Dismissal and redundancy
Whether a dismissal had a fair reason and followed a fair process, and what can be done if it did not.
Fair answers on both sides of the desk
Employment lawyers for employees and employers: dismissal, contracts, pay and disputes at work. We check for conflicts first, explain your position in plain words and put every fee estimate in writing, and we never act for both sides of the same dispute.
30 minfirst call at a fixed $95
Both sidesadvised, never in one dispute
In writingevery fee estimate
If you work for someone
Most people call us at a stressful moment, often with a meeting or a deadline only days away. We start with the dates, then the options.
Contracts and restrictions
What your contract really says, including clauses that limit where you may work after you leave.
Pay, hours and holiday
Unpaid wages, overtime, holiday pay and working time, checked against your payslips and the law where you work.
Discrimination and harassment
Unfair treatment linked to who you are, and harassment at work, handled with care and in confidence.
Settlement agreements
A review of the terms an employer offers when you leave, so you know what you are giving up before you sign.
Grievances and disciplinary meetings
Preparing a grievance, or preparing for a disciplinary hearing, with notes on what to say and what to ask.
If you employ people
Employers usually come to us before a problem grows. A careful process now tends to cost far less than a claim later.
Contracts and handbooks
Employment contracts, policies and staff handbooks written for the law where your people actually work.
Fair dismissal and redundancy
A process that is fair to the employee and defensible for the business, planned step by step and in writing.
Workplace investigations
Independent investigations into grievances and complaints, ending in a clear report with recommendations.
Agreed exits
Terms for leaving by agreement, drafted so both sides know exactly where they stand.
Pay and working time checks
A review of pay practices, overtime and holiday rules before an inspector or an employee raises them.
Claims before a tribunal or court
Defending a claim brought by an employee or former employee, from the first response to the hearing.
Time limits come first
In many countries a claim about dismissal or discrimination must be started within a few months, and some systems require a conciliation step before a claim can begin. The exact period depends on where you work and the kind of claim, so our first call starts with dates: when you were told, your last day, the last incident.
Employers face deadlines too. A response to a claim usually has to be filed within weeks of the papers arriving, and a missed date can settle a case before anyone hears the facts.
- Write down the date of every meeting and letter
- Keep payslips, contracts and messages somewhere safe
- Ask about the time limit in the first call
- Employers: send us claim papers the day they arrive
How a matter runs
Every matter, for an employee or an employer, follows the same five steps, and you decide after each one whether to go on.
Conflict check
We confirm we are not advising the other side before you tell us anything confidential.
First call
Thirty minutes on the facts, the dates and what you want to happen next.
Written advice
Your options, the risks of each and a likely cost, with no promise of a result, because nobody can honestly give one.
Negotiation
Letters, meetings or mediation, since many workplace disputes are settled by agreement long before any hearing.
Claim or defence
If agreement fails, we prepare the claim or the response and represent you where the rules allow us to.
How we charge
Fixed fees for defined work and an hourly rate for disputes, with an estimate in writing at every stage.
| Work | How it is charged | From |
|---|---|---|
| First call, 30 minutes | Fixed fee | $95 |
| Contract or handbook review | Fixed fee | $450 |
| Settlement agreement advice for an employee | Fixed fee | $380 |
| Dismissal or redundancy process for an employer | Fixed fee | $1,200 |
| Workplace investigation | Quoted after scoping | Quote |
| Claims and defences | Hourly, estimated at each stage | $240 an hour |
Fees exclude any court or tribunal fees, which differ by country. In some countries, legal expenses insurance attached to a home or car policy covers employment disputes, so it is worth checking the policy documents.
Workplaces we know well
The same law reads differently on a ward, a building site and a trading floor. These are the workplaces our clients come from most.
- Hospitals and care homes
- Shops and restaurants
- Schools and colleges
- Building sites
- Technology companies
- Charities
- Transport and warehouses
- Factories
- Professional offices
- Hotels
- Platform and gig work
Employment rules can differ by sector as well as by country, for example where collective agreements set pay. We ask about yours in the first call.
Where advice happens
Most first calls are by phone or video, often before or after a shift. Meetings at the office take place in rooms away from the street, where nobody from your workplace will see you.
Clients from both sides of the desk (example reviews)
The settlement offer looked generous until the clause on future work was explained. The revised terms took two weeks and cost exactly the fixed fee.
A redundancy at a forty person bakery was handled step by step, with every letter drafted in advance. Nobody felt ambushed, managers included.
Clear advice on a grievance meant the meeting went ahead calmly, with notes prepared and questions agreed beforehand. No outcome was ever promised, and that honesty helped.
What people ask before a first call
Can you advise employers and still act for employees?
Yes, for different people and businesses. We never act for both sides of the same dispute, and the conflict check at the start makes sure of it.
How strong is a case, and can you promise a result?
We tell you honestly how strong your position looks on the facts and on the law where you work. Nobody can promise the outcome of a claim or a negotiation, and we never do.
How quickly should someone act after a dismissal?
Quickly. Time limits for some claims are short, sometimes only a few months, and in some countries a conciliation step must come first. Call before the dates pass, even if you are not sure you want to claim.
What is a settlement agreement?
A contract in which an employee gives up certain claims in return for a payment or other terms. In some countries the law requires the employee to take independent advice before signing it, and the employer may contribute to that fee.
Will an employer find out about an enquiry?
No. Your enquiry and everything you tell us stay confidential. We contact the other side only when you instruct us to.
Can a business get advice before dismissing someone?
Yes, and that is the best time. A fair reason and a fair process, both written down, protect the business and treat the employee properly. Rules on notice, process and redundancy pay differ by country and state.
Ask for a first call
Tell us which side of the desk you are on and what the issue is. We run a conflict check, then offer a first call, usually within two working days.
- A conflict check before anything confidential
- The first call at a fixed $95
- Every fee estimate in writing
Call or visit
Early morning and evening calls can be arranged for anyone who works shifts.
Reach the team
Offices beside the central bus interchange, with calls and video meetings before and after shifts
Office hours
| Monday, Wednesday and Friday | 08:00 to 18:30 |
| Tuesday and Thursday | 08:00 to 20:00 |
| Saturday | Calls 09:00 to 12:00 |
| Sunday | Closed |
Before you rely on this page
This website gives general information, not legal advice. Employment law, time limits, fees and who may represent you differ by country and state, so advice starts once we know where you work and what happened.