets
• There are 1 – 4 beneficiaries
• There are no disputes between beneficiaries on division of assets. If disputes arise this is likely to lead to an increase in costs
• There is no inheritance tax payable and the executors do not need to submit a full account to HMRC
• There are no claims made against the estate

Disbursements included in this fee:

Probate application fee of £155.00

£5 Swearing of the oath (per executor) plus £2 for the Will

Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£5 per beneficiary)

£69.50 plus VAT Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.

£105.20 plus VAT Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.

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.

Potential additional costs

If there is no will or the estate consists of any share holdings (stocks and bonds) there is likely to be additional costs that could range significantly depending on the estate and how it is to be dealt with. We can give you a more accurate quote once we have more information. If any additional copies of the grant are required, they will cost £0.50p (1 per asset usually). Dealing with the sale or transfer of any property in the estate is not included.

How long will this take?

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 4-36 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 3-12 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 3-6 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2-6 weeks.

Example template (fixed fee)

Probate

We can help you through this difficult process by obtaining the Grant of Probate on your behalf. We will also undertake the collecting and distributing of assets.

How much does this service cost?

TOTAL: fixed fee of £1,141.70 (Excluding VAT).

This includes: obtaining the grant, collecting assets and distributing them.

Breakdown of costs:

Legal fees £800

VAT on legal fees – 20%

Disbursements (£341.70 in total):

Probate court fee of £155.

£5 Swearing of the oath (per executor).

Bankruptcy-only Land Charges Department searches (£5 per beneficiary).

£69.50 plus vat Post in The London Gazette – Protects against unexpected claims from unknown creditors.

£105.20 plus vat Post in a Local Newspaper – This also helps to protect against unexpected claims.

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.

As part of our fixed fee we will:

• Provide you with a dedicated and experienced probate solicitor to work on your matter
• Identify the legally appointed executors or administrators and beneficiaries
• Accurately identify the type of Probate application you will require
• Obtain the relevant documents required to make the application
• Complete the Probate Application and the relevant HMRC forms
• Draft a legal oath for you to swear
• Make the application to the Probate Court on your behalf
• Obtain the Probate and securely send two copies to you
• Collect and distribute all assets in the estate

On average, estates that fall within this range are dealt with within 4-12 months. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes 3-12 weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between 3-6 weeks. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets, which normally takes 2-6 weeks.