Employer Tribunal Costs

Defending claims for unfair or constructive dismissal

At Tayntons we are aware of how employee situations can affect a business. If you are facing an Employment Tribunal claim then you should seek legal advice. We make it our job to relieve the stress and pressure you are currently facing.

Fixed fee consultation

We offer an initial consultation of up to 45 minutes for £150 +VAT (£180 including VAT) . During this meeting, our team will take details of your potential claim and advise on whether it is a claim we would take on.

Our fees

Our fees are based upon the time we spend carrying out all the work that is required to defend a claim from an employee or reach a resolution prior to a claim being lodged. The time spent will include all the meetings we have with you and others as well as time spent draft letters and documents, attending hearings, telephone calls and travelling.

We charge according to our hourly rate of £250 per hour + VAT (£300 per hour including VAT) and estimate that it will take in the region of 30 – 50 hours work from responding to a claim to a full hearing.

We can handle the full process for you.  Our estimated costs for each stage of defending a Tribunal claim are set out in the table below:

Stage of Process Time Estimate to complete work Costs Estimate Costs Estimate (including VAT)
Early Conciliation Process Up to 2 hours £500 + VAT £600
Receipt of Grounds of Complaint- initial review of the claim Up to 2 hours £500+ VAT £600
Drafting Grounds of Response, detailing your case and the nature of the dispute and responding to claim and submitting with the Employment Tribunal Between 4 and 6 hours (provided client provides a chronology and all documents required) £1,000 – £1,500 +VAT £1,200 – £1,800
Reviewing documents and providing merits of the claim Between 3 and 5 hours(based on a maximum of 1 lever arch of files) £750 -£1,250 +VAT £900 – £1,500
Reviewing schedule of loss 0.5 hours £125 + VAT £150
Preparing a counter schedule of loss 2.5 hours £625 +VAT £750
Preparing disclosure 3 hours £750+ VAT £900
Review of Claimant’s disclosure and updating merits if required Up to 4 hours £1,000 +VAT £1,200
Preparing a joint bundle of documents Up to 3 hours £750 +VAT £900
Liaising with other side and Employment Tribunal including any relevant applications to Employment Tribunal Up to 4 hour £1,000 +VAT £1,200
Drafting Witness Statement, including meeting with client Up to 10 hours £2,500 + VAT £3,000
Instructing Counsel Up to 2 hours £500 + VAT £600
Settlement Discussions (if appropriate) Up to 3 hours £750 +VAT £900
  Total: £10,750 – £11,750 + VAT £12,900 – £14,100

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of the 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 on your individual needs.

How long will the claim take?

The time that it takes from your initial instructions to the final resolution of the matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, the case is likely to take 3-6 weeks. If the claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, the case is likely to take between 6-12 months from when the claim becomes defended. 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 a matter progresses.

If the matter does not go to Final Hearing, your costs will reflect what stage your matter reaches and you will only pay for the work carried out.

Factors that could make the case more complex include:-

  • If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or provide further information about an existing claim
  • Defending claims against litigants in person
  • Making or defending a costs application
  • Complex preliminary issues
  • The number of witnesses and documents
  • If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if the employee was dismissed after blowing the whistle on the employer

Disbursements

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

Counsel’s fees are estimated at between £750 to £1,000 per day plus VAT (£900 to £1,200 per day including VAT), depending on the experience of Counsel for attending a Tribunal Hearing  and including preparation. There may be other funding options available, such as cover under an insurance policy and this will be discussed in the first initial meeting.

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of £500 per day plus VAT (£600 per day including VAT). Generally, we would allow 1-2 days depending on the complexity of your case.

Why choose Tayntons?

Tayntons’ employment lawyers offer practical, empathetic support for all aspects of the Tribunal process in Gloucester and throughout Gloucestershire, including Cheltenham and the Forest of Dean and further afield.

Our  Alex Lyttle, is an experienced solicitor with over 15 years’ experience specialising in employment law, will look after the claim for you. Alex builds long-lasting relationships with his clients, putting them at ease despite the seriousness of the situations at hand. He is supervised by Joanne Thompson (Partner), Head of Litigation.

Tayntons has achieved Lexcel accreditation from the Law Society, recognising the strength of our practice management and client care. We are independently regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) providing assurance that we continually meet the highest legal and professional standards.

Get in touch with our employment team in Gloucester

Need help with any bringing or defending a claim in an Employment Tribunal in Gloucester, Cheltenham, the Forest of Dean or anywhere in Gloucestershire? Please contact us today by calling 0800 158 4147, emailing us at info@tayntons.co.uk or requesting a call back.

Get in touch
    • first class, straightforward, clear advice
    • Used Tayntons for an employment issue (settlement agreement). Must admit I’d been dreading it, having not used a lawyer previously. I received first class, straightforward, clear advice and documentation from Tayntons which meant that what could have been an awkward and acrimonious time was... Read more
    • Very efficient service
    • I was provided with excellent, structured advice in a recent employment law case I was involved in. The advice provided was delivered with clarity and promptly which was important for me to arrive at a swift conclusion. A very efficient service that achieved the right result for me, highly... Read more
    • Stress free, professional, legal advice
    • I would like to thank you personally for all of the work you put in on my behalf in my case. I found it made what was a potentially difficult and emotional situation as easy as it could have been, you removed all of the stress and were very sensitive to my situation. I could... Read... Read more
    • Impressive service
    • Thank you for all your help over the last couple of months. I have been most impressed with you and the service. – Mr W,... Read more
    • Fantastic!
    • Fantastic – so efficient and knowledgeable and really put me at ease throughout the case. I recommended you to many of my colleagues because you did such a fantastic job and I felt that you had my best interests at... Read more
    • Thank you very much
    • I just wanted to say thank you very much for all yours and Alex’s attention to the recent matter. I am very grateful that you were available for assistance at the weekend and throughout the process. Hopefully the business can now go forward with no more distractions. – Mr G,... Read more
    • Simple & uncomplicated service
    • Alex made the whole process seem simple, uncomplicated and always reassured me with confidence. Having had a very positive experience thanks mainly to Alex’s professional and natural attitude, which made the difficult matter much easier to deal... Read more

To contact us please call 0800 158 4147 or 03330 145451 or email info@tayntons.co.uk

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