Our Fees

Under the SRA Price Transparency Guidelines, we are required to publish our prices and service information. If you wish to enquire about these fees or those for any services not listed here, you can call us on 02039504959 and a member of our team will be happy to assist.

Please note that VAT and usual disbursements are to be added to our following fees scales. Disbursements are expenses related to your matter that are payable to third parties, such as Counsel fees, Accountant Fees, Court fees and Expert fees. 

You can choose to instruct us using hourly rate funding option or agreed fees option. 

The hourly rate to be charged will depend on the complexity of the matter, the Post Qualification Experience (PQE) of the solicitor handling the matter.

The following figures quoted are a guide only and the final fees will be agreed by you at initial instructions:

 

Criminal law

 

Police Station Representation - Free Advice and Assistance

• Everyone who is arrested by the police is entitled to free advice and assistance whilst they are detained at the police station, regardless of their financial situation.

• On arrival at the police station, you will be asked if you want a solicitor. If you ask for HoReCa Law Solicitors, we will arrange for one of our Solicitors or Police Station Representatives to come and represent you.

• If you have been asked to attend the police station by appointment, for example for an interview under caution (also referred to as a caution +3 interview and voluntary interview) we will arrange to come with you.

• Where appropriate, we will provide continued advice and assistance without charging the fees for criminal lawyer’s services whilst the police consider whether you will be charged for an offence.

 

Police Station Representation – Private Representation for Advice and Assistance

• Some of our clients require more assistance and support and choose to pay privately for our attendance at the police station and for our advice pending any criminal charge.

• Our Solicitors and Police Station Representatives are able to provide practical advice and support during this difficult time. If appropriate, we can make written representations to the police on your behalf.

• Our fees for criminal lawyers range from £150 to £500 (excluding VAT) depending on their experience.

 

Magistrates & Crown Court Representation – Legal Aid

• Legal aid is available for some Magistrate Court cases; however, it is subject to a ‘merits’ test and a ‘means’ test.

• The ‘merits’ test looks at the nature of the case and decides whether it is appropriate for that case to be paid for from the public purse.

• The ‘means’ test considers your financial situation, and that of your husband/wife/partner. In the Magistrates Court, if you fail the ‘means’ test you are not eligible for legal aid.

• In the Crown Court, almost everyone is financially eligible, but you can be ordered to pay a contribution towards your legal costs, either during the case from your income or at the end of the case from your capital.

 

Magistrates & Crown Court Representation – Private Representation

• Many of our clients prefer to instruct us on a private paying basis, so that they have more control over the way their case is managed and are free from the limitations imposed by publicly funded cases.

• We are able to provide you with a clear estimate of costs and can tailor the preparation of your case according to your budget.

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Employment Law​

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Our Services

• Employment law is constantly changing and adapting to keep up with modern working practices and demands. It can be complicated and often confusing. We can provide advice, guidance, and support to employers and employees on areas including but not limited to:

  • Settlement Agreements.

  • Exit Strategies.

  • Workplace Bullying and Harassment.

  • Unfair or wrongful dismissal.

  • Constructive dismissal.

  • Discrimination at the workplace.

  • Unlawful Deduction of Wages.

  • Transfer of Undertakings (TUPE Legislation).

• Initial Call

  • Our friendly team offers a free 20-minute phone consultation to review the basic details of your matter, discuss with a legal adviser, confirm cost, facilitate an appointment, and provide some provisional advice (if appropriate).

• Initial Consultation

  • It is usually a requirement for all new Clients to have a first consultation with one of our legal advisers (save for settlement agreements). This meeting will take place with one of our experienced Solicitors or Caseworkers, there is no time limit on the length of the meeting. Advice will be provided during the meeting and will be recorded in writing. The fixed fee ranges depending on the nature of the case, volume of material to be considered, and experience of the adviser. As a guide, the usual fixed fee ranges between £250.00 - £500.00.

• Funding Options

  • A range of funding options are available in Employment matters including hourly rates, fixed fees, damage base agreements, and insurance-based funding. The hourly rates are between £150.00 to £350.00 (excluding VAT) per hour.

• Timescales

  • As with costs much depends on the case and its circumstances, and we will update as your case progresses. If the matter is resolved quickly, then the timescale should be within 2-6 weeks of your instructions. However, most matters that settle prior to hearings do so in an average of 8-16 weeks.

  • If your claim proceeds to a Final Hearing, your case is likely to take 26-52 weeks depending on the likely length of the hearing. This is the average time provided by ACAS; however, much depends on the listing availability at the Employment Tribunal.

• Cost Estimates

  • The costs of pursuing or defending an Employment Tribunal claim are difficult to estimate without further details. We, therefore, recommend that you should contact one of our team members on 020 39504959 to discuss the matter. This will enable our expert team to provide you with an estimate based on your personal or business circumstances.

  • There are many factors that can determine the costs of Tribunal proceedings, including (but not limited to):

    1. The stage of our instructions.

    2. The documents that are required.

    3. The volume of documents to be assessed.

    4. The complexity and nature of employment law involved.

    5. The number of parties to the proceedings.

    6. The need for initial preliminary hearings and/or applications.

    7. The length of the estimated hearing.

    8. The Seniority of Counsel.

    9. The funding options in place.

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A simple standalone claim for ordinary unfair or wrongful dismissal with a hearing length of between one and three days would cost in the region of £20,000 to £35,000 + VAT. The cost of a barrister for such hearings would be an additional cost of between £5,000 and £15,000 + VAT (20%).

A medium complexity case for unfair dismissal would be in the range of £40,000 to £60,000 + VAT plus the cost of a barrister fees for a 4 to 7 day hearing would cost an additional £25,000 to £35,000 + VAT. 

A high complexity case for unfair dismissal including allegations of discrimination would be in the range indicated below for discrimination claims. 

Discrimination claims are usually quite complex. They tend to take longer and require more preparation than a simple unfair or wrongful dismissal case. Costs are almost always significantly higher and for some kinds of discrimination cases more third-party costs will be incurred for, for example, medical evidence in disability discrimination cases and statistical evidence in indirect discrimination and equal pay cases. We’ll provide this information as your case progresses.

A discrimination claim is likely to cost you upwards of £100,000 + VAT plus the additional costs of a barrister to conduct any hearings. 

Timescales

Employment Tribunal proceedings for unfair dismissal and wrongful dismissal and for discrimination claims will (unless settled) last somewhere between six and twenty-four months between issuing the claim and receiving the judgment.

The Employment Tribunal Service is currently beleaguered by significant delays in listing cases. It is possible that you could wait for up to a year, or even longer to have a hearing listed.

We’ll manage your expectations and guide you along the way.

 

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