We are a firm of employment solicitors that operates exclusively in all areas of employment disputes and in matters relating to commercial agents. We are able to pursue or negotiate a claim on your behalf and can provide you with representation anywhere in the United Kingdom. We are regulated by the Law Society and we combine unrivalled experience and expertise.
There are three ways you can pay the costs of an employment case which are as follows:-
- The Time Basis:-
This is the traditional way, which is simply based on the actual time that is spent on your case, charged at an hourly rate. How much time spent obviously varies in each individual case. We will be able to give you an estimate at the beginning of your case and we will review this with you at regular intervals. The hourly rate is paid to us whether you win or lose, and we would normally expect to bill you on a 6 weekly timescale.
- The No Win No Fee Basis:-
This term relates to our charges and not to any disbursements to which we will refer below. No win no fee means exactly what it says. If you win your case or it is settled, we are paid our fee which is based on a percentage of the award made by the Tribunal or the settlement amount if your claim is compromised. Our usual percentage for acting in this way varies between 30-33% plus VAT. If you lose your case or it is abandoned on our advice, because there is no prospect of success, you will pay us nothing other than disbursements.
- The Hybrid Basis:-
This is a combination of the time basis and the no-win no-fee arrangement. We agree to charge you half our normal rate and this would be charged in exactly the same way as the time basis above i.e. you would pay us irrespective of winning or losing. In addition to the half rate time charge, we would also be entitled to a success fee if the case is won or settled. This fee is based on a percentage of the award, or settlement amount, and varies between 15% to 17.5% plus VAT.
In all the above cases, our employment solicitors would expect you to pay disbursements relating to your case as and when they are required. Disbursements can include Counsel’s fees, Medical fees, Data Protection or Actuary fees. All of these costs will be notified and discussed with you at the very beginning of your case.
Please note that the arrangements in 2 and 3 above only apply to applications made to Employment Tribunals, and different arrangements will apply to Appeals in the Employment Appeal Tribunal or to Higher Courts. Also they do not apply to employment contractual disputes in the County Court or High Court. In these cases no win no fee conditional fee arrangements may be available which will be discussed and explained to you where appropriate.
We offer an initial free consultation. If after talking to us you decide not to take matters further you are under no obligation to do so and you will not be charged for our initial advice session. If you would like a free assessment of the merits of your case without further obligation, please contact us on 020 7408 1338.
