Employment

Free consultations: Get in touch to request a free consultation. We offer an initial free consultation, and our aim is to provide this service on the day you contact us.

Paid consultations: Having reviewed your request for a free consultation and feeling that you would benefit from further expert advice, we may offer you a one-hour paid consultation starting from £100, as follows:

• Reviewing a reasonable number of documents;
• Discussing the merits and potential value of your case; and
• Advising you regarding the strategy for next steps, including evidence needed.

We will only offer you this if we think that it could lead to a favourable financial settlement from your employer.

Fees for negotiations:

Our work is carried out on a fixed fee basis (varying depending on the case).

Settlement agreement signing:

We guarantee that you will not pay us any money for signing off your settlement agreement. This is because the employer pays for this service. When you receive a copy of your settlement agreement document, you will see a clause in there about legal fees. It normally specifies the amount that the employer will pay, usually between £250 to £500 + VAT.

After we have reviewed and signed the settlement agreement for you, we then invoice the employer directly for the specified fee. You are not involved in that invoicing process.

When to instruct us to negotiate:

When negotiating, it is best for us to be involved as early as possible in the process, so we can guide you and get the best outcome for you. If we do not think that we can significantly increase a potential settlement amount, we will let you know during your free consultation.

At Solidaire Solicitors, our fees are determined by the complexity of your case and the services you require. To obtain a personalized quote, please contact us via email or phone. We are dedicated to exploring alternative funding options, such as legal expense insurance or Damage Based Agreements (commonly known as No Win No Fee). Please note that we are not registered for VAT, so no VAT is applicable to our solicitors’ fees. However, it is important to note that this may not be the case for disbursements. We will promptly inform you if VAT is payable for any disbursements.

We will provide a detailed explanation of how our fees are calculated, the anticipated costs involved in preparing and handling your case, any additional expenses that may arise, and any costs that may be recoverable or payable by you to the other party. Depending on your situation, we offer various fee options:

Damage Based Agreement (No Win No Fee): With this option, there is no financial risk to you. If you lose the case, you won’t have to pay solicitor fees. We take on the risk on your behalf. If we win, we receive a percentage of the damages (up to 35%).

Fixed Fee: For certain matters, we offer fixed fee options. A Solicitor will assess your circumstances and provide a predetermined fee to assist you throughout your case. This offers cost certainty and flexibility and can be provided in instalments if applicable.

Agreed Hourly Rate: This traditional fee structure allows for flexibility based on an hourly basis. We will estimate the overall cost of your matter and keep you updated on the costs. This option will be discussed with you at the beginning of your case if available.

We also consider legal coverage provided by unions or membership organisations. If you are a member of such an organisation, please inform us for further discussion.

Fixed hourly fees:

Grade A (over 8 years’ experience): £278

Grade B (over 4 years’ experience): £233

Grade C (other solicitors or legal executives): £190

Grade D (trainee solicitors, paralegals, and other fee earners): £134

Our fees (excluding disbursements) for employment claims tend to range as follows:

Simple cases: £3,000

Medium complexity cases: £5,000

High complexity cases: up to £10,000

The charges provided are estimates, and for a more precise quote, further information about your case is required. The complexity and time spent on a case can vary significantly, influenced by factors such as the need for long hearings, amending claims or providing additional information, dealing with litigants in person, costs applications, preliminary issues, the number of witnesses and documents, automatic unfair dismissal claims, and discrimination allegations related to dismissal.

Disbursements, which are costs payable to third parties, such as court and counsel fees, are not included in our pricing. We handle the payment of disbursements on your behalf. In some cases, it may be appropriate to obtain expert medical evidence, and the cost of the expert will vary depending on the expertise required. Typically, a report from a GP would cost in the region of £300 plus VAT, but a report from a psychiatrist would, on average, be in the region of £1,500 plus VAT. The estimated barrister’s fee for a preliminary hearing will be in the region of £1,500 plus VAT, and for a final hearing, the fees will range from £2,000 to £20,000 excluding VAT, charged at 20%, depending on the experience of the advocate and how many days the final hearing is listed for, and would include any preparation work for the hearings. On occasions, it may be appropriate to seek written advice from the barrister or have a conference (a meeting) with them. The estimated cost of that would range from £750 to £3,000 plus VAT.

Our services include various stages, such as initial instructions, review of papers, advice on merits and compensation, pre-claim conciliation, claim or response preparation, settlement exploration and negotiation, document exchange, witness statements, preparation for hearings, and attendance at the Final Hearing with instructions to Counsel. The duration of your case depends on when it is resolved. If settled during pre-claim conciliation, it may take 4-6 weeks. If it proceeds to a Final Hearing, it can take 3 months to 2 years, depending on the complexity of the case.

Immigration

We only take on cases we believe we can win and always offer a free initial consultation to discuss the merits of the case. You will be under no obligation to become our client.

Free consultations: Get in touch to request a free consultation. We offer an initial free consultation, and our aim is to provide this service on the day you contact us.

Paid consultations: Having reviewed your request for a free consultation and feeling that you would benefit from further expert advice, we may offer you a one-hour paid consultation starting from £100.

At Solidaire Solicitors, we aim to provide transparent and easily understandable pricing for immigration matters. Our fees are typically based on the time spent on your case, using an hourly rate. We can also offer fixed fee quotes in certain cases. The hourly rate varies depending on the experience of the team member handling your matter. Please note that we are not registered for VAT, so no VAT is applicable to our solicitors’ fees. However, it is important to note that this may not be the case for disbursements. We will promptly inform you if VAT is payable for any disbursements.

Fixed hourly fees:

Grade A (over 8 years’ experience): £278

Grade B (over 4 years’ experience): £233

Grade C (other solicitors or legal executives): £190

Grade D (trainee solicitors, paralegals, and other fee earners): £134

Fixed fees for various application types (per applicant):

Sponsor licence: £3,000 – £6,000

Skilled Worker visa (initial application/extension/indefinite leave to remain): £1,500 – £3,500

Tier 2 (initial application/extension/indefinite leave to remain): £1,500 – £3,500

PBS Dependant’s visa: £1000 – £2,000

Family-based application under Appendix FM (initial application/extension/indefinite leave to remain): £1,500 – £4,000

Application for indefinite leave to remain under the 10-year rule: £1,500 – £3,500

Applications for an EEA residence card for a partner or child of an EEA national: £1,000 – £2,500

Application for Judicial Review: £2,000 – £6,000

Applications for permanent right of residence document: £1,000 – £2,500

EEA application for an extended family member: £2,000 – £4,000

Visit visa applications: £1,500 – £4,000

Application for British citizenship: £1000 – £2,500

Form NTL and TOC: £1000 – £2,000

Initial asylum application: £1,000 – £3,000

Appeal: £2,000 – £4,000

Permission to appeal: £1,000

Court of Appeal: £2,500 – £4,500

The charges provided are estimates, and for a more precise quote, further information about your case is required. Disbursements, separate from solicitor fees, may include Home Office fees, NHS surcharge, interpreter fees, court fees, courier charges, and fees for independent experts. Please click here for the latest Home Office disbursements. 

Our services include document preparation, drafting supporting documents, completing application forms, preparing legal representations, compiling document packs, and liaising with UKVI until a decision is made. Timescales vary, but the average process can take 3 to 6 months. We aim to submit applications within 10-15 working days of receiving supporting documents from you. Please click here for the Home Office’s current processing time. The Home Office may take longer to process your application if your application is particularly complex or further requests for information are made.