Our Pricing
Transparent pricing for expert employment law advice and support
At ESP Solicitors, we never compromise on quality and prioritise delivering the highest standard of legal services. We also understand that cost is important to you when seeking support.
We understand that the complex and variable nature of legal work can make it difficult to predict the cost of a case at the start. However, we have provided information below about our pricing for employment law advice and support, as well as potential costs if you instruct us to defend an unfair or wrongful dismissal claim at the Employment Tribunal.
For a free, tailored quote based on your specific circumstances, please email [email protected] or call 0330 1244 084.
All figures are subject to VAT.
Pricing structure
Non-contentious matters:
Our fees are generally based on the time required to advise you on the issue concerned, which can vary significantly from case to case.
Contentious matters:
For Employment Tribunal or civil court cases, our fees are based on the time taken. They are also influenced by factors such as the factual and legal complexity of the matter, the volume of relevant documents, the number of witnesses, and the conduct of the other party in bringing or defending the claim.
The time for which we charge includes:
Hourly rates
Our hourly rates range from £150 to £350 plus VAT per hour, depending on the experience of the solicitor working on your case.
Our charges are made up of:
- Our fees for the legal work; and
- If appropriate and agreed with you, “disbursements”, i.e. costs related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as barrister’s fees or representation at court.
Our hourly rates are reviewed annually and may increase, typically in April.
We may, by agreement, offer fixed or capped fees or agree on a retainer basis for advisory work, where a fixed monthly fee is payable.
School visa service
£575 per student, plus an overall nominal administrative retainer fee of £175, payable in September when students have started. Many schools choose to pass the fixed fee element on to parents.
Mediation and investigations
Based on a day rate of £1,000.00-1,500.00
Plus any travel/accommodation expenses
Preparation for investigations is based on our hourly rates (see above) or by agreement.
Equal pay compliance
Based on hourly rates (see above).
Employment Tribunals
Simple tribunal cases for unfair or wrongful dismissal can often be dealt with at a single hearing lasting between one to three days with limited preparation time. However, where the case is linked to other claims, such as discrimination or whistleblowing, or where a high number of witnesses are required, there may be multiple hearings. The final hearing, therefore, can last for many more days and significantly more preparation is needed.
The illustrations below assume a case with a final hearing lasting one to two days. These rates exclude our attendance costs at final tribunal hearing, VAT and disbursements.
- Simple case: £7,500 – £15,000 (plus VAT)
- Medium complexity case: £15,000 – £25,000 (plus VAT)
- High complexity case: £25,000 – £40,000 (plus VAT)
Factors increasing complexity:
- Applications to amend statements of case or provide additional information about an existing claim
- Defending claims that are brought by litigants in person
- Issuing or defending a costs application
- Complex preliminary issues, such as employment status disputes or jurisdictional issues (e.g. whether the claim is out of time)
- The number of witnesses and documents; the more witnesses and the greater the volume of documents, the more complex the case will be
- Automatic unfair dismissal claims (e.g. following whistleblowing)
- Allegations of discrimination which are linked to the dismissal.
The usual fee for us attending a final tribunal hearing is between £1,000 to £2,000 per day plus VAT.
If unforeseen complexities arise or if additional work is required based on your instructions, we will inform you of this and provide revised cost information.
Additional fees may apply to any mediation or advising on an appeal, details of which we will discuss with you as needed.
Please contact us for further guidance on our fees.
Business immigration support
Below are the most common services we provide for our clients. We offer various fee options, including hourly rates, fixed fees, and per-person costs for training sessions. Below are examples of typical fees, but if you need further information, please contact us for a quote specific to your needs.
General advice on recruiting foreign workers
We can advise on:
- Visa options and which route is most appropriate
- How to apply for a sponsor licence for Skilled Worker, Global Mobility Visa, Scale up Worker, and Minister of Religion routes
- Preparing sponsor licence applications, supporting letters, and supporting evidence
- Using the Sponsor Management System
- Extending visas
Pre-licence compliance audits
Typical fees are based on an hourly rate of £350 plus VAT.
