Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful
dismissal

Simple case: £5,000 – £10,000 (excluding VAT)

Medium complexity case: £10,000 -£25,000 (excluding VAT)

High complexity case: £25,000-£75,000 or higher (excluding VAT)

Please note that the above estimated ranges relate only to RW Law Limited’s fees (please refer to the section below on Disbursements, which are NOT included in our fees).

Unless expressly agreed otherwise, we charge based on an hourly rate which varies depending on the seniority of the specialist employment law solicitor dealing with your matter. Robin Williams’s hourly rate is £295 plus VAT; Robin qualified as a Solicitor in England & Wales on 03/11/1997. Christopher Newton’s hourly rate is £250 plus VAT; Christopher qualified as a Solicitor in England & Wales on 01/11/2018.

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 making a Protected Disclosure (i.e. whistleblowing).

·        Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal

Unless expressly agreed otherwise, there will be an additional charge for one of our solicitors to attend a Tribunal Hearing of up to £1,200 per day (excluding VAT). Generally, we would allow 2-5 days depending on the complexity of your case. If counsel is instructed to attend the hearing, their fees will be in addition to our fees.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees, counsel’s fees, address tracing/private investigation services, and expert witness fees. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

IMPORTANT: DISBURSEMENTS ARE NOT INCLUDED WITHIN THE COST RANGES PROVIDED ABOVE. It is not possible in a general overview of costs such as this to provide a precise estimate of disbursements. For example, it is not possible to predict with accuracy which stages of Employment Tribunal proceedings will be carried out by Counsel or by us. We will provide you with a quote from Counsel for your approval in advance of their undertaking any work. By way of example, Counsel's fees are estimated to be between £1,000 to £5,000 per day excluding VAT (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation for the hearing).

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 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.

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 2-8 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take anywhere from 6 months to 2 years, depending on the backlog of cases in the Employment Tribunal. 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.