We have considerable experience of dealing with both contentious and non-contentious employment matters.

  • Contracts of employment
  • Disciplinary proceedings
  • Grievance proceedings
  • Restraint of trade agreements
  • Employment policies covering a wide range of matters such as internet usage, sickness, absence and compassionate leave.

We also draft, advise upon and negotiate settlement agreements both for employers and employees.

Insofar as our contentious work is concerned we advise upon and represent clients upon a significant number of legal issues including:

  • Unfair dismissal
  • Wrongful dismissal
  • Discrimination of all kinds
  • Redundancy
  • Deductions from wages
  • Flexible working
  • Equal pay

John Wroblewski has some 25 years of experience of employment law and has represented a significant number of both employees and employers in connection with both contentious and non-contentious issues in employment tribunals throughout the country and by way of mediation. John's work has ranged from representing employees and employers in matters concerning high street retailers, insurance industry, educational establishments, banks, global food production, pharmaceuticals and government to name but a few.

We have a transparent approach to costs and will always discuss this issue with you at the outset and throughout our instruction and will explore any costs funding opportunities that may be available to you.

Contact us

If you would like a quote for Employment or to find out more about our services, please contact:

John Wroblewski - john.wroblewski@cookandtalbot.co.uk

Charges

Our pricing for bringing and defending claims for unfair or wrongful dismissal:

Simple case £2,000 to £3,000 plus VAT (£2,400 to £3,600 inc VAT)

Medium complexity case: £5,000 to £7,500 plus VAT (£6000 to £9,000 inc VAT)

High complexity case: £10,000 to £15,000 plus VAT (£12,000 to £18,000 inc VAT)

 

Factors that could make a case more complex:

  • If it is necessary to make or defend applications to amend claims or to provide further information about an existing claim
  • Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
  • Making or defending a costs application
  • Complex preliminary issues such as whether the claimant is disabled (if this is not agreed by the parties)
  • The number of witnesses and documents
  • The length of the hearing
  • If it is an automatic unfair dismissal claim e.g. if you are dismissed after blowing the whistle on your employer
  • Allegations of discrimination which are linked to dismissal

There will be an additional charge for attending a Tribunal hearing of £500 per day plus VAT (£600 inc VAT). Generally, we would allow 1 – 3 days depending on the complexity of your case.

Disbursements

Disbursements are costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Court fees. There are no longer any court fees payable to commence an employment tribunal claim.

We handle the payment of the disbursements on your behalf to ensure a smooth process. 

Barrister’s fees estimated between £750 to £1,500 (+ VAT), i.e £900 to £1,800 (inc VAT), per day (depending upon the experience of the Barrister) for attending a Tribunal hearing (including preparation). 

Barrister’s fees for attending the first day of a Tribunal hearing will usually include general preparation for the trial and might range from £1,500 to £5,000 (+ VAT), i.e. £1,800 to £6,000 (inc VAT), depending upon complexity.

Key stages

The fees set out above cover all of the work in relation to the following key stages of a claim:-

  • Taking your initial instructions, reviewing the papers and advising you on the merits and likely compensation (this is likely to be revisited throughout the matter and subject to change)
  • Entering into a pre-claim conciliation where this is mandatory to explore whether a settlement can be reached;
  • Preparing claim or response
  • Reviewing and advising on claim or response from other party
  • Exploring settlement and negotiating settlement throughout the process
  • Preparing or considering a schedule of loss
  • Preparing for (and attending) a Preliminary Hearing
  • Exchanging documents with the other party and agreeing a bundle of documents
  • Taking witness statements, drafting statements and agreeing their content with witnesses
  • Preparing bundle of documents
  • Reviewing and advising on the other party’s witness statements
  • Agreeing a list of issues, a chronology and/or cast list
  • Preparation and attendance at Final Hearing, including instructions to Counsel

The stages set out above are 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 on your individual needs.

In the event that your claim is successful and your opponent does not pay you what the Employment Tribunal ordered them to pay, the fees set out above do not include the cost of taking enforcement action to recover any money due to you.

Further, in the event that your claim is unsuccessful, the fees set out above do not include the cost of seeking a review or an appeal against the outcome of an Employment Tribunal decision.

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 a pre-claim conciliation, your case is likely to take 8 – 12 weeks. If your claim proceeds to a final hearing, your case is likely to take around 12 – 24 weeks. 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.

In the event of any of these scenarios we would explain the process involved and the likely costs of taking further action. These will be very fact specific according to the details of your case. We will immediately provide you with the most accurate costs information that we can, should these circumstances arise.

VAT is charged at the prevailing rate which is currently 20%.

The fee earners with conduct of employment cases within the practice are:

John Wroblewski – Solicitor, Director and Head of Department – Date of admission as a Solicitor 16/10/95

The Solicitor who deals with your case will be supervised by Mark Lloyd – Solicitor/Director – Date of admission as Solicitor– 02/11/1992.

Got a question?

We want to hear from you. If you have any queries for Cook & Talbot, just CLICK HERE and complete your details and arrange your consultation.

Our clients say...

  • Mr and Mrs H – Suffolk
    Thank you for the great service during our house selling/buying process. It is the 2nd time we have used you for a house move and once again you have been really easy to deal with, efficient, quick to respond to queries etc……So really I just wanted to say thank you to you and the team for making the process nice and stress free (and quick!) for us. It is much appreciated and we will continue to recommend you to friends.
    Mr and Mrs H – Suffolk
  • JB – Southport
    Thank you so much for dealing with my sale and purchase. I was very pleased with the way you dealt with my concerns and the online system was very impressive.
    JB – Southport
  • Miss B – Southport
    This is just a huge thank you for all your professionalism, hard work and total kindness during my flat purchase.
    Miss B – Southport
  • Miss B and Mr S – Southport
    As always the service we have received from Cook and Talbot has been first class. As you know this has not been the easiest and most straightforward of sales and purchases, and your prompt responses to queries and requests have been most helpful.
    Miss B and Mr S – Southport
  • Mrs K – Southport
    May I take this opportunity to thank you and your staff for dealing with all my transactions smoothly and efficiently and I am now very pleased to be in my new home at last.
    Mrs K – Southport
  • Miss P – Southport
    I just wanted to thank you for the efficient and excellent service we have received from you regarding the sale and purchase of our property. The experience was not at all stressful (which it has been in the past) and I´d like to extend our thanks to you for that!
    Miss P – Southport
  • Mrs M – Cornwall
    I wanted to thank you so much for overseeing my application for remortgage so brilliantly. From the beginning to completion you were consistently helpful, informative and reassuring and kept me up to date with each step of the process, which was greatly appreciated. I was really impressed and delighted that you made the whole thing so straightforward and painless especially as my previous legal experience when securing my original mortgage was anything but.
    Mrs M – Cornwall
  • Mr H – Bedfordshire
    Excellent service and advice as usual in what proved a slightly difficult case.
    Mr H – Bedfordshire
  • Mrs H – Bolton
    Thank you to all your staff for the smooth sale of my property……I would have no qualms about recommending your firm of solicitors to any of my friends…
    Mrs H – Bolton
  • Mortgage Brokers – Watford
    Thank you very much for the attention to detail and the speed in which you work for us…
    Mortgage Brokers – Watford
  • Mr and Mrs G – Southport
    We would like to say a huge thank you for all your efforts during our recent house purchase. Your professional service and constant updates has ensured that the process was as stress-free as possible and for that we are very grateful. We would have no hesitation in recommending your services for the future”
    Mr and Mrs G – Southport