All fees are exclusive of VAT at 20%.

Mr Howard Shelley, Solicitor has overall conduct of employment cases. In respect of private clients, both Employer and Employee, his hourly charge rate is £250.00 per hour.

In certain cases, we will act for an Employee on a Contingency Basis (No Win No Fee) subject to our opinion on the risk involved, and the likelihood of enforcing an award. You the client would pay the disbursements e.g., tribunal fees. The maximum percentage of your damages we are allowed to
take is 35% including VAT.

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal, discrimination, unpaid wages:

• Simple case: £3,500.00 to £5,000.00
• Medium complexity case: £6,000.00 to £10,000.00
• High complexity case: £11,000.00 – £25,000.00

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 employer
• Allegations of discrimination which are linked to dismissal

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing of £2,500.00 per day. Generally, we would allow 2 days depending on the complexity of your case.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your case and are payable on your behalf. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

In certain cases, we will advise on the use of Counsel. Counsel’s fees are estimated between £2,500.00 to £3,000.00 per day plus VAT, charged at 20% (depending on the experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).

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 the merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
• Entering into pre-claim conciliation with ACAS 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 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.

We will advise you and can provide a quote dependent on the complexity of the case.

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 8 to 10 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take 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.

Settlement Agreements

Settlement agreements are legally binding contracts which can be used to end the employment relationship on agreed terms. Their main feature is that they waive an individual’s right to make a claim to a court or employment tribunal on the matters that are specifically covered in the agreement in return for a cash payment.

Settlement agreements may be proposed prior to undertaking any other formal process. They usually include some form of payment to the Employee by the Employer and may also include a reference.

Such settlements can be made on a without prejudice basis which means that they cannot be used as evidence in an unfair dismissal claim to an Employment Tribunal.

We at KJC Solicitors can assist you in drafting up a settlement agreement, advise you on one which has been given to you and/or represent you in the employment tribunal whether you are an Employer or an Employee.

If there are detailed negotiations, you can expect to have a bill of between £350.00 – £500.00 plus VAT in addition to the contribution made by your Employer.