Our Employment Law Fees
Our fees for Employment Law cases
We appreciate that defending or making a claim in an employment law matter is often stressful. It can also be challenging to finance legal advice. That's why we believe in being upfront and transparent about costs throughout your case, and why we make our fees readily available and easy to understand.
We will do our best to give you an accurate estimate of the likely cost of your case, both at the time that you first instruct Spencer Shaw and at appropriate intervals whilst we work for you.
Clients have rated us on ReviewSolicitors as providing Excellent value for money.
We are listed by ThreeBestRated as one of the three best Employment Law firms in Birmingham, based on an inspection which includes costs.
Initial Consultation
Some cases begin with an initial consultation.
Before the appointment our paralegal will be in touch to gather information about your matter and you will be asked to email over documents which your solicitor will read and consider before the meeting. This means that your solicitor will be prepared beforehand, and will be able to spend your entire consultation on providing advice and answering any questions you have.
When you sign up as a client we are required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority to undertake a few checks, including identity checks to prevent money laundering and to ensure that there is no conflict of interest if we represent you against the other party. Our paralegal will get the information required during their initial phonecall and run these checks before the meeting. Having a paralegal do the work they are qualified to do rather than a solicitor brings down the overall cost.
If you require support with an ongoing matter, work after the initial consultation will be charged at our hourly rate. Your solicitor will advise you from the outset of the likely time and cost involved in your matter.
Hourly rates
|
|
Excluding VAT |
Including VAT |
|---|---|---|
|
Principal solicitor |
£275 |
£330 |
|
Senior Associate / Consultant Solicitor |
£255 |
£306 |
|
Associate solicitor |
£240 |
£288 |
|
Paralegal |
£125 |
£150 |
|
Investigator* |
£75 |
£90 |
|
Travelling time* |
£37.50 |
£45 |
*In some cases we may use a skilled investigator to take witness statements, carry out site visits or conduct other investigations. Our investigator is the only member of staff who generally incurs travel time.
Other costs
The cost of legal advice and representation often includes more than a charge for work done by a solicitor. Apart from our work there may be costs payable to third parties (often called disbursements) when preparing a client’s case. For example:
In a claim to an employment tribunal we may recommend the use of an expert witness;
During a claim in the civil courts (County Court or High Court), court fees almost always have to be paid to the court at various stages of the case;
We may recommend the use of a barrister to help with your case; to prepare a claim or defence, to give a legal opinion or to appear as your advocate at a hearing. The charge that a barrister will make depends upon several factors such as their level of expertise and the time which she or he will be involved on the claim. As a guide, the charge that a barrister may make for appearing on a client’s behalf at a hearing will be between £1,200 and £3,600 including VAT for a day’s advocacy.
Which disbursements are involved in your case will depend upon the type of matter and the facts of your case. We will advise you of the likely amount and nature of fees and expenses that you may incur whilst we work for you and we will update that information as your case progresses. If you would like more information about costs, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Am I entitled to free advice?
If you are a member of a union, you may be entitled to free legal advice. We will advise you if we think that this applies to you.
Legal aid is not available for employment law matters. We are only able to act for clients who can pay for advice or have legal expenses insurance. We do not currently take on pro bono work (work done voluntarily and without charge).
We usually require a payment in advance before commencing work.
How long will my case take to resolve?
The time that a claim will take to complete from the preliminary stages through to final hearing depends on several factors, such as the complexity of the case is the state of the tribunal’s diary. A final hearing is fixed by the tribunal either after the claim has been issued or at a Preliminary Hearing.
In our experience it is likely to be 6 to 10 months before a claim is concluded at a final hearing in simple cases and 12 to 18 months in more complicated cases.
Payments
Ways of paying
The way in which the work that we do for you may be funded depends upon the type of case and our agreement with you. The following options are available:
hourly rate
agreed fee
legal expenses insurance
contingency fee agreement or conditional fee agreement (types of no win, no fee agreement)
Payment on account
In most cases we will ask you to make payments in advance to cover any anticipated fees or disbursements (ie: payments made on your behalf). These advance payments are deposited into our Client Account and are governed by rules set out by the Solicitors Regulation Authority's Accounts Rules. We will pay interest on the average balance that was held for you providing the interest accrued amounts to £20 or more. Interest is calculated at the rate available on an instant access savings account from Barclays Bank.
We are required by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to deposit monies in instant access accounts only. This means that the interest rate paid on money in our Client Account may not be as high as you can achieve by placing the money in a savings account yourself.
How much does an employment tribunal claim cost?
The cost of your case will depend on several factors, such as the complexity of the case, the amount of evidence involved and the legal issues relating to the case.
Each case has its own facts, legal issues and evidence. Many cases don’t go through the full process and are either settled or withdrawn before the case reaches the final hearing. If that happens, the cost of the case will be less than the guideline estimates below.
For example, a simple unfair dismissal case would likely cost around £5,000-£6,000. More complex cases are likely to be in the range of £8,000-£10,000, particularly if the final hearing lasts more than one day. Very complicated cases involving substantial amounts of evidence or complex legal arguments coul exceed £10,000. These estimates include VAT.
Wrongful dismissal cases tend to be simpler and require less time to complete. These will cost around £3500 including VAT.
At your initial consultation your solicitor will provide you with a guide to the likely time and cost involved in your case.
If a claim reaches a final hearing, it will go through several key stages:
Preparation and issue of a claim at an Employment Tribunal.
Receipt and analysis of the response to the claim.
Compliance with directions made by the Tribunal - Directions are instructions from the Judge for the proper management of the claim. They include exchange of relevant documents and preparation of an agreed bundle of documents which will be used by the parties and by the Judge at the final hearing. Preparation and exchange of witness statements setting out the evidence that witnesses will give at the final hearing. Setting a date for the final hearing. Setting a timetable for the final hearing.
Preparation and issue of a claim at an Employment Tribunal.
Preliminary Hearing - Depending on the nature of the case, the Tribunal will sometimes set a case management conference to define the issues in the case and to give directions. This is known as a Preliminary Hearing and may take place at the Tribunal or by telephone. Other Preliminary Hearings may be held to determine a specific issue in a case, such as whether there is in fact a case to answer, whether part of a claim or response should be struck out or whether a claim is out of time.
The final hearing - This is like a trial. It is where the evidence is heard and legal arguments are made. A Judge will decide the case.
Preparation and issue of a claim at an Employment Tribunal.
Definitely recommend
Very competent, knowledgeable and friendly. They were very thorough in their evaluation of my redundancy notice and certainly put my mind at ease by explaining in simple terms what the most important clauses meant. Definitely recommend them.
Ian
Get in touch
Do you have a legal matter you'd like to discuss with us? Get in touch using the details below or use the form here and a member of our team will be in touch to discuss your enquiry.
Address: Spencer Shaw Solicitors Limited
Vancouver House, 111 Hagley Road, Edgbaston, Birmingham B16 8LB
Opening hours:
Monday - Friday 9:00AM - 5:00PM
Saturday, Sunday & Bank Holidays - Closed
Connect on social media
