Tribunal Claims – Employees

At ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW we can help you secure a resolution to your workplace issues.

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Where a resolution cannot be reached we will advise you on the merits of bringing an employment claim and discuss with you the options available. We will support you if you decide to bring an Employment Tribunal claim, advise you through the process and provide you with representation.

No claim is exactly the same and our fees reflect your particular requirements. The length and complexity of legal proceedings is uncertain and will depend on your circumstances. At ACUMEN BUSINESS LAW our service starts with a free initial meeting where we discuss your claim after which we can give you an estimate of the likely costs involved. Our hourly rate charges, which are reduced for employees, are £200 (+VAT) per hour.

We have set out below an estimate of the costs which may be incurred when bringing an employment claim for unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal.

Our initial consultation and exploratory meeting with you is free of charge.

If you decide to go ahead with a claim, we will assess your legal position and advise you on the merits of your potential claim. We estimate this will take 4-6 hours equating to £800 – £1200 (+VAT).

Thereafter, we will deal with ACAS early conciliation and draft the claim form for submission to the court. This will take approximately 3-4 hours equating to £600 – 800 (+ VAT).

To prepare for a hearing we will have to consider the following;

  • If the court have directed a preliminary hearing to answer initial matters, such as whether your claim is within time. We estimate preparation will take 2 – 4 hours equating to £400 – £800 (+VAT). We would normally instruct a barrister to attend the hearing and their costs range between £450 – £1000 (+VAT).

  • Preparation and draft witness statements: This will depend on the number of witnesses and whether you want us to draft the statements. If you provide initial drafts for us to review and amend, this will lower the costs. We estimate that a review of each witness statement will take between 1 – 5 hours (depending on the length and detail) equating to between £200 to £1000 (+VAT). If you require us to draft the witness statement for you we estimate that this will take between 2 – 7 hours equating to between £400 to £1400 (+VAT) again depending on the complexity of each statement.

  • Schedule of loss which is required for most claims setting out the remedy or compensation you are seeking in detail. This will take approximately 1 – 2 hours equating to £200 to £400 (+ VAT).

  • All parties are required to disclosure documents they wish to rely on at court. It is usually an employer’s responsibility to prepare the bundle of documents, although this is not always the case. Depending on the amount of documentation involved, we estimate this will take 5 – 8 hours equating to between £1000 to £1600 (+ VAT).

  • It is often more cost effective to instruct a barrister to attend a court hearing. We estimate drafting instructions to counsel will take approximately 4 – 6 hours equating to £800 to £1200 (+ VAT).

  • Hearings for unfair dismissal are normally scheduled for one day. The cost to instruct a barrister is likely to be approximately £1500 (+VAT) per day.

Throughout the proceedings there is scope for negotiation and settlement; the claim can be settled up to and even during the hearing. Throughout your matter we will be alive to the possibility of settlement and work to secure the best deal for you. Any time spent on settlement negotiations will be charged at our hourly rate and, depending on the negotiations, we estimate this could take 3 – 5 hours equating to £600 – £1000 (+VAT).

All further work, such as dealing with correspondence from the other side or the court, will be in accordance with our hourly rate. We will always inform you of any additional costs and seek your authorisation prior to incurring any additional charges.

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“We have used Acumen Business Law several times, not once have they failed to deliver the right result. Highly recommended.”

Kevin Byrne, Checkatrade