If you have been dismissed or suffered discrimination, you may be entitled to bring a claim. The immediate concern of people in your situation is usually how they will go about funding the legal fees which are incurred in undertaking your claim.
Starting a legal claim in the Employment Tribunal is a daunting process. It makes sense to get help from a specialist employment solicitor who can help you to navigate the legal process as efficiently as possible and reduce the cost and anxiety which is involved in the claim.
When considering legal proceedings in the Employment Tribunal, it’s crucial to understand the various payment options available to cover your solicitor’s fees. I aim to provide accessible and transparent legal services to my clients and this including clarity about funding your employment claim. Below are some common payment options that have been used by many of my Clients and which may suit your needs
Our initial call to discuss funding your employment law claim is completely free of charge and I would be happy to discuss your options which should help you to take the stress out of making such a decision.
During the first call I will review your situation, advise you of your legal rights and then explain all funding options to you. There is no charge for this part of our service, so please do call me now on 0330 223 3288 or complete my Free Online Enquiry on the right hand side of this page.
Funding Options for Employment Claims
There are several options for funding your Employment Claim. If you are a member of a Union I recommend that you check whether you can access legal support via your Union which will be supplied at no costs to you. If you are not a Union member there are other options:
Legal Expenses Insurance
Many people are unaware that legal expenses are often covered by household home insurance policies or packaged with financial products such a s credit cards or “premium” bank accounts . If you have such a policy, I will contact the insurer on your behalf to see whether your costs can be covered by the policy.
Generally, insurers do not provide cover until the internal grievance procedure has been concluded therefore you may be required to submit a grievance first but we will be able to assist you with that. Please be aware that your insurer may try to tell you that you are only entitled to instruct their choice of solicitor but this is simply not the case. You are legally entitled to choose your own solicitor if you wish to do so (please contact me if you are in this situation).
“No win no fee” agreements
If you do not have legal expenses insurance I may be able to act for you under a Damages Based Agreement (commonly referred to as “No Win, No Fee” agreement). This means that you will only pay my fees if your case is won. If the case is lost, you will not be charged for my work. I do not offer no win no fee agreements in all cases and I would need to review your claim before confirming whether I would be prepared to act for you on that basis.
Fixed fees for funding your employment claim
If neither Legal Expenses Insurance nor a No Win, No Fee Agreement is suitable, other options are available. We understand that the traditional method of paying solicitors by the hour can be daunting particularly when you are unsure as to how long it is likely to take to bring your case to a conclusion. For this reason we are able to offer a number of fixed fee packages some of which include:
- Face to Face Meeting
- Case Assessment with Letter of Advice
- Letter to employer proposing settlement
We are able to offer further fixed fee packages if appropriate and tailor these to suit your needs.
Fees based upon an hourly charging rate
We can, of course, also help with your case on the usual hourly rate basis. We ensure that all time is carefully recorded so that you only pay for the work actually done. We will also supply you with monthly invoices so that you can keep on top of the costs that have been incurred to date and pay as you go along. Note that hourly rate charging can be preferably in cases where your employers settle the claim prior to a final hearing. If you receive a settlement without much legal work being undertaken you will only pay for the time that I spent working on your case.
The cost of your case will depend on a number of factors including the type of case and the work done.
When taken to a final hearing, wrongful dismissal claims can cost between £3,000 – £6,000, unfair dismissal claims between £5,000 – £8,500 and discrimination claims between £8,000 – £20,000. These figures are estimates only and can vary significantly depending upon the complexity of the case.
The final bill could be higher or lower depending on a range of factors. The costs are likely to be less if we can help you obtain an early settlement. Most Tribunal claims are settled before a full hearing. The earlier the claim settles, the lower your costs will be. The costs could be higher than the estimates if the matter is particularly complex, there are large numbers of witnesses or you need to speak with your solicitor more often than is usual.The costs incurred will include taking instructions from you and any witnesses you have, drafting the claim form and considering the response, attending preliminary hearings, preparing your disclosure and considering that received from the other side, preparing witness statements, schedules of loss and attendance at Tribunal for hearings. All of this work will be billed at an hourly rate. Please get in touch if you wish to discuss a fee estimate for your claim.
Make an enquiry now
For a free no obligation discussion
- Complete my Free Online Enquiry form
- Email me at carl@carlatkinsonlaw.co.uk
- Call me now on 0330 223 3288
