Employment Pricing for Unfair and Constructive Dismissal

We act for both employers and employees seeking to pursue or defend claims for unfair or constructive dismissal – for more information on these types of claims, please see the Employment Law Services page of our website.

Why Us

We have an experienced team with a detailed understanding of employment law who can provide honest and pragmatic advice from the outset of, and throughout, your claim.

Pricing

We know how important cost is when deciding which law firm to use, so we review our fees on a regular basis, taking into account clients’ feedback, so that we can make sure we always offer great value.

We set out below our estimate of the costs for unfair and constructive dismissal claims. Please see our terms and conditions of business with regard to our hourly rates (our fees are subject to VAT at 20%).

Claims for unfair or constructive dismissal can vary greatly, depending on the background facts and individual circumstances, and consequently the figures below are indicative only. A more detailed estimate will be provided to you upon meeting with you to take your instructions and upon reviewing any documentary evidence available in the case.

Fixed fees

It may be that we shall be able to offer fixed fees to you for the initial stage(s) of your claim, and possibly any subsequent stages. As to whether we shall be able to do so will depend upon the individual circumstances of your case and is something that we can discuss at the outset with you.

It may also be that you wish to handle certain stages of the proceedings yourself, or only wish to involve us at certain stages, which we can accommodate if required.

Unfair and constructive dismissal fees

Our fees are calculated by reference to our hourly rate (detailed further below) and depend upon the experience of the solicitor and/or other members of staff that undertake work on your matter, as well as the time spent working on your matter.

In a straightforward claim, our fees are likely to range from £8,000 to £17,500, excluding VAT. A straightforward claim would ordinarily involve settled law and very few issues of fact.

In a medium complexity claim, our fees are likely to range from £14,500 – £25,000, excluding VAT.

In a high complexity claim, our fees are likely to range from £25,000 to £50,000, excluding VAT (fees may exceed this upper limit in particularly complex cases).

If the parties are able to reach an amicable settlement within the matter, at an early stage of the proceedings, our fees are likely to be significantly reduced. Factors that could make a case more complex (thereby potentially increasing the cost) are as follows:

1. The complexity of the factual background to the claim
2. The value of the claim
3. The number of witnesses
4. The volume of relevant documentation to the claim
5. The number of interim applications made within the claim (if any)
6. Whether additional claims (such as whistleblowing and/or discrimination are also pursued)
7. Claims that are brought by litigants in person (unrepresented claimants)
8. The number of preliminary and/ interim hearings required
9. The length of the final hearing (and/or any other hearing(s))
10. The clarity of the law on the issues in dispute
11. Whether there are any complex preliminary issues such as, for example, in circumstances where there is a dispute as to whether the claim was brought within the limitation period and/or whether the Tribunal has jurisdiction.

The above is not intended to be an exhaustive list and other factors may influence the complexity of each case depending on the specific circumstances.

Please note the above indications do not include disbursements, including any court fees, counsel’s fees or work in relation to enforcing any judgment(s) obtained. A detailed breakdown of court fees can be found here

Our employment law services standard hourly rates are as follows:

• Partner – £295.00 plus VAT (£354.00)
• Associate – £260.00 plus VAT (£312.00)
• Solicitor – £230.00 plus VAT (£276.00)
• Trainee Solicitor – £144.00 plus VAT (£172.80)
• Paralegal – £130.00 plus VAT (£156.00)

Our fees will be set out in a client care and litigation costs funding letter that will fully particularise the terms of our retainer and fees involved.

Fees will not include

Disbursements are charged for separately to the above estimates provided for our fees.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of some of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. 

Timescales

Unfair and constructive dismissal claim timescales depend largely upon the complexity of the case, and therefore the time that it can take to reach a final resolution of a matter can vary.

If your claim proceeds to a final hearing for judgment, then your case is likely to take 9-18 months (depending on the case load of the relevant employment tribunal at the time of issue). If an amicable settlement can be reached, then this timescale is likely to be reduced.  

We would of course be able to give you a more accurate timescale as the matter progresses and once we have further information.