Areas of employment law
The Liberty Law Solicitors employment team covers a wide range of employment-related areas, including but not limited to:
- Settlement agreements
- Workplace bullying and harassment
- Unfair or wrongful dismissal
- Constructive dismissal
- Discrimination in the workplace
- Unlawful deduction of wages
- Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE legislation)
Our friendly team can offer a free 20-minute phone consultation to review the overall circumstances of your complaint and see if you have a potential case, which would require a case assessment being conducted on your behalf.
Our employment team
The Employment Team consists of three members: Attiq Malik (Solicitor-Advocate, Director), Dean Garrett (Trainee Solicitor) and Esther Olasehinde (Caseworker). Please see each team member's profile for their experience.
The Head of the Department is Attiq Malik, and he is also the supervisor for all team members within the department.
Funding options
A range of funding options are available in employment matters, including hourly rates, fixed fees, damages-based agreements and insurance-based funding. The hourly rates are between £150.00 and £500.00 (excluding VAT) per hour.
Please note that, should you be offered a damages-based agreement by our firm, this will be sent to you in advance with an accompanying letter which will set out additional information and the circumstances in which you as the client may have to make payment for our services and for disbursements in the instruction of external counsel (barristers) and experts.
Fixed fee case assessment
A case assessment under a fixed fee arrangement can range from £150.00 to £300.00 (excluding VAT) and is dependent on the seniority and experience of the team member selected by you, as follows:
| Team member | Role | Fixed fee case assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Attiq Malik | Solicitor-Advocate | £500.00 (exc. VAT) |
| Dean Garrett | Trainee Solicitor | £200.00 (exc. VAT) |
| Esther Olasehinde | Caseworker | £150.00 (exc. VAT) |
Timescales
As with costs, much depends on the case and its circumstances, and we will update you as your case progresses. If the matter is resolved quickly, then the timescale should be within 2–6 weeks of your instructions. However, most matters that settle prior to hearings do so in an average of 8–16 weeks.
If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take 6 months to 2 years depending on the likely length of the hearing. This is the average time provided by ACAS; however, much depends on the listing availability at the Employment Tribunal.
The above timescales have been given only as an estimate and could be subject to change, particularly considering the impact caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
What our fees cover
The fees set out above cover all the work required to take the matter from initial instructions (e.g. case assessment) to a final hearing, whether that is done at an agreed hourly rate or through a damages-based agreement. They do not cover the costs of enforcing any judgment if this is not received.
Such work includes (but is not limited to):
- Taking your initial instructions
- Considering and reviewing your documents and advising you in writing of your prospects of success and likely award
- Initial discussion with the other party or their representatives
- Further negotiations through ACAS early conciliation
- Preparing the Employment Tribunal documentation, such as a Claim (ET1) or Defence (ET3)
- Preparing a quantum schedule detailing your loss and expected award
- Preparing for and continuing the Employment Tribunal process, including:
- attendance at meetings or preliminary hearings
- exchanging documents with the other party
- witness statements
- the bundle of documents
- attendance at a final hearing
- Telephone calls between Liberty Law Solicitors (LLS) and the client
- Telephone calls between LLS and third parties
- All correspondence via email and letter between LLS and the client
- All correspondence via email and letter between LLS and third parties
- All drafting and case preparation
Cost estimates
The cost of pursuing or defending an Employment Tribunal claim is difficult to estimate accurately without further details. We therefore recommend that you contact one of our team members on 01582 853 783 to discuss the matter. This will enable our expert team to provide you with an estimate based on your personal or business circumstances.
There are many factors which can determine the costs of Tribunal proceedings, including but not limited to:
- The stage of our instructions
- The documents that are required
- The volume of documents to be assessed
- The elements of employment law involved, such as discrimination
- The number of parties to the proceedings
- The need for initial preliminary hearings and/or applications
- The length of the estimated hearing
The average cost of a one-day hearing for unfair dismissal and/or wrongful dismissal could be between £2,000.00 and £5,000.00 (exc. VAT), depending on the circumstances.
For multi-day hearings, the average costs could be around £5,000–£10,000.00 (exc. VAT).
More complicated multi-day hearings may exceed this average.
Disbursements
You may have to pay disbursements as you progress your case. These are costs payable to third parties, such as the instruction of an expert or of a barrister to represent you.
We will always discuss such disbursements and their likelihood during your matter. Please note that our team can also carry out advocacy on Employment Tribunal matters themselves.
Court fees
There are currently no court fees for pursuing an Employment Tribunal claim, since they were abolished in 2017.