Our Employment Pricing
We believe the most important factor people consider when choosing to instruct us is the quality of our services, however this is closely followed by price. We therefore publish our easy-to-understand pricing information for our employment law services.
Contents
HR services and solutions for employer – Tailored support for your workplace
Initial Consultation (no charge)
Navigating an ever-changing landscape of human resources and employment regulations can be daunting, which is why our team of solicitors is here to help. With years of experience and knowledge of the industry, we are committed to providing tailored solutions to businesses of all sizes, ensuring compliance, and limiting your risk. Book a free initial consultation so that we can discuss your challenges and requirements and put together a tailored service offering to match your needs.
The free consultation does not include any case specific advice. If you require advice in respect of any particular work-place problems and or disputes then please book a fixed fee initial consultation.
HR Support and Advice – Tailored support for your workplace
Our basic tailored support service includes the following: –
- Annual audit of employment documents and procedures
- Drafting bespoke employment documentation
- Updates on changes in employment law
- 9am – 5.30 telephone advice helpline
The service is aimed at providing you with support advice and guidance on employment law, HR processes and good practice at work. We will support you in seeking to resolve problems at work where they arise.
Where required, we can also provide on-site support to assist you with those difficult problems raised by employees, whether related to grievances, disputes, dismissals, or redundancies. Our employment solicitors can give you expert support in person, at your workplace.
Advice on claims made at the employment tribunal are not included within the price that you shall be quoted.
To obtain a bespoke quotation adapted to unique organisation please book a free initial consultation with one of our solicitors. Quotations are influenced by several factors including your needs and requirements, and the number of employees that work for your organisation. If you have been unable to resolve a workplace problem and the matter progresses to an employment tribunal we can also provide you with legal advice. Read more below.
Documentation
Contracts
If you require assistance with drafting contracts for your employees, we are able to offer assistance in relation to this. We will usually prepare a draft document with a schedule at the back for key information for each of your employees. This means that you can use the document prepared for you for future and current employees and will only be required to change the Schedules in the document rather than going through and amending the entire document.
The estimated cost of a simple draft contract is £500 + VAT and we will be able to confirm this quote to you in an initial telephone consultation call which is free.
Once we have confirmed our quote and you have instructed, we will provide you with a list of questions to answer to enable us to prepare a first draft of the contract. Once we have received replies to these questions, we will prepare a draft for you and an explanatory report. We will then discuss any questions or amendments that you may require to the document before finalising the same.
HR Policies & Procedures
As well as drafting contracts we can assist you in preparing HR Policies and Documents that you may require including:-
- Grievance and disciplinary procedures
- Sickness policies
- Bad weather policies
- Maternity/ paternity and adoption policies
- Pregnancy loss policies
- Menopause policies
- Diversity and inclusion policies
- Home working policies
- Holiday policies
We can usually assist with any policy that you may need assistance drafting and please do telephone us in order to discuss your individual needs.
Fees in relation to the above policies will vary depending on the complexity of the same however for the examples listed above we would estimate each to take an hour at the fee earners hourly rate.
Settlement Agreements
Should a dispute with your employee result in your offering them a settlement agreement we can assist with the drafting of the same. This will include taking instructions from you and preparing the settlement agreement document. Our estimated fees for preparing this document are £500 + VAT for simple settlement agreements (which the vast majority of settlement agreements are).
If you require further assistance with how to discuss settlement agreements with your employee we can assist with the same and our fees for doing so are based on the above hourly rates and the level of involvement that you require (in some situations we will have discussed this at the initial consultation and this will be all that is required).
Ad-hoc advice
Where you have not subscribed to on-going tailor support our solicitors can still advise and support you on an adhoc basis.
Where considered necessary we will arrange an initial 1 hr consultation at a fixed fee consultation of £150 plus VAT.
