Our Fees

With potential unfair or wrongful dismissal claims our employment lawyers are usually always able to achieve a favourable outcome for our clients, via a settlement or other means before you need to consider Employment Tribunal claims and therefore our fees to achieve that outcome would be lower than set out below.

Where we are managing and advising in relation to claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal to be brought or defended and the dispute results in a full hearing where an Employment Tribunal delivers a judgement, we estimate the following fees for the various elements involved.

• Very basic claim or limited preliminary advice on a potential claim: £1,200-£3,500 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
• Simple claim: £10,000-£40,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
• Medium complexity claim: £25,000-£80,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)
• High complexity claim: £60,000-£120,000 (or more in most complex claims) (excluding VAT, charged at 20%)

Please note these fees do not include bringing or defending Employment Tribunal appeals.

There will be an additional charge for attending an Employment Tribunal Hearing, which may be a preliminary hearing to determine issues or a final hearing, and may be by telephone or in person, of between £1,750 and £4,200 per eight hour day for each lawyer attending, depending on the level of seniority of our lawyer attending (excluding VAT, charged at 20%). Generally, we would allow 1-5 days depending on the complexity of your case.

Counsel fees are also charged additionally, and will vary greatly depending on their experience and expertise.  You are likely to incur Counsel’s brief fees of between £5,000 to £15,000 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) and attendance fees in the region of on average £1,500 to £8,000 per day in most scenarios (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) depending on experience of the Counsel, for any preparation required and for representing you at a Tribunal Hearing.

Where expert witness is required, as may be the case where there is a discrimination or personal injury element to your claim, they will also be charged additionally. Expert witness fees will vary dependent on the type of expert required and we will provide a fee estimate at the time.

There are numerous factors that could make a claim more complex, which include:

• 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 additional claims or applications, e.g. 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 and any related special requirements
• 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
• The way the opponent conducts the litigation e.g. a difficult, vexatious, unreasonable or unusual approach to litigation is adopted
• A high level legal of support is required by you
• Particularly lengthy proceedings occur
• New evidence arises during litigation which requires action and consideration
• The early instruction of a barrister or “counsel” is necessary or required
• Expert witness evidence is required

We charge our fees at an hourly rate which varies depending on the member of staff dealing with your matter. The fee for our lawyers to carry out work on your behalf would be between £220 to £450 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) per hour depending on their experience and your location. Time spent by our trainee solicitors, including our solicitor apprentice, will be charged at £150 to £175 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) per hour, and by our paralegals at £100 to £150 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) per hour, depending on your location. Fees will usually be invoiced on a monthly basis.

Disbursements are additional costs related to the claim payable to third parties, such as court fees, Counsel’s fees and expert witness fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Disbursements will be charged in addition to our fees.

The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your claim depends largely on the stage at which your claim concludes. We often reach a favourable outcome for our clients before the ACAS conciliation stage, however if a settlement is reached during ACAS pre-claim conciliation stage, then the process usually lasts approximately one month, although a settlement could be reached on day one.

If your claim proceeds to a full hearing, it is likely to take between 20 weeks to 24 months from the issue of proceedings. This timescale is largely governed by the complexity of the claim, how many claims the Employment Tribunals are dealing with and the availability of Judges. Where the Employment Tribunals are experiencing high levels of claims it can take at least 9 to 24 months to conclude.

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 update you as the claim progresses.

In accordance with the requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority Transparency Rules

We work with our clients to implement and manage cash collection processes with the aim to avoid commencing proceedings to recover your business’ revenue. However, despite having processes in place, it is sometimes necessary for proceedings to be commenced to recover debt owed to your business. Our award winning team of solicitors have significant expertise in dispute resolution including recovery of debt. We will always provide you with a realistic assessment of the claim early on, as well as providing advice and guidance. The costs of bringing a claim can vary, and we have outlined our fees, and the process to help you, below.

With potential debt recovery claims our solicitors are usually able to achieve a favourable outcome via a settlement or other means before you need to consider court proceedings and therefore our fees to achieve that outcome would be lower than set out below.

Where we are managing and advising in relation to debt recovery claims in a full hearing where a court delivers a judgement, we estimate the following fees for the various elements involved:

Court Claims

These costs apply where your claim is in relation to an unpaid invoice which is not disputed, and enforcement action is not needed. The fees set out below can be discussed and will be dependent on the complexity of your claim, the amount of documentation, and any necessary interim applications if applicable. We always work to recover the debt in the most cost effective way possible.

