Employment Solicitor Costs

Employment – Price Information

Neil Andrews (Partner)	£400 per hour	Admitted as a Solicitor in 1995
Hugh Reid (Solicitor)	£350 per hour	Admitted as a Solicitor in 2006
Dion McCarthy (Solicitor)	£300 per hour	Admitted as a Solicitor in 2013

Our charges are based on the time spent in progressing your claim/response. Letters/emails and telephone calls are charged on a 6 minute unit basis with a minimum charge of 1 unit.

The actual costs will depend on a number of different factors which we can discuss on instruction. Many claims settle before a final hearing. We will only charge for the work undertaken in the claim.

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims from initial meeting to a final hearing for: unfair or wrongful dismissal; discrimination; equal pay are as follows:

Simple case: £250-£10,000 (excluding VAT)
Medium complexity case: £10,000-£15,000 (excluding VAT)
High complexity case: £15,000-£20,000 (excluding VAT)

Factors that could make a case more complex:

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 – claimants who do not have legal representation
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
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.

There will be an additional charge for attending a tribunal hearing of £1,500 per day (excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow 1-3 days depending on the complexity of your case.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as expert fees, court fees or counsel fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

1. Expert Fees

It can be necessary to instruct an expert. Expert fees can vary greatly depending on the nature of the expert required which we can discuss on instruction.

An example of an expert report that may be required would be a medical report regarding the nature and extent of an employee’s disability. The costs will vary depending on whether the report is from a GP or an independent consultant. A GP letter may cost about £50. An independent consultant’s report could be about £1,000.

2. Counsel

It can be necessary to instruct a barrister. In most cases we act as the representative but in some cases it will be appropriate to instruct a barrister to attend a tribunal hearing (including preparation).

The costs will vary depending on the level of experience of the barrister. A junior barrister may cost about £250 per day. An experienced barrister could be about £1,500 to £2,000 per day. These fees are in addition to the necessary preparation fee.

3. Travel

Fuel costs, parking or train fares are chargeable for attending hearings.

Key Stages of Your Matter

The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:

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
Preparation and attendance at final hearing, including instructions to counsel.

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged to meet your individual needs.

How Long Will My Matter 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 1-4 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take up to 12 months (due to tribunal listing). 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.

All charges including disbursements are subject to VAT, currently 20%.

The above is for information only. We provide specific advice on the likely costs of a matter as part of our normal services including whether the individual/business has insurance cover or other third party funding. We are also able on occasion to provide a fixed fee arrangement regarding certain types of specific instructions.

All employment law matters are handled by our dedicated employment law solicitors and headed up by Partner Neil Andrews

A good estate agent will obtain this information from the buyer at the time that they make their offer. You are therefore in possession of all the facts and are then in a position to decide whether or not to accept the offer. In an ideal world a buyer will not require a mortgage and will not have an existing property to sell. Unfortunately this is rarely the case and you will have to rely on your estate agent and solicitor for advice.

What Our Clients Say:

“I had need of a solicitor at very short notice regarding an employment issue. As I have used Coles Miller previously, I decided to see if they could help me and they were able to give an appointment that day. Everything was dealt with in a very professional and efficient manner. They gave me a lot of confidence at a difficult time. I have no hesitation in recommending the services that Coles Miller offers.”

For Hugh Reid, Solicitor:

“I have appreciated your good will, advice and sincerity. You have made this process a positive experience for us. Thank you.”

Neil Andrews

Partner, Head of Commercial Department and Business Property Law

Patrick Herklots

Associate Solicitor

Hugh Reid

Solicitor