Thereafter, costs relating to additional assistance will depend greatly on what assistance is required. All work conducted after an initial appointment will be based on our hourly rates as set out in the table below for each fee earner:
| Partners | £275 per hour plus VAT |
| Senior Associate Solicitors | £250 per hour plus VAT |
| Solicitors | £220 per hour plus VAT |
| Trainee Solicitors | £195 per hour plus VAT |
| Paralegals and other fee earners | £175 per hour plus VAT |
Support with problems at work – advising employees of their rights
We regularly support employees through problems they are experiencing in the workplace. A brief list of those areas we can support you are set out below: –
- Raising problems at work
- Mediation at work
- Discrimination, bullying, and harassment
- Grievances and Disciplinaries
- Dismissals
- Whisleblowing
We aim to support you to resolve your problem without the need to progress to an employment tribunal.
Quotations are influenced by several factors including the complexity of the issues you are facing either at work or with an employee – for instance, a matter involving unlawful deduction of wages will likely incur less legal fees that than a supporting you through a grievance or a complex unfair dismissal matter with discrimination elements.
The best way to obtain a bespoke quotation adapted to unique circumstances is to book an initial consultation at a reduced fee with one of our team to review your case.
Initial Consultation
Initial Consultation
The initial consultation is limited to a one-hour appointment at one of our branch offices or via Teams. It is intended to be a ‘fact-finding’ session to enable us to provide you with initial advice and guidance on the problems and or concerns that you are facing.
The initial consultation fee does not include reviewing case papers in detail, drafting tribunal documentation for you, preparing correspondence for you or liaising with your employer, Tribunal or any third party during or following your meeting, or written advice at the conclusion of your consultation.
Should you require a home visit an additional fee of £150 plus VAT shall apply.
Advice, support and guidance
All work conducted after an initial appointment will be based on our hourly rates as set out in the table below for each fee earner:
| Partners | £275 per hour plus VAT |
| Senior Associate Solicitors | £250 per hour plus VAT |
| Solicitors | £220 per hour plus VAT |
| Trainee Solicitors | £195 per hour plus VAT |
| Paralegals and other fee earners | £175 per hour plus VAT |
You will receive an estimate of costs at the initial consultation should you require additional advice, support, and guidance with your work-placed problem.
Settlement Agreements
Usually, your employer will agree to contribute towards your legal fees and in the vast majority of cases we are able to match your employer’s contribution in order that you are not out of pocket. Fees for settlement agreements vary but are usually £350 + VAT and up.
The advice can usually be done in the space of one meeting (either electronically or face to face depending on your preference) and if amendments are suggested there is usually no need for an additional meeting or additional fees to be charged.
In rare situations, where significant amendments are required, we may need to increase our fees however will always confirm this with you in advance and try and obtain agreement from your employer to pay any additional fees.
We aim to have settlement agreements sent to your employer within 48 hours of you signing the same (although we will always do our utmost to meet any deadline your employer may impose).
Making or Defending a claim at the employment tribunal
Wherever possible, we will support you to explore all options about how to move things forward and avoid the expense of an employment tribunal process. Where early conciliation is not successful, an employee may make a claim to an employment tribunal. We act for both employers and employees in employment tribunal matters.
Initial Consultation
Initial Consultation
The initial consultation is limited to a one-hour appointment at one of our branch offices or via Teams. It is intended to be a ‘fact-finding’ session to enable us to provide you with initial advice and guidance on the problems and or concerns that you are facing.
The initial consultation fee does not include reviewing case papers in detail, drafting tribunal documentation for you, preparing correspondence for you or liaising with your employer, Tribunal or any third party during or following your meeting, or written advice at the conclusion of your consultation.
Should you require a home visit an additional fee of £150 plus VAT shall apply.
Our fees
We can assist with all areas of tribunal matters from drafting initial claim forms to arranging representation for you at a final hearing. In relation to employment tribunal matters all matters are costed at our hourly rate (see below) and as such the complexity of the matter can drastically vary. It may also be that we are required to instruct a barrister to assist with parts of your case (like the drafting of an ET1 (the claim form outlining you case and the nature of the dispute) or representation for you at a hearing).
Key stages, some of which may not apply to your matter but will determine its complexity and your level of legal fees include: –
- 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
Some elements that make a transaction more complex are where: –
- 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
- Constructive dismissal is being claimed
- There are multiple different claims being made
We recognise and understand that funding litigation is not always affordable to all and as such we are always available to discuss ways in which costs can be reduced, this includes acting for clients on an ‘ad-hoc’ basis. You should also check whether you have an insurance policy which covers legal expenses.
If acting on an ‘ad-hoc’ basis we would still require an initial appointment but would then be able to assist you with various elements of your claim. Areas were we are often asked to support are:-
- In the preparation of witness statements
- Arranging for a barrister to attend and represent you are a hearing
- Preparing further and better particulars of claim (the document that sets out the factual detail of your claim, and the legal basis for it)
- Assisting with questions that may arise based on
When we act in the above way the costs involved will depend greatly on the amount of involvement we have in the transaction, and you can reduce your fees by dealing with the bulk of the correspondence yourself.
You will receive an estimate of costs following the initial consultation, however please see below some example scenarios and the costs associated with them.
Examples of solicitor fees
All work conducted after an initial appointment will be based on our hourly rates as set out in the table below for each fee earner:
| Partners | £275 per hour plus VAT |
| Senior Associate Solicitors | £250 per hour plus VAT |
| Solicitors | £220 per hour plus VAT |
| Trainee Solicitors | £195 per hour plus VAT |
| Paralegals and other fee earners | £175 per hour plus VAT |
At Kew Law LLP every effort will be made to avoid a matter ending up in a tribunal. It is essential that in order to avoid such issues, you seek early advice. If a resolution cannot be found between you and your employee either through pre tribunal negotiations or early conciliation then your employee may chose to take the matter to a Tribunal.
Other than obtaining agreement with your employee to settle a claim there is nothing that can be done to prevent an employee from bringing a matter to a tribunal and the act of doing so is likely to add costs and disruption to you as an employer. There is also usually no way to recover your costs in relation to an employment matter, even if a judge decides in your favour.
No two employment matters are the same and facts can dramatically vary even within the same types of claims. As such, fees for such work will be a reflection of the actual amount of time taken to deal with your matter. All work is billed in increments of one tenth of an hour (6 minutes) at the below hourly rates for each individual fee earner. The complexity of the matter will have an impact on fees payable.
As a rough guide we would estimate that the total fees payable (less VAT and disbursements, to include third party fees such as barrister’s fees) are as follows:
- Simple matters- £5,000 – £10,000
- Complex matters- £10,000 – £15,000
- Extremely complex matters- £15,000
Factors that will make matters simple include:-
- One off events
- Obvious failures in procedure
- No reasons given for dismissal
- Limited required evidence
- Limited required witnesses
We will always work towards settling matters prior to them going to a Tribunal and of course the above costs could be significantly less depending upon when the matter settles. As explained above, all work is calculated based on the time spent doing the work and as such, the less time required to be spent doing the work, the less the fees. After an initial consultation we would be able to provide you with confirmation as to which bracket your matter is likely to fall into.
We would not expect the full amount to be paid on account at one time. We ask for money on account throughout the transaction and prepare intermittent bills for you. If matters were to become more protracted than we had originally thought, we would provide you with this information as soon as possible in order that you can make a decision as to how you wish to proceed.
In most instances a barrister would be required for specific parts of a matter such as representing you at hearings and preparing complex documents. We would always advise that you obtain a barrister’s opinion as to the likely success and quantum of your employees claim in order that you can make an assessment as to how you wish to proceed.
We can also offer ad-hoc advice in relation to these matters so that you only request assistance from us when you require it. This can significantly reduce the amount of work we are required to complete in relation to a matter and as such can significantly reduce the above fee estimate. We are happy to discuss this with you in your initial consultation or at any time during your transaction.
Claims for wrongful dismissal are different to claims for unfair dismissal. Wrongful dismissal is essentially a breach of contract claim. It usually includes a claim from an employee in relation to non payment of pay, holiday pay, or notice pay. Unlike with unfair dismissal claims can arise from day 1 and employees are not required to wait until they have been employed for 2 years to bring a claim.
