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<strong>Pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal:</strong>

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Simple case: £15,000 - £25,000 plus VAT at 20%

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Medium complexity case: £20,000 - £40,000 plus VAT at 20%

High complexity case: £45,000 - £95,000 plus VAT at 20%

<strong>Factors that could make a case more complex:</strong>

if it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim;

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extensive drafting of tribunal pleadings;

defending claims that are brought by litigants in person;

complex preliminary or legal issues to be considered;

large numbers of witnesses or documents; and

allegations of discrimination or whistleblowing.

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Generally, we would allow 2-10 days for a tribunal hearing depending on the complexity of your case (1-2 days for a simple case, 2-4 days for a medium case and 5 days or more for a complex case).

Disbursements are costs related to the matter that are payable to third parties, such as court or experts’ fees. We normally handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process. We may request payment on account prior to us then paying them, or on account of our fees, as appropriate.

Barristers' fees may range between £750 - £5,000 per day (depending on experience) for attending an Employment Tribunal hearing, although these may be significantly higher if, for example, we engage a senior barrister; this will be done with your agreement.

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

taking initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on merits and likely compensation and risk;

entering into pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;

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;

reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements;

agreeing a list of issues, chronology and/or cast list; and

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

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of the stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced.

The time taken to deal with a claim will be entirely dependent upon the stage at which the case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, the matter is likely to take 12 weeks. If the claim proceeds to a final hearing, the case is likely to take 6-12 months, and based on recent statistics, more complex claims are likely to experience longer waiting times. As a general rule, the longer the case is estimated to last, the longer it will take to be heard and therefore resolved.

Our costs are generally incurred by reference to the time spent by the solicitor(s) dealing with the claim. Our employment lawyers’ details are on the website. The hourly rates vary by experience and fall into the following categories as at January 2026:

Partners: £750 - £950 plus VAT per hour

Associates: £335 - £700 plus VAT per hour

Trainee Solicitors/Paralegals: £180 - £235 plus VAT per hour

Employment Tribunal Pricing Information

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