No Win No Fee Employment Solicitors

Employment tribunal time limits

Important: strict time limits apply. For most employment tribunal claims, the time limit is three months minus one day from the event you are claiming about. Read the Acas guidance on employment tribunal time limits.

Starting or completing a grievance, disciplinary process or appeal does not extend the deadline. If you notify Acas in time, early conciliation pauses the time limit. Some claims have different limits, so check your exact deadline with Acas or an employment law adviser as soon as possible.

Understanding No Win No Fee

If you are searching for no win no fee employment solicitors, it helps to know that employment disputes are not all funded in the same way. An employment solicitor may help with unfair dismissal, discrimination, whistleblowing, redundancy disputes, unpaid wages or a settlement agreement. Depending on the work and the individual case, funding options may include hourly rates, a fixed fee, legal expenses insurance, trade union support, a Conditional Fee Agreement (CFA) or a Damages-Based Agreement (DBA). Settlement agreement advice is often offered for a fixed fee, sometimes with a contribution from the employer, rather than as a typical settlement agreement no win no fee service.

Common employment funding arrangements

“No win no fee” is not one standard product. The work included, the payment triggers and any deductions depend on the written agreement. Common arrangements include:

• Hourly rates: You pay for the time spent on your matter at the rates set out by the firm.
• Fixed fees: A set price covers specified work, such as advice on a settlement agreement or an initial review.
• Legal expenses insurance: An existing insurance policy may cover some employment-law costs, subject to its terms and the insurer’s approval.
• Trade union support: A union may provide advice or legal representation to eligible members, subject to its rules.
• Conditional Fee Agreements and Damages-Based Agreements: Some firms offer outcome-based funding for selected cases. The firm should explain in writing what counts as success, how its fee is calculated and what you may still have to pay.
• Employer contributions for settlement agreements: An employer may contribute towards the employee’s independent legal advice, but the contribution may not cover every fee.

Making a Claim With a No Win No Fee Agreement

Questions to ask before agreeing

• Is the work charged by the hour, at a fixed fee, under a CFA or under a DBA, and exactly what work is included?
• What will I pay if the matter succeeds, and how will any fee or percentage be calculated?
• Are VAT, insurance premiums, expert fees or other disbursements charged separately?
• What might I pay if the matter is unsuccessful or if I end the agreement early?
• Could the tribunal order me to pay any of the other side’s costs, and in what circumstances?
• Can you give me a written worked example showing the likely deductions and what I would receive?

Important limitations to understand

• A no win no fee agreement does not necessarily make a case cost-free. The terms may treat legal fees, disbursements, insurance premiums and early termination differently.
• A firm may offer outcome-based funding for only part of a matter or only after assessing its merits and likely value.
• In most employment tribunal cases, each side normally pays its own legal costs. A tribunal can make a costs order in limited circumstances, including where a party has acted unreasonably or pursued a claim or response with no reasonable prospect of success. See the government’s guidance on making an employment tribunal claim.

Other costs readers should know about

• VAT, and whether quoted fees include or exclude it
• Disbursements, such as expert fees or other case expenses paid to third parties
• Insurance premiums, where insurance is used to cover particular risks or costs
• Fees that may apply if the agreement is cancelled or the case ends early
• The basis for any percentage deduction and whether it applies to all or only part of an award or settlement

What to check before signing

Ask for the funding terms in writing before you agree. Check which work is covered, what “success” means, when fees become payable, how any deduction is calculated, whether VAT and disbursements are separate, and what happens if the case is unsuccessful or the agreement ends early. The Solicitors Regulation Authority’s consumer guide to no win no fee agreements also lists useful questions to ask. A general information page can explain common language, but the written agreement and advice about your own circumstances are what matter in a real case.

Frequently asked questions

Are employment cases always available on a no win no fee basis?

No. Availability depends on the firm, the type of work and its assessment of the case. Hourly rates, fixed fees, legal expenses insurance, trade union support, a CFA or a DBA may be available in different circumstances. Ask the firm which arrangement it is offering and why.

What percentage do no win no fee employment solicitors take?

There is no single percentage that applies to every employment matter. Some arrangements use a success fee, some use a percentage of compensation and others do not deduct a percentage at all. Ask for the exact calculation and a written worked example before signing.

How much can be deducted from compensation?

That depends on the type and wording of the agreement. Check what any fee or percentage is calculated on, whether VAT, insurance or disbursements are separate, and whether different terms apply to a settlement and a tribunal award.

What happens if the case is unsuccessful?

The answer depends on the agreement. Ask whether you would owe any legal fees, disbursements, insurance premium or cancellation charge, and ask the solicitor to explain the limited circumstances in which an employment tribunal may order one side to pay costs.