Fixed Fee Employment Law Advice Package

The package includes a consultation meeting with a qualified employment solicitor, who will ascertain the full background to your employment law issue and provide you with sound advice as to the legal position and the options available to you.   The package also includes a review of any key documents relevant to your case in advance of the meeting.

£500 plus VAT (£600 in total).

We will invoice you at the end of the consultation meeting.  We require payment within 14 days of the invoice date.  We can accept payment by bank transfer, credit or debit card, cash or cheque – whatever is easiest for you

Barnard & Webb solicitors are committed to providing a high quality service at a reasonable price.   We know that instructing a solicitor can be daunting, especially if you are worried about the overall cost. Most solicitors charge on the basis of an hourly rate and this can be worrying if you don’t know how long your appointment will be or how long the review of any documents will ultimately take. We want you to have certainty as to the cost involved from the outset, so you can focus on getting the initial advice you need without feeling like you need to watch the clock!

Any employee who has an issue at work that is causing them concern will benefit from the employment law advice package.  Common issues we advise on include, but are not limited to:-

- Disciplinary matters

- Bullying / harassment

- Performance management

- Long-term sickness

- Redundancy / Restructure

- Changes to your terms and conditions

- Flexible working

- Discrimination

- Deductions from your wages

- Breaches of contract 

- Unfair dismissal

- Wrongful dismissal. 

Please note that this package is not suitable if you have a Settlement Agreement.  We are happy to advise on Settlement Agreements, but please contact us separately to discuss this.

Yes – the same fixed fee applies.  To advise whether you have a claim or not is rarely a quick process.  We really need to understand the full background to the matter and review any relevant papers before we can advise on this and, as I’m sure you can appreciate, this takes time. It is not a quick 5-minute conversation, and as such this is still chargeable. You are paying for our time and also our professional expertise. 

Please also bear in mind that our advice will always go much further than just informing you whether you have a case or not (see below). 

You will be required to sign our standard terms and conditions to agree to us acting for you at the fixed fee price agreed.  You will also need to provide some ID for our file.  This will need to be either a passport or photo driving licence and a recent utility bill or bank / credit card statement as evidence of your address. 

You will also be asked to provide some key relevant documents to your employment law issue (see below). 

The documents we will need to see will vary depending on the nature of your case.   However, in all cases it is helpful for us to see your contract of employment and a recent payslip.  Other relevant documents, may include:-

• Key correspondence from, or to your employer; 

• Relevant policies or procedures (ie. disciplinary or grievance procedures);

• Notes of any meetings.

Your meeting will be with a friendly and approachable Partner of the firm who will be a qualified solicitor with a minimum of 10 years’ experience in employment law.  

We will ask you to explain what has happened in your own words and what, in an ideal world, you would like to happen.  We might then ask some follow-up questions about your case or the documents you have provided to ensure we have all the information we need to advise you. We will then provide you with detailed advice about your matter and the options available to you.

It can sometimes be helpful to prepare some notes of what has been happening, or a chronology of events – however, this is not critical.

Our advice will be tailored to your individual circumstances and will include the following:-

- Explanation of the legal position;

- Guidance as to how to handle the matter with your employer;

- What to do if you cannot resolve the matter internally with your employer;

- Our professional opinion as to whether you have a legal claim or not; 

- Discussion of the strengths and weakness of any claim and your overall prospects of success; 

- The likely level of compensation that could be awarded if you were successful in a claim; 

- The pros and cons and practicalities of pursuing a claim;

- Consideration of settlement options;

- The options available to you (regardless of whether or not you have a claim);

- Guidance regarding next steps.  This may include advice on how to handle the matter yourself without further legal support, if you cannot afford this or it is not cost effective.

No.  The advice will be provided verbally during the meeting only and there will be no written follow-up.  You may therefore wish to take your own notes. 

If you do wish for us to send written advice following the meeting, we are happy to do so, but this will be at an additional cost.

Yes.  As set out above, advising whether you have a claim or not is rarely a quick process and you are paying for our professional expertise. 

However, please bear in mind that even if our professional opinion is that you do not have a legal claim, we can still provide you with further practical advice and guidance as to how to try and resolve your issues directly with your employer. 

We do not set a time limit on this meeting. Most law firms limit fixed fee meetings to 30 minutes or one hour, but we do not. The meeting will last for as long as it takes for us to give you comprehensive advice on your matter.   On average, meetings last between 1 – 1 ½ hours.

We are happy to conduct the meeting any way you feel most comfortable – face to face at our offices, via telephone, or video (such as Zoom or Microsoft Teams).  You will have the option to select your preference at the point of booking.

Of course. You are welcome to bring a friend, family member or colleague with you to the meeting.  We know it can be a stressful process, and we want you to feel as comfortable as possible.

We are based at Ground Floor Office, The White House, 51 Marlowes, Hemel Hempstead, Herts, HP1 1LD

Yes, there is free parking available at our offices.

It is true that you will find other firms that offer initial consultations at a lower price, or even for free.   However, it is often the case that the advice given in such consultations is generic advice only and is not tailored to your individual circumstances.   We take the time to find out the full background to your matter, what you are hoping to achieve and will tailor our advice accordingly.  

As stated above, we do not set a time limit on our meeting with you – other firms will. We will also review the documents relating to your case prior to the meeting. Most law firms charge extra for this. 

At Barnard & Webb Solicitors, your appointment is guaranteed to be with an experienced qualified solicitor and Partner of the firm.  At other firms your appointment may be with a trainee solicitor or paralegal.

For the above reasons, we believe our fixed fee employment law advice package offers exceptional value for money. You will be hard pushed to find a like-for-like service for a lower price at any other firm.

 You are under no obligation to continue to use our services beyond the initial consultation.  

We would be more than happy to assist you further beyond the initial consultation.   Further work would be charged on the basis of our hourly rate of £225 + VAT and we would provide you with a cost estimate before commencing any further work.  We may, on some occasions, be able to agree a further fixed fee with you for set pieces of work, ie. preparation of a letter.  We will discuss with you if this is appropriate.

We do not offer ‘no win, no fee’. 

At all times we are required to give you the best information possible regarding costs, and we will endeavour to do so.  We will also keep you updated as to costs as the matter proceeds. 

 It is always worth checking if you have any legal expenses insurance that may cover the cost of pursuing an employment related claim.  This might be an ‘add on’ to an existing insurance policy you have, such as a home insurance policy.

Great! We look forward to working with you.  Please complete the online form on this page and we will be in touch to get you booked in.