Pricing and Costs Information 

We are required to provide the information below in accordance with the SRA Transparency Rules and the Price and Service Transparency Guidance issued by the SRA and the Law Society. Anderton Law is regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA ID 754851).

We aim to be as clear and transparent as possible over our fees, however each case is different. The information below is therefore only a guide and it is recommended that you speak to a member of the legal team if you have any queries about our charges.

Unlike many firms of solicitors, we only act for employees. Our website provides comprehensive details of the services we offer. Please click here for details.  

We offer a number of different cost options:

• No Win No Fee, also known as a damages-based agreement or conditional fee agreement.  This is by far the most popular option. Our standard rate is 25% plus VAT. This means that if we achieve a successful outcome, you keep 70% of the compensation. If there is no money recovered, there are no charges. 

• Agreed Fee. Where prospects of success are less certain or in complex cases it may be appropriate to offer an agreed fee.  This is often more appealing to clients than charging an hourly rate for time spent on the case, when the final bill can potentially be unlimited.  This is similar to a fixed fee.  This means that the fee cannot be varied up or down (regardless of the outcome of the matter) and is fixed in nature. Please see below for a guide to our agreed fee rates.

• Insurance Cover If you have the benefit of legal expenses insurance and your insurer has assessed the prospects of success as good (normally at least 51% prospect of success) they may agree to cover some or all of your legal costs. Insurance normally covers the amount of hours a solicitor works on a case.  Disbursements such as barrister’s fees can also sometimes be covered under the policy. If you have any queries concerning insurance cover, you should contact your insurer in the first instance and check your policy

Advising on Settlement Agreements

In cases where you have been offered a settlement agreement, your employer will almost always contribute towards your legal costs.  We guarantee that we will not charge more for advising on the terms of the settlement agreement than what your employer is willing to contribute.  These costs are normally between £250 to £500 plus VAT.

In addition to advising on the terms of a settlement agreement, we also often negotiate the amount of compensation your employer is willing to pay you.  If acting on a no win no fee basis, we typically charge 25% plus VAT of any amount negotiated. As explained above, we also offer the option of an agreed fee to conduct settlement agreement negotiation. Our agreed fee rate is typically £2000-£3500 plus VAT to negotiate settlement agreements.

Employment Tribunal Proceedings

If we have already been acting for you and a settlement has not resulted and tribunal proceedings are necessary, we would need to carry out a case assessment. It may be possible to continue with a No Win No Fee arrangement. 

We also accept fresh instructions from clients who we have not acted for in the pre-litigation stage, who have exhausted negotiation with their employer themselves.   

If No Win No Fee is not possible, our fees for drafting and filing an Employment Tribunal claim are on average between £1,200 and £2,000 plus VAT.

The fees for progressing the claim and dealing with the rest of the case are on average between £1000 and £2,500 plus VAT.

This involves:

• · Taking instructions and reviewing all documentation
• · Negotiating a possible settlement with your former employer
• · Drafting a Schedule of Loss
• · Dealing with all aspects of document disclosure
• · Representation at preliminary hearing (if one is required)
• · Exchanging documents with the Respondent
• · Drafting witness statements
• · Preparing and assisting with the trial bundle
• · Instructing a barrister and liaising with them at the final hearing.

If a case does not settle outside of the tribunal it may also be necessary to instruct a barrister for the final hearing.  We have good relationships with St Philips Chambers and Park Lane Plowden Chambers.  The rates for a barrister at a final hearing ranges from £750 to £2,500 plus VAT per day depending on the barrister’s seniority.  This is known as a disbursement.

Timescales 

The time it takes to resolve your case is largely out of our control.

If the matter is resolved via a settlement agreement or in the ACAS Early Conciliation stage via an ACAS COT3 agreement, a resolution can often be as quick as a few days or weeks.

If Tribunal proceedings are necessary the case could take anywhere between 2 – 24 months to resolve, depending on the Tribunal listings at the relevant hearing centre.  Unfortunately, Employment Tribunals have a long backlog presently, and it is not uncommon for final hearings to be listed as long as 18 months from the submission of the claim.

We will obviously keep you informed of the timescales applicable in your case.

What VAT is Charged on Fees?

The standard rate of UK VAT is currently 20%.  This is charged on our fees as indicated above.

Barrister’s Fees and Disbursements

As indicated above, a barrister may be necessary if your case does not settle and a final hearing is necessary.

We handle disbursements on your behalf but sometimes you may be required to pay them directly to the barrister’s chambers.  Please see our fee estimates for barristers charges above.

Barristers fees are the most common disbursement.  If there are any other disbursements applicable in your case, we will notify you in advance. Other disbursements applicable, although rare, could include instructing other professionals such as a medical expert or accountant.

What Rate of VAT is Charged on Disbursements?

The standard rate of UK VAT is current 20% as explained above.

Qualifications and Experience

Your case will be dealt with by Mark Sellek.  Mark qualified as a solicitor in 2005 and has over 13 years’ experience specialising in employment law.  If Mark cannot work on your case you will be introduced to another qualified solicitor who will be able to assist you.