Employment law and HR advice

Employment law can be complicated and is ever-changing. Whether you have a human resources team or not, employment law issues can be time-consuming and challenging for any business.

We work with businesses of all sizes, both locally and across the UK and across a wide range of industries. Our team is made up of employment law experts with over 50 years of shared experience in dealing with employment matters, and we are committed to providing you with cost-effective and practical advice.

Our employment solicitors all undertake their own advocacy at Employment Tribunal and are members of the Employment Lawyers Association. We help you find solutions to your employment law problems, quickly and effectively, and work with you every step of the way.

Our services cover the full range of contractual and statutory employment issues, including:

  • Fixed price on-site HR support services
  • Employment Advice Line
  • Unfair dismissal
  • Disciplinaries and Grievances
  • Contracts of Employment and Employee Handbooks
  • Equal pay
  • Acquisitions and mergers
  • Redundancy
  • Transfer of undertakings
  • Discrimination
  • Business re-organisation
  • Terminating Senior Executives
  • Restrictive covenants
  • Settlement Agreements


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FAQs

Employment law and HR advice

Thank you for considering Wilkin Chapman for employment law advice. Our employment team is the largest in Lincolnshire and East Yorkshire with considerable strength at all levels of post-qualification experience.

We act for the full range of employer clients, with particular expertise on a national level in the food, warehousing and packaging sector. We act for a number of public sector and quasi-public sector clients across local authorities, educational establishments and the health sector.

Our services cover the full range of contractual and statutory employment issues, including a wide range of HR services. Please do not hesitate to contact us for for more information.

You can find below an estimate of our fees for advising and representing you in Tribunal proceedings.

Fees

Our fees are calculated on an hourly rate basis, with the hourly rates being commensurate with the qualification and expertise of the team members. These range from £100 to £250 exclusive of VAT. When we meet with you we will discuss the most cost effective way for us to pursue your case and the suitable level of fee earner and their hourly rate.

Our fee estimates are provided on the basis that your claim progresses all the way up to and including a final hearing at the Employment Tribunal. Many cases do settle before this hearing takes place and as we calculate our fees on an hourly rate basis, this will affect the total amount you are billed by us. We will be happy to provide you with a full case specific estimate when we meet with you.

You should always check whether you have legal expenses cover on any of your business insurance policies to defend employment related claims as these may cover our fees.

Simple case

The simple case estimate involves a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal only, with none of the complicating factors outlined in the FAQs below and is limited to a one day hearing.

We estimate that these types of cases take between 30 to 35 hours at an average hourly rate of £175 plus VAT. This means on average costs are between £5,250 to £6,125 excluding VAT.

Medium complexity case

The medium complexity case estimate involves one other claim alongside a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal (e.g. discrimination, whistleblowing), as well as one of the complicating factors outlined in the FAQs below and is limited to a two day hearing.

We estimate that these types of cases take between 35 to 75 hours at an average hourly rate of £175 plus VAT. This means on average costs are between £6,125 to £13,125 excluding VAT.

High complexity case

The complex estimate is based on a case which involves a number of types of claims alongside the unfair/wrongful dismissal claim, as well as two or more of the complicating factors, and a multi-day final hearing.

We estimate that these types of cases take between 75 to 115 hours at an average hourly rate of £175 plus VAT. This means on average costs are between £13,125 to £20,125 excluding VAT.

VAT is currently charged at 20%

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Disbursements

Disbursements are payable in addition to our fees. These are payments made to third parties, such as Counsel. The only disbursements we would anticipate are Counsel’s fees should they be instructed to represent you at the final hearing.

Simple case

In a simple case we estimate these will vary between £850 - £1,500 plus VAT (on the basis of a one day hearing) depending on their experience, to prepare your case and represent you at the final hearing.

Medium complexity case

In a medium complexity case we estimate these will vary between £1,750 - £3,500 plus VAT (on the basis of a two day hearing) depending on their experience, to prepare your case and represent you at the final hearing.

High complexity case

In a Complex case we estimate these will vary between £3,500 - £8,000 plus VAT (on the basis of a three day hearing) depending on their experience, to prepare your case and represent you at the final hearing.

VAT is currently charged at 20%

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FAQs

What work is covered within this estimate?

  • Meeting with you to obtain full instructions, review the claim form (ET1) and drafting and filing your response to the claim (ET3) with the Tribunal showing us as your representative.
  • Providing you with a letter outlining our views on the prospects of your success.
  • Obtaining from you all relevant documents and compiling a list of documents relevant to the claim. Exchanging lists of documents with your former employee or their representative, considering their list and requesting copies of missing documents.
  • Considering all disclosed documents and their impact on the merits of your response to the claim. Agreeing the bundle of documents.
  • Reviewing the schedule of loss setting out the value of the Claimant’s claim.
  • Liaising with ACAS throughout your case to seek a settlement if these are your instructions.
  • Drafting your witness statements, agreeing the contents with your witnesses and serving these on your former employee.
  • Receiving your former employee’s witness statements and seeking your comments on their statements.
  • Preparing your case for hearing in the Employment Tribunal. We have priced on the basis that you utilise Counsel for the advocacy. We will therefore need to instruct Counsel.

The stages set out above are an indication and if some of the stages are not required the fee will be reduced.

Factors that could make a case more complex

  • If the Claimant has brought additional claims alongside the unfair/wrongful dismissal claim (these can include matters such as discrimination, unlawful deduction from wages, holiday pay owing).
  • Making or defending any applications to the Tribunal to deal with issues that arise as the case progresses.
  • Being ordered to provide further information about your response to the claim by the Tribunal.
  • The number of witnesses you wish to rely on. The simple case estimate is based on you having two witnesses and your former employee no more than two witnesses.
  • The final hearing being listed for more than one day.
  • Making or defending a costs application.
  • If you wish us to undertake the advocacy on your case at the final hearing or attend the final hearing to support Counsel.

How long will the case take?

Unfortunately it is quite difficult to provide you with a fixed timescale. The case may resolve at any of the steps set out above. If the case proceeds from a claim form through to the final hearing the date for your hearing is dependant upon the Tribunal’s availability.

This varies considerably depending on the location of the Tribunal but as an estimate it is likely to be approximately 6 to 9 months from the date that the claim is received.

This is just an estimate and we will be able to give you a more accurate timescale once we have more information and as your case progresses.

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HR Support and Advice

For those times when your in-house HR team is over-stretched or if you don’t have a HR team and lack confidence in dealing with tricky employee issues, we can help take the stress out of managing your staff. We can provide you and your business with on-site help for all types of employment issues; from disciplinary hearings to employee grievances, performance management to sickness absence issues, appeal hearings to redundancy and re-organisation consultations.

Learn more

Employment Law & HR Advice
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This service is provided by Wilkin Chapman Business Solutions Limited, registered in England and Wales (registered number 11532366) whose registered office address is at Cartergate House, 26, Chantry Lane, Grimsby, NE Lincolnshire, DN31 2LJ. This company is NOT regulated by the SRA.

Index Teresa Thomas
Teresa Thomas
Partner and Head of Employment
Tel : 01472 262637
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