Rates

124-128 City Road, London, EC1V 2NX

Greenburgh & Co Solicitors

Employment Law, Ethics & Equalities

Rates and costs

Cost transparency and no surprises!

Cost estimates

In every case we will offer you a cost estimate. Where it is not possible to give you a fixed fee, we will agree a costs cap; and when we get to 75% of the agreed cap, we will update you and agree the next cap, or fixed fee to the next step.

Hourly rates

We try to estimate what things will actually cost and give you a fixed price or a cast cap. These are worked out using hourly rates. Each hour is split into 10 x 6-minute units. You pay for each unit. All rates are subject to VAT at 20%.

Our hourly rates can start as low as £195 per hour; our standard rate, for more complicated cases requiring partner input and greater expertise, the rate is £350.00 +VAT

Daily rates

We offer fixed fee and capped fee alternatives providing cost certainty when it matters. Our standard daily rate, for example to attend a meeting off-site, is £2500 + VAT

Cost recoveries

In addition to paying us for our time, we will recover our out-of-pocket expenses. Typically this includes photocopying, or printing at 25p per page, mileage or train fares. We will agree an estimate or cap for cost recoveries in each case. These charges are also subject to VAT

Third party costs

Where there is a third party cost, such as a court issue fee, or the cost of instructing a barrister, we will usually ask you to pay this directly. If we do pay it on your behalf it will be recovered in our bill.

Tribunal claims

Whether as claimant or respondent, costs certainty in dealing with claims in the Courts or the Employment Tribunal is important. We offer fixed fees and menu pricing to fit your budget.

Secondment

In some circumstances our clients need one of the team on site at their premises. We can offer secondment rates to supplement and support your in-house team

Bills and payment terms

We usually bill you each month for the work done. Our terms are for payment to be made on presentation. We reserve the right to recover interest on bills that remain unpaid after 28 days under Article 5 of Solicitors' (Non-Contentious Business) Remuneration Order 2009 and/or the Senior Courts Act 1981 at the rate of 8% per annum.

Disputes about costs

Because we agree cost estimates with you in advance, these should not happen! However, if you dispute any bill you should immediately raise your concerns in writing with our Principal, Mark Greenburgh. If you remain dissatisfied you may have our bills checked by on officer of the court under Sections 70. 71 and 72 of the Solicitors Act 1974. Please note that time limits apply top these rights and that you may incur further fees by making such an application.

unfair dismissal claims - cost transparency

Tribunal claims for applicants/employees

We believe in cost transparency, and no surprises. In every case we will provide you with a cost estimate for your particular case. This will depend on the number of witnesses, the complexity of evidence and the type of claim. However, the Solicitors Regulation Authority requires law firms offering employment tribunal representation in unfair and wrongful dismissal claims to set out the costs for doing so.

The example set out below is based on a number of assumptions. These include the following steps:

Reviewing your case and providing an assessment of the likelihood of success, and damages and relevant time limits.
Registering the claim with ACAS for pre-action conciliation (a required step).
Preparing your particulars of claim .
Drafting and filing the ET1 claim form with the Employment Tribunal.
Dealing with the preliminary hearing or directions - note if personal attendance at the hearing is required an extra charge will apply.
Preparing your witness statement.
Dealing with disclosure of your evidence (up to 25 pages)
Preparation for the hearing.
Attending the Tribunal Hearing

Our cost estimate for the above is £9500 plus VAT and cost recoveries of £350 plus VAT. If we instruct a local solicitor or barrister to attend the hearings, the costs may be lower.

Please note this only covers single day cases for unfair dismissal or wrongful dismissal. It does not cover discrimination, whistle-blowing or any other type of claim. It assumes no more than two witnesses (the claimant and the respondent) and disclosure of no more than 50 pages. It does not cover making additional applications or date subject access requests.

It is unusual for costs orders to be made in the employment tribunal. Each party usually pays for their own costs.

Tribunal claims for respondents/employers

Just as cost certainty is important for the applicant; being faced with a tribunal claim can be a worry for employers/respondents. There is usually more time involved in the defending a claim, more witnesses involved and more evidence to produce.

Assessing the risk, the value of the claim and devoting appropriate resources is crucial. We will therefore:

Review your case and providing an assessment of the likelihood of success, and damages and relevant time limits.
Respond to the ACAS pre-action conciliation as instructed.
Prepare and file your ET3 and Grounds of Resistance to the claim
Dealing with the preliminary hearing or directions - note if personal attendance at the hearing is required an extra charge will apply.
Preparing up to 2 witness statement.
Deal with disclosure of your evidence (up to 25 pages).
Prepare for the hearing.
Attend the Tribunal Hearing (up to 1 day).

Our cost estimate for the above is £12,000 plus VAT and cost recoveries of £500 plus VAT. If we instruct a local solicitor or barrister to attend the hearings, the costs may be lower.