Our fees

Wrongful Dismissal 

These cases are usually straightforward, with an estimated fee range of between £3,000 – £10,000 (excluding VAT). With VAT included, the estimate equates to between £3,000 (plus VAT of £600) to £10,000 (plus VAT of £2,000) = £3,600 to £12,000 (including VAT @20%).

Unfair Dismissal

Our estimated range of prices for bringing and defending claims for unfair dismissal are as follows:

Simple Case - e.g. unfair dismissal, 1-3 witnesses, 1-2 days final hearing:

£7,500  to £25,000 (excluding VAT).  With VAT included, the estimate equates to £7,500 (plus VAT of £1,500) to £25,000 (plus VAT of £5,000) = £9,000  to £30,000 (including VAT at 20%).

Medium Complexity Case - e.g. additional employment claims, 2-5 witnesses, up to 5 days final hearing:

£25,000 - £50,000 (excluding VAT).  With VAT included, the estimate equates to £25,000 (plus VAT of £5,000) to £50,000 (plus VAT of £10,000) = £30,000 to £60,000 (inlcuding VAT at 20%).

High Complexity Case - e.g. disability or other discrimination, multiple witnesses, up to 10+ days final hearing :

£35,000 - £100,000 (excluding VAT). With VAT included, the estimate equates to £35,000 (plus VAT of £7,000) to £100,000 (plus VAT of £20,000) = £42,000 to £120,000 (inlcuding VAT at 20%).

We charge based on an hourly rate which varies depending on the member of staff dealing with your matter. Our lowest hourly rate is £175 plus VAT and our highest hourly rate is £350 plus VAT. The seniority of the members of staff dealing with your case will depend on its complexity. We will discuss this with you when you instruct us.

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
• 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

Key stages

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 ACAS 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 on your individual needs, and we can provide a fixed fee quotation for individual stages.

Additional work which may increase fees above the range of fees set out above:

• Attendance at additional Preliminary Hearings
• Applications to amend claims/defences or to provide further information about an existing claim
• Where the other party is not legally represented
• Making or defending a costs application
• Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
• Additional witnesses
• Voluminous documents
• Adjourned hearing or a separate hearing to decide on remedy ie compensation

Disbursements

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

We recommend instructing Counsel to represent you at Tribunal hearings.  

Counsel's fees estimated between £1,500 to £5,000 per day excluding VAT, charged at 20% (depending on experience of the barrister) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).  Including VAT, this could equate to £1,500 (plus VAT of £300) to £5,000 (plus VAT of £1,000) = between £1,800 to £6,000 per day. These will be agreed with you before the hearing.

Possible additional expenses

During the course of a claim, a number of other expenses are likely to arise, including:

• The cost of any expert advice or evidence such as actuarial advice
• Bulk photocopying
• Special postage/Courier fees
• Travelling expenses to and from meetings and hearings
• Accommodation costs (if required) to attend hearings 

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 4-8 weeks. 

If you are required to issue a claim in the Employment Tribunal, or respond to a claim, the length of time your case will last will depend on its complexity and number of days it requires at the Final Hearing.  It may take 12 – 24 months for your case to reach a Final Hearing. 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.

The majority of cases are resolved before a final hearing through settlement negotiations.

Who will be dealing with my matter?

Louise Elliot - Solicitor & Head of Dispute Resolution & Employment 

Louise qualified as a solicitor in 1995.  She studied English & Art History at Manchester Metropolitan University and completed her legal training at London Metropolitan University.  

Louise joined Baldwin & Robinson Law in 2024 after specialising in litigation and employment law with practices in London and Surrey over the last 25 years.  Louise has a wealth of employment law experience and advises both employers and individuals on all aspects of employment law and work-related HR issues.  She is a member of the Employment Lawyers Association.

Regardless of who is working on your case, the matter will be supervised by our Senior Partner, Simon Robinson