Claims for wrongful dismissal are, by their nature, usually simpler than claims for unfair dismissal although there are exceptions to this. They are also usually easily quantifiable as the amounts that are required to be paid are set out in the Employment contract.
At Kew Law LLP we always aim to settle matters before they go to a Tribunal, this saves your costs in relation to the matter. In some instances, were pre tribunal or early conciliation has been unsuccessful your employee may chose to take the matter to a Tribunal for them to make the decision as to the amount or what should be paid in relation to a wrongful dismissal claim.
Stand alone wrongful dismissal claims are usually uncomplicated however there are elements that could make the matter more complex. As such, the fees in respect of these matters are dealt with at the hourly rate of the relevant fee earner. Transactions are billed in increments of 1 tenth of an hour (6 minutes) based on the work undertaken in relation to the matter.
As a rough guide in relation to matters where we are instructed to act for your from start to finish, total fees are likely to fall in one of the below brackets. The below figures do not include VAT, disbursements or barristers fees which will be additional to the below:-
- Simple matters – £2,500- £7,500
- Complex matters- £7,500+
Matters that could make a stand along wrongful dismissal claim more expensive could include situations were your employee is claiming that they should have received full notice pay in a gross misconduct dismissal. Most claims of this nature will be simple matters.
The above figures represent matters that progress from initial instruction to the Tribunal. Should a matter be settled before it reaches the Tribunal this could significantly reduce the overall fees depending upon when the matter settles.
We would not expect the full amount to be paid on account at one time. We ask for money on account throughout the transaction and prepare intermittent bills for you. If matters were to become more protracted than we had originally thought we would provide you with this information as soon as possible in order that you can make a decision as to how you wish to proceed.
We can also offer ad-hoc advice in relation to these matters so that you only request assistance from us when you require it. This can significantly reduce the amount of work we are required to complete in relation to a matter and as such can significantly reduce the above fee estimate. We are happy to discuss this with you in your initial consultation or at any time during your transaction.
At Kew Law LLP every effort will be made to avoid a matter ending up in a tribunal. It is essential that in order to avoid such issues, you seek early advice. If a resolution cannot be found between you and your employer either through pre tribunal negotiations or early conciliation then you employee may choose to take the matter to a Tribunal.
There is usually no way to recover your costs in relation to an employment matter, even if a judge decides in your favour. As such you should carefully consider the value of the claim against the legal fees that you are likely to pay in order to bring the claim.
No two employment matters are the same and facts can dramatically vary even within the same types of claims. As such, fees for such work will be a reflection of the actual amount of time taken to deal with your matter. All work is billed in increments of one tenth of an hour (6 minutes) at the below hourly rates for each individual fee earner. The complexity of the matter will have an impact on fees payable.
As a rough guide we would estimate that the total fees payable (less VAT and disbursements, to include third party fees such as barrister’s fees) are as follows:
- Simple matters- £5,000 – £10,000
- Complex matters- £10,000 – £15,000
- Extremely complex matters- £15,000 +
Factors that will make matters simple include:-
- One off events
- Obvious failures in procedure
- No reasons given for dismissal
- Limited required evidence
- Limited required witnesses
We will always work towards settling matters prior to them going to a Tribunal and of course the above costs could be significantly less depending upon when the matter settles. As explained above, all work is calculated based on the time spent doing the work and as such, the less time required to be spent doing the work, the less the fees. After an initial consultation we would be able to provide you with confirmation as to which bracket your matter is likely to fall into.
We would not expect the full amount to be paid on account at one time. We ask for money on account throughout the transaction and prepare intermittent bills for you. If matters were to become more protracted than we had originally thought we would provide you with this information as soon as possible in order that you can make a decision as to how you wish to proceed.
In most instances a barrister would be required for specific parts of a matter such as representing you at hearings and preparing complex documents. We would always advise that you obtain a barrister’s opinion as to the likely success and quantum of your employees claim in order that you can make an assessment as to how you wish to proceed.
