Hilary is a senior solicitor within the Wills, Tax and Probate Team.
Hilary has a wealth of over 20 years experience in all private client matters but has developed a niche in Wills, Probate and Trusts work. She is a member of Solicitors for the Elderly and has been awarded the Older Client Care in Practice Award.
Teams: Wills Tax and Probate
Email Hilary AskewEmployer (Business) – Pricing guide regarding Wrongful Dismissal or Unfair Dismissal
It is often difficult to give a very accurate estimate of the amount of legal advice and assistance that will be required. Each case is different and has varying levels of complexity.
We can provide you with a more precise indication of costs when we have the full information about your case.
Defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal, cost estimates
The estimates are based on an hourly charging rate of £260 plus VAT. It is difficult to be more precise, as each case is different. However, in our experience, the majority of claims settle before the final hearing.
Our fee estimates above, are made on the basis that there is no claim other than a Wrongful or Unfair Dismissal claim e.g. an additional discrimination claim. If there are other claims being made, the estimates are likely to increase. We can, of course, provide a revised estimate if that is the situation.
Please note, you will not be able to obtain these costs back from the other side even if you are successful. It is only on rare occasions that an Employment Tribunal will award a costs order against a party. This is an important consideration. We often provide initial advice to employees at the start of the matter.
Factors that could make a case more complex:
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. There are no longer any Employment Tribunal fees to pay (such as a fee for starting a claim or hearing fees).
At a final hearing of the case before an Employment Tribunal, you may need to use the services of a barrister (often referred to as Counsel). Counsel’s fees range from around £750 plus VAT to around £1000 plus VAT per day (depending on experience) for attending a Tribunal Hearing.
Counsel could be required earlier in the case, and we would discuss the need with you. He/she would charge at an hourly rate and we would always obtain a fee estimate for the work before instructing the barrister.
Key stages
The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:
The stages set out above are an indication only, and if some of stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages.
How long will my matter take?
The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during early conciliation, your case is likely to be resolved within 2-4 weeks. If your claim cannot be settled and proceeds all the way to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take roughly 6-9 months. This is only 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.
Clear Pricing Information for Employees – regarding Unfair and Wrongful Dismissal claims
Our pricing estimates for bringing a claim for unfair or wrongful dismissal, if the claim proceeds all the way to a final hearing:
Simple case: from £5,000 to £7,000 plus VAT
Medium complexity case: from £7,000 to £10,000 plus VAT
High complexity case (e.g. discrimination, whistleblowing): £10,000 upwards plus VAT
The estimates are based on an hourly charging rate of £260 plus VAT. It is difficult to be more precise as each case is different. However, in our experience, the majority of claims settle before trial.
Our fee estimates above, are made on the basis that you have no claim other than a Wrongful or Unfair Dismissal claim e.g. an additional discrimination claim. If there are other claims being made, the estimates are likely to increase. We can, of course, provide a revised estimate if that is the situation.
Please note, you will not be able to obtain these costs back from the other side, even if you are successful. It is only on rare occasions that an Employment Tribunal will award a costs order against a party. This is an important consideration. We often provide initial advice to employees at the start of the matter.
Factors that could make a case more complex:
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties. There are no longer any Employment Tribunal fees to pay (such as a fee for starting a claim or hearing fees).
At a final hearing of the case before an Employment Tribunal, you may need to use the services of a barrister (often referred to as Counsel). Counsel’s fees range from around £750 plus VAT to around £1000 plus VAT per day (depending on experience) for attending a Tribunal Hearing.
Counsel could be required earlier in the case, and we would discuss the need with you. He/she would charge at an hourly rate and we would always obtain a fee estimate for the work before instructing the barrister.
Key stages
The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:
The stages set out above are only an indication and if some of the stages above are not required, the fee will be reduced. You may wish to handle the claim yourself and only have our advice in relation to some of the stages. This can also be arranged based on your individual needs.
How long will my matter take?
The time that it takes from taking your initial instructions to the final resolution of your matter depends largely on the stage at which your case is resolved. If a settlement is reached during early conciliation, your case is likely to be resolved within 2-4 weeks. If your claim cannot be settled and proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 6-9 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.
Estate Administration Costs
The pricing and costs information below relates to uncontested estates (ie estates where there are no disputes, or claims anticipated under the provisions of the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975), and where all of the assets belonging to the deceased person are in the UK.
The majority of the estate administration cases where a grant of representation is necessary (and we handle the full process) fall within a fee range of between £3,000 and £8,000 plus VAT.
The exact cost will depend on the individual circumstances of the matter. For example, if there is one beneficiary and no property, costs will be at the lower end of the range. If there are multiple beneficiaries, a property and multiple bank accounts, costs will be at the higher end.
Broadly speaking estate administration (and therefore associated costs) falls into 3 categories:
All of which are based on hourly charging rates of between £130-£260 depending on qualification.
An example of this might be where the estate is very simple comprising up to 5 bank accounts with balances of under £5,000.
Range of costs – £500-£750 + VAT
Range of costs – £3,000-£6,000 + VAT
This is for estates where:
Range of Costs – £6,000-£8,000 + VAT
This is for estates as above at 2, but inheritance tax is payable and a full account is required to be submitted to HMRC.
Disbursements
Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as court fees.
The following disbursements are payable:
In addition, where a grant is required:
We will:
Potential additional costs
How long will this take?
Most relatively straightforward estates are dealt with within three to nine months from the date on which we receive all of the available estate information. Typically, obtaining the grant of probate takes eight to ten weeks. Collecting assets then follows, which can take between three to six weeks from the date on which the grant of probate is received. Once this has been done, we can distribute the assets; which normally takes two to four weeks.
Circumstances which would result in a delay or an extension of these timeframes:
