Lawson West’s expert employment solicitors and lawyers have significant experience of recovering Employment Tribunal Fees.
In July 2013, employment tribunal fees were introduced in order to start a claim and then bring it to a hearing.
The government had hoped that the introduction of fees would help reduce claims which were started on the basis that an employer would settle because it was easier to settle than to defend – as a result claims to the Employment Tribunal dropped by 79%.
The Supreme Court has ruled on the 26th July 2017 that the fees were unlawful for a number of reasons but most importantly because they effectively prevented access to justice, the rationale being that laws were worthless if they could not be enforced.
The Supreme Court found that access to justice was important for everyone, because without a belief that rights could be protected by going to court, people may not act in accordance with the law, especially if they believed they would never be forced to.
Fees ranged between £390 and £1,200 with discrimination cases costing more due to the complexity and time hearings took.
The government has revealed the scheme to refund those who were incorrectly charged.
The refund scheme will begin with an initial four week phase for refunds being issued to those who have contacted the
Ministry of Justice since the Supreme Court’s judgment. This phase is primarily aimed at those making applications for
refunds in single claims.
The government’s plan to roll out the full refund scheme will be in early November. At that point, anyone who has paid a
fee in the Employment Tribunals, whether in single or multiple claims, will be able to claim a refund.
As well as being refunded their original fee, successful applicants to the scheme will also be paid interest of 0.5%,
calculated from the date of the original payment up until the refund date.
Those who will be eligible to apply for a refund under the scheme are:
To receive a refund, applicants will be invited to complete an application form with their details, details of their
employment tribunal claim and the fees that they paid.
People who paid the fees, but have not been invited to take part in the initial refund stage, have been invited to register online or by post.
If you have paid tribunal fees you wish to recover, we can help. Please remember there are strict time limits in Employment claims and you should take good free legal advice as soon as possible.
In addition to No Win No Fee, Lawson West solicitors act for our clients on a variety of other funding arrangements including Legal Expenses insurance funding. We can assess your case to decide which is the best funding option for you.
With offices in Leicester and Market Harborough our employment solicitors and lawyers can discuss your employment law claim at any of our branches. In addition, we are a national provider of expert employment law advice and welcome a free discussion with you regarding your circumstances and potential claim.
If you believe you have a situation where you require free legal advice, please contact us on telephone 0116 212 1000 or 01858 445 480, we will get in touch as soon as possible.
If you want to see us face to face, we run four employment law walk-ins each week at our offices in Leicester and Market Harborough and this initial meeting with you is FREE of charge. We’ll look at your paperwork and advise on the best course of action. We can also meet with you digitally on Teams if you’re in another part of the country, in fact, we advise individuals on their employment legal needs right across the UK.
From settlement agreements, to redundancy, dismissal and disability and other types of employment dispute situation, we’re on hand to support and advise you. Please get in touch as soon as you can, as deadlines might apply.
Great client service is at the centre of our thinking, it’s embodied into how we train and develop our staff, how we help our clients and how we advise and assist people and business owners with their legal needs.
Our Core Values are Welcoming, Confident, Supportive, Knowledgeable and Dependable and we aim for clients to have a positive experience with Lawson West Solicitors.
Evidence of our great client service can be seen in the reviews and testimonials we regularly receive. We are always pleased to receive great reviews because it means our clients are happy with the service we provide, and it shows that we deliver on our core values, we don’t just talk about them. We really welcome client feedback and hope you enjoy reading some of the latest testimonials throughout this website.
