Our Fees: For Employers

Our pricing for defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal.

Our legal fees will vary depending upon the complexity of the case. Our fees are charged on an hourly rate (depending on the experience of the lawyer). In addition VAT will be charged on our fees at the prevailing rate, currently 20%.

Hourly Rates	Hourly Rate	VAT
Directors and Solicitors with over 8 years post qualification experience, with at least 8 years litigation experience	£282	£56.40
Solicitors with over 4 years post qualification experience and Fellows of the Institute of Legal Executives	£242	£48.40
Other Solicitors and Legal Executives	£196	£39.20
Trainee Solicitors and other staff of equivalent experience	£139	£27.80

Factors that could make a case more complex:

The following services are included in our price estimates:

Simple Case (£1,000 – £3,000 + VAT)

Initial consultation and case assessment (up to 2 hours)
ACAS early conciliation liaison
Straightforward ET3 response form preparation
Basic document preparation and exchange
Simple settlement negotiations
Preparation for and attendance at a straightforward one-day hearing

Medium Complexity Case (£7,000 – £12,000 + VAT)

All services included in a simple case
Extended fact-finding and document review (up to 10 hours)
Comprehensive ET3 response preparation
Preparation for and attendance at preliminary hearings
Taking and preparing detailed witness statements (up to 3 witnesses)
Counter-schedule of loss preparation
Extended settlement negotiations
Preparation for and attendance at hearings lasting up to 3 days

High Complexity Case (£12,000 – £18,000 + VAT)

All services included in medium complexity cases
Extended fact-finding and document review (10+ hours)
Management of complex legal arguments or defences
Handling of discrimination claims linked to dismissal
Detailed response to applications or amendments
Taking and preparing detailed witness statements (4+ witnesses)
Complex counter-schedule of loss preparation
Extensive document disclosure management
Preparation for and attendance at hearings lasting 3+ days

Typical Timescales for Key Stages

Initial consultation and case assessment: 1-2 weeks from receiving claim
ACAS early conciliation process: 4-6 weeks
Review of ET1 and initial advice: 1-2 weeks
Drafting and submitting ET3 response form: 2-3 weeks (must be submitted within 28 days of receiving ET1)
Document disclosure and exchange: 6-12 weeks after ET3
Witness statement preparation: 4-8 weeks after document disclosure
Preliminary hearing (if required): 8-16 weeks after ET3
Counter-schedule of loss preparation: 2-4 weeks after receiving claimant’s schedule
Final hearing preparation: 4-6 weeks before hearing
Final hearing: Typically 12-18 months from initial claim

Please note these timescales are estimates and may vary depending on tribunal availability and case complexity. Overall, if a settlement is reached during early conciliation, your case is likely to take 3-6 months. If the claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 12-18 months.

Services Not Included in Our Standard Fees

The following services are not included in our standard fee estimates and may incur additional charges:

Appeals to the Employment Appeal Tribunal or higher courts
Additional counsel consultations beyond initial case preparation
Representation at more than one preliminary hearing
Additional hearings due to case adjournments not caused by our firm
Expert witness fees or reports
Travel and accommodation expenses for hearings outside our local area
Translation services or interpreter fees
Excessive photocopying or document management beyond standard case requirements
Representation in related proceedings (e.g., professional regulatory matters)

Any additional services required will be discussed with you in advance, and costs will be clearly explained before any work is undertaken.

Disbursements

Disbursements are expenses 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.

Barrister’s fees vary per day (depending on experience of the advocate) for attending a Tribunal Hearing (including preparation).

An estimate of barrister’s fees per day instructed to advise and/or represent you at a hearing is as follows:

Type of Case	Barrister’s Fee Estimate (per day)	VAT
Simple case	£1,000 – £3,000	£200 – £600
Medium complexity	£2,000 – £5,000	£400 – £1,000
High complexity	£4,000 – £7,000	£800 – £1,400

Key stage

Our Team

Name	Title	Qualifications	Experience
Lisa Guscott	Director – Head of Employment & HR Services (Supervisor)	Solicitor (admitted 2007)	Lisa deals will all categories of employment law cases. She regularly deals with complex Trade Union matters, unfair/constructive dismissal cases, Settlements Agreements, complex TUPE disputes and discrimination claims. She advises on a wide range of employment issues to larger organisations.
Clive Thomas	Managing Director (Supervisor)	Solicitor (admitted 1991)	Clive has over 25 years’ experience in advising individuals, trade unions and small business clients on all aspects of employment law. He has particular expertise in executive termination agreements
Holly Hale	CILEX Advanced Paralegal	Studying CILEX Level 6 Diploma in Law & Practice	Holly has several years’ experience acting for both employees and employers in Employment Tribunal cases. She has particular experience in claims for unfair dismissal, multi-discrimination, whistleblowing, TUPE, redundancy, unlawful deduction from wages and breach of contract.
Elise Wilks	Paralegal		Elise assists on a wide range of employment cases including unfair dismissal, discrimination, wage deductions, disputes over holiday pay.

more information

For more information on Watkins & Gunn Employment services for Employees & to meet our team of expert lawyers, click here.

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