Employment Law Pricing & Information

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Employment Tribunal Claims

The average legal costs incurred by our clients for commencing/defending Employment Tribunal claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal claims are as follows:

• Simple Case: £750.00 - £5,000 (excluding VAT)
• Medium Complexity Case: £4,000 - £10,000 (excluding VAT)
• High Complexity Case: £8,500 – £15,000 (excluding VAT)

The vast majority of Employment Tribunal claims that we have dealt with have been settled (in confidence) by the parties before trial – the actual costs of bringing/defending an Employment Tribunal claim will be heavily determined by the parties’ ability to compromise and negotiate an acceptable settlement proposal. The longer the claim proceeds to trial, the higher the legal costs.

Below are factors which could make an Employment Tribunal claim more complex, thereby increasing legal costs:

• 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
• The need for an expert to give evidence
• 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

Disbursements

These are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees, expert fees, travel expenses and Counsel fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Counsel’s fees estimated between £1,000 to £2,500 plus VAT per day (the day rate depends entirely on Counsel’s experience) for attending a Tribunal Hearing.

Key Stages

The key stages in an Employment Tribunal claim involve:

• 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; and
• Preparation and attendance at final hearing, including instructions to Counsel.

The stages above are an indication of the work that may be involved in brining/defending an employment tribunal claim. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some aspects of the claim. This can also be arranged on individual needs.

Timescales

The time that it takes from 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 6-12 months to final determination. This is just an estimate and we will be able to provide you with more accurate timescales once we have more information and as the matter progresses.

Generally speaking the more complex the case, the more days that will be allocated by the court for the final hearing. The longer the final hearing, the further away in time the court will list the final hearing. It is easier for the court to find gaps in their calendar for a hearing taking only 1-2 days to hear, than a hearing that will take 5 days or more to hear.

Who Will Oversee My Claim?

Katarzyna Maria Uzar

Katarzyna holds over ten years post-qualification experience and is a senior solicitor at Joseph James Law. Katarzyna has been instructed and involved on 2000+ debt recovery cases. She has the knowledge and experience to provide effective advice to clients whilst being mindful of potential legal costs involved in successfully recovering sums owed.

Katarzyna oversees the debt recovery work carried out at Joseph James Law. Any enquiries should be referred to Katarzyna in the first instance. She can be contacted on 0203 861 5400 or kmu@josephjameslaw.co.uk

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I had the mis fortune to need Legal advice over an employment issue right at the start of the Covid 19 outbreak/lock down period. I had previously heard of JJL though an event that they run annually so thought why not give them a go. The service I received was excellent the whole team were attentive and explained all of the legal details in plain English. Within a week or so my issue was resolved successfully which given the current state of the country I was super impressed with. I would have no hesitation in recommending their services to anyone in need of legal advice.

I have been working with Joseph James Law for over a year now and have found each member of the team I have worked with highly knowledgeable and extremely professional. I have worked with Katarzyna for the most part and she has been very supportive, the communication between us has always been clear and timely especially when dealing with some highly sensitive issues.

ML Group

Thank you for your friendly & professional service. You have been instrumental in keeping our mind at peace with employment matters, helping us with comprehensive employment handbook as well as best practices. We value your guidance on case-2-case basis and trust you as you have our interests at heart.

Thank you for your help in this matter as I have no doubt we would not have managed it on our own.

Mrs C Steventon

Thank you so much to JJL for helping me through a really tough time with my employer. Without their time and legal expertise I am not sure what I would have done. They made calculated and rational decisions that assisted me get the best possible outcome.

Mrs H

Andrew and his Employment team made themselves available during times most people would consider after hours and the patience they had along with the time they took to explain the details of the case were truly above and beyond what was expected. Andrew did everything in his power to ensure the pro...

John F

My family and I were in need of professional legal advice regarding our late mother, Andrew Settle of JJL was professional, courteous and extremely understanding , which at the time was extremely helpful.

Trevor Price

As a relatively new commercial client of JJL solicitors we have been delighted by the results that they have achieved in a short space of time. They made the set up and process of transferring our debt recovery clients simple, straightforward and hassle free.

Mrs Brice

Fantastic service, I would highly recommend and would definitely use again if needed. Friendly staff, very fast response to any queries via email or phone and great advice and support was given throughout the process. Help was provided every step of the way. Nothing was too much trouble. I got the ...

Victoria D