EMPLOYMENT LAW FEES
Employment Law Fees
Legal Fee Information for Employment Tribunal Claims
We have set out below the issues you need to consider in relation to Legal Fees and disbursements for presenting or defending a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal.
  
Our Legal Fees are inclusive of VAT, covering all of the work required to handle your case from instruction to conclusion.  

Legal Fees
Legal Fees are the amount you will be required to pay for all the work performed by us in actioning your instructions from commencement of your case to conclusion. 
• Our average standard legal fee for presenting or defending a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal is from £600- £1000. The value and complexity of the matter alongside the stage at which the matter is resolved are factors that must be taken into account to confirm the fees in accordance with this scale.  

• If your matter becomes complex (see below) our fees may increase further and we will notify you in advance of any increased costs. 

• Should your instructions require us to take your matter out of the fixed fee rate (see below for what our fixed fee covers) we will charge an hourly rate of £120, which will depend on the experience and qualification of the case handler as follows:
o Principal Solicitor- £195 
o Associate Solicitor £180
o Paralegal £120 

• We will charge the sum of £35 for Electronic money transfers.
If at any stage our fees change, we will notify you and discuss the reason for any changes. This would typically occur if you change your instructions, or your case involves an unforeseen complexity. 

Our average fees assume that: 
• The transaction is concluded in a timely manner and no unforeseen complication arise.
• All parties to the transaction are co-operative and there is no unreasonable delay from any parties providing documentation.
Disbursements and Other Costs 
• Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.
• Typical disbursements for unfair or wrong dismissal claims disbursements relate to Counsel's fees estimated between £500 to £2000 per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation) 

Stages of the Process
The precise stages involved in unfair or wrong dismissal claims vary according to the circumstances. We have set out the key stages of a standard transaction: -  
• 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)
• Undertaking regulatory checks
• Entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached
• Liaising with ACAS
• 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 at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel (1 day hearing)
• Reporting to you on the conclusion of the matter and closing your file. 
• The stages set out above are an indication and if some of stages above are not required, your legal fee may be reduced.

Please note that the fee estimates provided do not include the cost of attendance at a final hearing by us or a Barrister instructed to represent you. 

How long will my claim 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 2-12 weeks. 
If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 6- 12 months. 
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.

Factors That Could Make A Case More Complex
The following factors may make your case more complex and impact on your legal fees and disbursements: -
• Inclusion of other employment claims
• Number of documents requiring review and advice
• Acting against a litigant in person (someone who is not legally represented in their claim)
• If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
• 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
Should any of these factors occur we will notify you and discuss with you any increase in our legal fees or disbursements.

Fee Earners: 
The following fee earners handle Employment matters:
• Employment matters are handled by Amanda Tandi who is a Solicitor with over 14 years’ experience in the legal sector. Having studied at Cardiff Law School, qualifying in 2005. 

• In the Employment Law Department, Sandra is training and been supervised by Amanda Tandi who is head of our Employment law Department. 
Questions
If you have any questions relating to our services and our fees, please contact us on 01483318452 or email Amanda: amanda@fosterslegal.co.uk/ office@fosterslegal.co.uk
Amanda Tandi LLB
Head of Employment
Office: 01438 318 453 
Mob: 07572 373 011
Springfield House, 24 High Street, 
Stevenage, Hertfordshire SG1 3EJ
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