Anyone wishing to proceed with a claim should note that:

• There are numerous factors that could make a claim more complex, which include:

• If it is necessary to make applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
• Making additional claims or applications, e.g. a costs application
• The number of witnesses and documents and any related special requirements
• The way the opponent conducts the litigation e.g. a difficult, vexatious, unreasonable or unusual approach to litigation is adopted
• A high level of legal support is required by you
• Particularly lengthy proceedings occur
• New evidence arises during litigation which requires action and consideration
• The early instruction of a barrister or “counsel” is necessary or required
• Expert witness evidence is required

• The VAT element of our fee cannot be reclaimed from your debtor.
• Interest and compensation may take the debt into a higher banding, with a higher cost.
• The costs quoted above are not for matters where enforcement action, such as the bailiff, is needed to collect your debt.

Our fee includes:

• Taking your instructions and reviewing documentation
• Undertaking appropriate searches
• Sending a letter before action
• Receiving payment and sending onto you, or if the debt is not paid, drafting and issuing claim
• Where no Acknowledgment of Service or Defence is received, applying to the court to enter Judgement in default
• When Judgement in default is received, write to the other side to request payment
• Where the claim is defended, running your claim and attending the final hearing
• If payment is not received within the required amount of days, providing you with advice on next steps and likely costs

Matters usually take 2 to 6 weeks from receipt of instructions from you to receipt of payment from the other side, depending on whether or not it is necessary to issue a claim. This is on the basis that the other side pays promptly on receipt of Judgement in default. If enforcement action is needed, the matter will take longer to resolve.

We charge our fees at an hourly rate which varies depending on the member of staff dealing with your matter. The fee for our lawyers to carry out work on your behalf would be between £220 to £450 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) per hour depending on their experience and your location. Time spent by our trainee solicitors, including our solicitor apprentice, will be charged at £150 to £175 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) per hour, and by our paralegals at £100 to £150 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) per hour, depending on your location.  Fees will usually be invoiced on a monthly basis.

Disbursements are additional costs related to the claim payable to third parties, such as court fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. Disbursements will be charged in addition to our fees.

In accordance with the requirements of the Solicitors Regulation Authority Transparency Rules

Fees and Key Information:

We provide advice and representation in relation to immigration applications made to the Home Office. The costs of these services will depend on the circumstances of your case, including: 

• The type of application you are making
• The amount of supporting evidence, including documents and witnesses, we need to consider
• Whether you are applying with dependants
• Whether you require an interpreter
• Whether there are any complicating factors, such as previous immigration history or criminal convictions
• Whether attendance at a Home Office interview is required
• Whether it is a fast tracked/premium application

Estimate of our fees by type of application 

It is important to note that our fees below exclude VAT and disbursements, which may be charged additionally. 

We will confirm at the outset if VAT (charged at a rate of 20%) is payable in your case. Charging VAT in relation to immigration matters may depend on where you live and what immigration permission you have. We will confirm whether VAT (at a rate of 20%) is payable when you instruct us and we can work out if VAT is properly chargeable.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Home Office application fees, interpreter’s fees, independent expert reports, or courier fees.

We charge our fees at an hourly rate which varies depending on the member of staff dealing with your matter. The fee for our lawyers to carry out work on your behalf would be between £220 to £450 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) per hour depending on their experience and your location. Time spent by our trainee solicitors, including our solicitor apprentice, will be charged at £150 to £175 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) per hour, and by our paralegals at £100 to £150 (excluding VAT, charged at 20%) per hour, depending on your location. Fees will usually be invoiced on a monthly basis.

Please note the fee estimate for all applications may vary based on the facts and of course, we can give you a more accurate estimate once we have more information about your specific case.

What services are included in our fees? 

Our fees include: 

• Considering your evidence, including documents and witnesses, and advising you on eligibility
• Attending meetings with you and taking instructions
• Providing legal advice throughout the process
• Preparing your application and submitting it to the Home Office
• Advising you on the outcome of the application and any further steps

What is not included in our fees? 

Our fees do not include: 

• Home Office fees (which vary depending on the type of application)
• Interpreters’ fees if required (which we will provide a fee estimate for at the time). If an interpreter is required you do not have to use an interpreter of our choosing, but may decide to use your own interpreter.
• Independent expert reports (if required, e.g. medical evidence)
• Counsel’s fees (if advice or representation at a hearing is needed)
• Travel costs or courier fees (if applicable)
• VAT, if applicable, charged at 20%

We will let you know if any of these are necessary and provide an estimate where possible. 

Likely timescales

The time it takes to prepare and submit your application will depend on:

• The complexity of your case
• The availability of required documents
• Your personal circumstances
• Home Office processing times

We will normally be able to submit standard applications within 2–6 weeks of receiving full instructions and supporting documentation.

The Home Office processing times vary depending on the type of application. You can find current processing times on the Home Office website.