Employment Service

At Pattersons Commercial Law, we pride ourselves on delivering a bespoke service to our clients. We appreciate that employment matters can be stressful and emotive, so we aim to help guide you through the process to achieve the outcome that is right for you. We will discuss your goals with you and work backwards to ensure that your matter is driven with a clear and consistent approach that works to your advantage. 

For you

We can assist you with grievances, disciplinary issues and settlement agreements as well as advising on potential claims of discrimination, dismissal and harassment. We can also represent you at the Employment Tribunal should this be a route you wish to adopt.

We can assist you with grievances, disciplinary issues and settlement agreements as well as advising on potential claims of discrimination, dismissal and harassment. We can also represent you at the Employment Tribunal should this be a route you wish to adopt.

As we represent employers, we can use our commercial acumen to facilitate negotiations and settlements that are favourable and provide you with what you need to move forward positively. 

For businesses

Managing a business can sometimes be stressful and overwhelming. We aim to be your trusted adviser and work with you on identifying tactical solutions at any stage of your business. 

We can assist from the ‘get go’ with ensuring that the framework for the relationship between you and your employees is transparent. Like most relationships, situations at work can often arise when there are unclear and unreasonable expectations. We work with you to understand your business, needs and priorities and identify solutions to make the process work smoothly.

We can also advise on matters such as disciplinary, poor performance and absences when there is a likelihood of, or the relationship has become strained. We can help you achieve the solution that works for your business in a professional, timely and cost-efficient manner. We can facilitate swift and amicable exit strategies, settlement agreements and terminations that address the situation without the need for protracted discussions which can often lead to messy outcomes. 

Businesses often have to develop and adapt as the world around us changes. We can advise on best practices for restructuring, guide you through redundancy and TUPE situations to ensure your business is well prepared for the next step in growth.

We can also advice on claims that have been submitted to the Tribunal or claims you are considering to file against your workforce. We have established good working relationships with Counsel based in Birmingham and London which we have instructed and produced excellent results with. 

Employment Pricing

Tribunal Fees
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Sometimes matters cannot be amicably resolved and may require the assistance of the Tribunal to achieve a conclusion. This all depends on many factors and as a result, the costs involved can vary.

However, to provide a guide, we outline below our estimated costs should your matter result in a Tribunal claim:

For bringing an Employment Tribunal claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal:

  • Simple case: £6,000 – £12,000 (plus VAT)
  • Medium case: £6,000 – £12,000 (plus VAT) Medium complexity case: £12,000 – £18,000 (plus VAT)
  • High complexity case: £18,000+ (plus VAT)

For defending an Employment Tribunal claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal:

  • Simple case: £8,000 – £14,000 (plus VAT)
  • Medium complexity case: £14,000 – £20,000 (plus VAT)
  • High complexity case: £20,000+ (plus VAT)

Factors that could make a case more complex could be:

  • Defend or bring applications;
  • Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person;
  • Complex preliminary issues that are not agreed by the parties;
  • The number of witnesses and documents;
  • Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal;
  • Making or defending costs applications.

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smoother process.

Counsel’s fees can range between £1,000 and £5,000 per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation). We will obtain a formal quote for Counsel’s fees once it is required.

The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the 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 a claim or response;
  • Reviewing and advising on a claim or response from other party;
  • Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process;
  • Preparing for and 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 time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends on the stage at which your case is resolved and how busy the employment tribunal, which is handling your claim, is. If a settlement is reached during pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 4-6 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take up to 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.

Please do contact Ruby Rai, our Employment Lawyer to discuss what we can offer and assist in finding the solution for your business needs.