Wrigleys' fees for employment advice

As a guide, we estimate our fees for advising employers on defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal are as follows:

• Simple case: £6,000 - £10,000 plus VAT (£7,200 - £12,000 inclusive of VAT)
• Medium complexity case: £8,000 - £14,000 plus VAT (£9,600 - £16,800 inclusive of VAT)
• High complexity case: £12,000 - £20,000 plus VAT (£14,400 - £24,000 inclusive of VAT)

Factors that could make a case more complex include:

• 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 a claimant who is not legally represented by a solicitor or barrister;
• Multiple claimants or multiple complaints (for example, wrongful and unfair dismissal and unauthorised deductions from wages);
• Making or defending a costs application;
• Any preliminary issues such as time limits, whether the claimant is /was an employee or whether the claimant was dismissed;
• The number of witnesses and documents;
• If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. dismissal related to a transfer of employment.

Please note, these estimates do not apply to cases involving discrimination or protected disclosures (whistle blowing) allegations.  These cases can be more complex and require additional work.  We will require some detailed information about the claim before we can provide you with an estimate of our fees.

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal Hearing (from £1,000 plus VAT per day (£1,200 inclusive of VAT)). Generally, we would allow 1-2 days (Simple) 2-4 days (Medium) and up to two weeks (High) depending on the complexity of the claim.

Fees

Our fees are based on the time taken by fee earners to deal with a matter on behalf of the client.  Hourly rates reflect the experience and expertise of the fee earner.

We do not work under conditional fee or damages based agreements.  Some of our clients may have insurance that may cover all or some part only of the costs of defending a claim and/or an award that may be made by a Tribunal.  We do not advise on such insurances but will undertake work on a client's behalf where insurance cover has been confirmed.  Where the hourly rates payable under the insurance policy do not satisfy our rates then we can continue to act where our client agrees to pay to us any difference.  At all times, our client remains liable for all fees incurred whether or not there is any delay or other failure to pay (including denial or withdrawal of insurance) by the insurer.

All fees have VAT and disbursements, if any, charged in addition, at cost.  VAT is charged at the then current rate.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such barrister fees, travel and accommodation and printing costs. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Barrister's (Counsel) fees are estimated from £1250 plus VAT per day (£1,500 inclusive of VAT) (depending on their experience) for attending a Tribunal Hearing.  There may be additional charges for preparation or a conference before the Hearing.

Key stages

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

• Reviewing and advising on the claim you have received;
• 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 your response to the claim;
• Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process;
• Reviewing a schedule of loss;
• Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
• Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents for the hearing;
• Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing the content with witnesses;
• Preparing the bundle of documents for the Hearing;
• Reviewing and advising on the other party's witness statements;
• Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list to assist the Tribunal Panel;
• Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to a Barrister (where one is to be used).

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 6-8 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 6-9 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.

Our clients

Wrigleys is a niche law firm acting principally for employers. Occasionally we may act for employees, in which case the above guide may also be applied.

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Chris Billington

Direct Line: 0113 204 5734

Partner
Leeds

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