We can also offer ad-hoc advice in relation to these matters so that you only request assistance from us when you require it. This can significantly reduce the amount of work we are required to complete in relation to a matter and as such can significantly reduce the above fee estimate. We are happy to discuss this with you in your initial consultation or at any time during your transaction.
Claims for wrongful dismissal are different to claims for unfair dismissal. Wrongful dismissal is essentially a breach of contract claim. It usually includes a claim from an employee in relation to non payment of pay, holiday pay, or notice pay. Unlike with unfair dismissal claims can arise from day 1 and employees are not required to wait until they have been employed for 2 years to bring a claim.
Claims for wrongful dismissal are, by their nature, usually simpler than claims for unfair dismissal although there are exceptions to this. They are also usually easily quantifiable as the amounts that are required to be paid are set out in the Employment contract. Anyone bringing a claim for wrongful dismissal should seriously consider the value of their claim against the legal fees that are likely to be paid in such matters.
At Kew Law LLP we always aim to settle matters before they go to a Tribunal, this saves you costs in relation to the matter. In some instances, were pre tribunal or early conciliation has been unsuccessful you may choose to take the matter to a Tribunal for them to make the decision as to the amount or what should be paid in relation to a wrongful dismissal claim.
Stand alone wrongful dismissal claims are usually uncomplicated however there are elements that could make the matter more complex. As such, the fees in respect of these matters are dealt with at the hourly rate of the relevant fee earner. Transactions are billed in increments of 1 tenth of an hour (6 minutes) based on the work undertaken in relation to the matter.
As a rough guide in relation to matters where we are instructed to act for your from start to finish, total fees are likely to fall in one of the below brackets. The below figures do not include VAT, disbursements or barristers fees which will be additional to the below:-
- Simple matters – £2,500- £7,500
- Complex matters- £7,500+
Matters that could make a stand along wrongful dismissal claim more expensive could include situations where you are claiming that you should have received full notice pay in a gross misconduct dismissal. Most claims of this nature will be simple matters.
The above figures represent matters that progress from initial instruction to the Tribunal. Should a matter be settled before it reaches the Tribunal this could significantly reduce the overall fees depending upon when the matter settles.
We would not expect the full amount to be paid on account at one time. We ask for money on account throughout the transaction and prepare intermittent bills for you. If matters were to become more protracted than we had originally thought, we would provide you with this information as soon as possible in order that you can make a decision as to how you wish to proceed.
We can also offer ad-hoc advice in relation to these matters so that you only request assistance from us when you require it. This can significantly reduce the amount of work we are required to complete in relation to a matter and as such can significantly reduce the above fee estimate. We are happy to discuss this with you in your initial consultation or at any time during your transaction.
Employment tribunal fees
There is currently no fee to make a claim to an employment tribunal.
Time limits to bring a claim
There are strict time limits for making a claim to an employment tribunal. In most cases, you have 3 months minus 1 day from the date the problem at work happened.
Read more about employment tribunal time limits here.
The employment tribunal process
The process for an employment tribunal does vary from case to case however the below shows the most common types of cases from start to finish, this will include unfair dismissals as well as discrimination matters.
How long will the process take?
We are usually able to offer you an initial appointment with a few days of your first contact with the firm. From there, how long your matter will take will vary depending on the complexity of the same. In relation to tribunal matters, these can drastically vary depending on complexity and when the court has the capacity to accommodate a hearing. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, the case is likely to take 8-12 weeks depending on the approach of the parties. If the claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, as a guide it is likely to take from 3 – 6 months for a simple claim and from 6 to 12 months for a more complicated claim, sometimes even longer.
VAT on Solicitors Fees
Our professional charges are subject to payment of VAT. Please note that vat will be payable at the prevailing rate as at the invoice date. You will be provided with a VAT Invoice in respect of our charges.
Meet the Team
Head of Department
Our Head of Department is Jennifer Hardy. Jennifer is responsible for supervising our team of employment lawyers.
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Our friendly and experienced Employment team will guide you through every step.
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