Meaby&Co – Employment Law Costs
Below is a breakdown of the costs involved in the provision of advice and representation to employees in relation to the bringing of claims before the Employment Tribunal against an Employer for Unfair Dismissal or Wrongful Dismissal.
The below is an example and is intended as a guide only and the actual costs of your claim can vary.
- Initial advice – ranges from a free consultation to up to £250 plus VAT (at 20%) depending on the complexity of the matter.
- If the employee has an unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal claim that they would like to pursue then the first stage would be to issue the ACAS Early Conciliation application followed by drafting the Employment Tribunal form and the details of claim. Typically this can take between two and four hours’ worth of work at an estimated cost ranging from £1,000 to £2,000 plus VAT (at 20%).
- If a schedule of loss is required then this can typically take between 3 and 4 hours’ worth of work at an estimated cost ranging from £1,000 to £1,500 plus VAT (at 20%).
- Attending a Preliminary Hearing is usually part of the process which can involve agreeing the list of issues, drafting an agenda and attending the hearing. Typically this can take up to 6 hours’ worth of work including the attendance at the hearing at an estimated cost of up to £1,500 plus VAT (at 20%). There may be additional travel time depending on the location of the Employment Tribunal.
- Disclosure involving the drafting of a list of documents and exchanging that documentation and reviewing the other side’s evidence. It depends on how complex the matter is but can typically take from six to eight hours’ worth of work at an estimated cost ranging from £2,000 to £4,000 plus VAT (at 20%).
- One of the largest parts of the employment tribunal litigation process is the drafting and exchange of witness statements. Again the costs are dependent on the time involved and the complexity of the matter. Typically it can take up to 15 hours’ worth of work to exhaust this part of the process, at an estimated cost of up to £4,000 plus VAT (at 20%).
- If the matter is sufficiently complex or time consuming then it is customary to instruct a barrister to undertake the advocacy at the full merits hearing at the employment tribunal. This will involve drafting the Instructions to Counsel, attending a conference with Counsel, and obtaining a cost estimate of Counsel’s fees. The costs will depend on a number of factors including the length of the hearing, the experience and charge out rate of Counsel, and the complexity of the matter. Typically for a relatively straight-forward three day hearing, estimated costs would be from £5,000 to £10,000 plus VAT (at 20%).
- Mediation might be a possibility at any stage of the process and the costs will depend on the length of any mediation which could be for example for a whole day of 8 hours at an estimated cost of £2,500 plus VAT (at 20%).
How long it will 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 4-8 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take 6-18 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.