Pricing for the provision of advice and representation to employers in relation to defending claims before the Employment Tribunal brought by an employee.
Legal advice and representation for employment tribunal claims is not a core inclusion in the LVConnect Pro membership. Our expert employment lawyers will still be able to guide you through the process of defending a tribunal claim, and the work will be charged on an hourly rate basis. Do not forget, if you have the benefit of an Extras Fund through your LVConnect Pro membership, you can use the Extras Fund towards our fees (excluding disbursements, for example, barristers’ fees and court filing fees).
The Work We Will Help You With
The work we will carry out at the different stages of the tribunal proceedings is listed below. Please note the stages set out below are an indication, and some may not be relevant in your case. If you have any questions, please speak to the Practice Leader in charge of your matter.
- Review of key documents such as the employee’s grievance, grievance appeal and the outcome letters.
- Initial merits assessment and advice on the best course of action, including whether a settlement can be reached.
- Reviewing the ET1 Claim Form and responding to the claim (ET3 Response).
- Making or responding to additional applications, where necessary.
- Amending the ET3 Response, where necessary.
- Advising on how to respond to the other side, if any correspondence is received.
- Exploring and advising on settlement negotiations.
- Preparing for and instructing a Barrister to attend any preliminary hearing, if required.
- Managing document disclosure, including redaction where necessary.
- Preparing and finalising the bundle of documents and exchanging them with the other side.
- Taking, drafting and finalising witness statements and reviewing any witness statements sent to us by the other side.
- Reviewing and advising on the Claimant’s witness statement(s).
- Reviewing the list of issues prepared by the Barrister representing you.
- Preparing for the final hearing, including drafting chronology and/or cast list
- Preparation for and, if required, attendance at the final hearing.
- Working with the barrister representing you and meeting with the witnesses before the final hearing, where necessary.
- Updating you on the matter throughout the proceedings and advising on learnings, where necessary.
- Mediation through ACAS.
The Cost of Our Service
The cost of defending an Employment Tribunal claim varies depending on different factors such as the type and number of claims, the number of witnesses, the conduct of the other side and the complexity of the case. We usually confirm the average cost at the start of your case.
Please note that the estimated costs provided below do not include the costs of dealing with Employment Tribunal appeals. Also, you can choose to negotiate a settlement with the employee at any point during the proceedings. An early settlement, where appropriate, can reduce your legal costs.
Our Hourly Rates (please note, these attract 20% VAT)
Trainee solicitor, paralegals – £110 per hour
Solicitor (up to 1 year PQE) – £180 per hour
Associate – £225 per hour
Senior Associate – £250 per hour
Practice Leader – £300 per hour
The Average Total Cost of Our Service Based on the Case Complexity (please note, these attract 20% VAT)
Less complex and straightforward cases (e.g. a simple Unfair Dismissal Claim) – £9,000 to £15,000
Medium complexity cases (e.g. Unfair Dismissal Claim and a discrimination claim based on a single incident) – £15,000 – £30,000
High complexity cases (e.g. several claims, whistleblowing and/or several allegations of discrimination) – £30,000 to £100,000
The Average Cost of Disbursements (please note, these are likely to attract 20% VAT)
Disbursements are third-party fees such as a Barrister’s fees for a preliminary hearing or full hearing. It may also include travel costs for the Barrister to attend the hearing.
A Barrister’s fee will vary depending on their years of experience, the complexity of the case, the number of days the hearing is listed for, and so on. Their fees will usually cover preparation for the hearing and representing you at the employment tribunal.
For a preliminary hearing (usually listed for 2 hours), you should budget for a Barrister’s fees of £500 to £1,500.
For a full hearing (this can be anything from 2 days to 2 weeks), you should budget for a Barrister’s fees of £5,000 – £30,000.
Additional Assistance
If you are unsure of what we can or cannot do for you, please speak to the lawyer in charge of your matter. Generally, our service does not include any detailed tax or pension advice.
Likely Timescales
A settlement (if possible) at the early stage of the proceedings will mean that the case can usually be finalised within four weeks and two months. Otherwise, depending on the complexity of the case, the availability of the witnesses and the caseload of the Employment Tribunal, a matter can run for up to two years and sometimes more. We will keep you updated on the likely timescale during the proceedings.
Our Team
If different from below, we will confirm the experience and qualifications of those who will be working on your case when you instruct us.
Your matter will be managed/supervised by our Employment Law expert and Practice Leader, Comfort Nkang. Comfort Nkang was admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales on 1 November 2017.