Business visitors
We can assist with:
- Advising whether visit visa is appropriate for the planned trip
- Drafting letters of support from employing company and host company
- Advising on off shore workers
Typical fees are based on an hourly rate of £350 plus VAT.
Full sponsor licence support
We provide a full service to help businesses obtain a sponsor licence which includes:
- Selecting the correct licence to apply for
- Completing the online application form
- Advising on the evidence required for the application
- Drafting the supporting letter
- Advising on audit questions to ensure you are up to date and in the best position to obtain a licence
- Advising on how to request and assign a Certificate of Sponsorship (CoS)
- Answering ad hoc questions throughout the process, including those from the individual and their visa application
- Advising on reporting and record-keeping duties
This support is charged as a fixed fee of £3,500 plus VAT for the initial licence application and first person recruited via sponsorship. Thereafter, further support is charged at an hourly rate of £350 plus VAT, or we can provide a quote for a retained service.
Right to work support
Right to work advice
We can provide the following services:
- Paid right to work virtual training
- 90-minute session
- Up to 20 attendees
- Covers how to carry out checks, keep records, and manage tricky areas such as where leave has expired or a check was incorrect in the first place
- Opportunity for questions throughout the session
Fees for training range from £1,000 and £2,000 plus VAT, based on scale depending on the number of attendees.
- Right to work audits
- Work with person responsible for RTW compliance
- Check the process
- Advise on how to rectify issues
- Advise on how to remain compliant
Fees for audits are based on an hourly rate of £350 plus VAT, depending on the number of files to be checked.
- Advice on difficult right to work enquiries
- Provide specialist employment advice, incorporating knowledge of both the immigration system and employment law aspects
- Guidance on potential dismissal processes
Fees for right to work advice are based on an hourly rate of £350 plus VAT, but may also be incorporated into a retainer agreement.
Other business immigration costs
Likely disbursements
Additional costs will include Home Office fees for applications (details can be found here) and may include fees for the applicant such as language tests and TB test fees. Typically, these costs are paid directly by you, and the firm does not incur them on your behalf.
Likely timescales
We will work with you to establish a practical timescale for completing the work, aligning with your plans and Home Office processing times. Typically, a sponsor licence application can be prepared and submitted within 2-4 weeks, and the Home Office processing time is approximately 8 weeks. A priority service may be available for an additional fee.
Current Home Office processing times for visa applications are available here (outside the UK) and here (inside the UK).
Who you will be working with
Charlotte Ashton, Associate Director and Head of Immigration will be responsible for your work. Occasional support may be provided by one of an external firm to cover annual leave or capacity issues.
What sets us apart?
Award-winning legal team
Our legal team has supported over 700 UK organisations, ranging from smaller companies to large FTSE 100 firms, earning accolades for making a real commercial difference.
MyHRCases platform
Swiftly escalate critical legal matters via our market-leading cloud-based ER case management platform, MyHRCases, where our legal team helps you log and manage all your cases in one, easy-to-use system.
High-quality specialist advice
Our lawyers are active members of the Law Society, Industrial Law Society and the Employment Lawyers Association.
We are ranked as specialist employment lawyers in both the Chambers & Partners and The Legal 500 UK guides to law firms.
Armed with high-quality, specialist employment advice, our flexible and expert advisors provide proactive solutions, empowering you with relevant guidance and support to tackle every employee relations matter.
Crown Commercial Service Supplier
One of the firms that formed ESP Solicitors, Cater Leydon Millard, was one of 42 law firms appointed to the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Wider Public Sector Legal Services Panel (contract RM3788) from October 2018 to September 2022. We were delighted to be reappointed to the successor agreement (RM6240) until 2026. We are one of the preferred suppliers for employment law.
GET IN TOUCH
Call us to discuss your needs
At ESP Solicitors, we know that it is the quality of our relationships with each of our clients that makes the management of employment law issues easier and we are proud of our reputation for providing strong, high quality commercial advice.
We aim to build strong and lasting relationships by working to understand your needs and by delivering a high-quality service. This level of service extends to our experienced support staff, who work hard to get to know all our clients, understand their businesses and provide a service that meets individual requirements.
Please contact us for more information about our advice and representation services.
