Different terms of payment apply depending on the service you obtain

Standard Fee and Payment Terms

• Hourly fee £39.00 per hour. (The company is not VAT registered so no VAT is charged)
• Direct costs e.g. travel and accomodation, charged at cost
• Charge rate = {(hourly fee x hours worked)+(direct costs)}
• Invoices with timesheets issued at end of each calendar month: Payment terms 30 days from invoice date.

Ad Hoc support and advice.

• First 30 minutes free
• Thereafter, you choose how much you pay for the first £250 worth of work
• Thereafter, the Standard Fee and Payment Terms apply
• Use this to obtain occasional support and advice, and/or a no obligation pre-contract assessment
  

Contract support.

• Standard Fee and Payment Terms apply
• By law, contract work for individual clients must be preceded by a written assessment.
  
• Where a client has already paid for an assessment that satisfies the requirements of a pre-contract assessment, the price paid will be deducted from the price of work done under contract.
• Use this for a long term commitment such as support though a grievance or tribunal representation.

Conditional Fee Agreement.

• Available where there is the possibility of compensation, typically for representation of claimants/individuals in the Employment Tribunal.
• Discounts apply only if you retain HRL's services until your claim is concluded. If you decide to end the agreement before the claim is concluded, you may be liable for the standard fee.
  
• Compared to the standard fee, this arrangement costs you up to 15% more if you win, but up to 50% less less if you lose. Provided that your compensation exceeds the minimum fee, you get to keep some of your compensation.
• You pay a discounted hourly fee (the minimum fee) for work done before the conclusion of your claim.
  
• If you do not receive any money on conclusion of your claim, there is nothing more to pay;
• If your claim is successful, a final payment is due. The amount depends on the amount of compensation awarded, (or agreed in a settlement) and how much work has been done on your behalf. An example is given in table 2:
• Even if your compensation is less than the minimum fee, you pay the minimum fee.
• If your compensation is greater than the minimum fee, the final amount payable is half the difference between the compensation awarded and the minimum fee.
  
• The maximum fee only applies where your compensation exceeds the sum of minimum fee and the maximum fee. 
  
• The maximum fee is the standard fee plus a bonus. The bonus is a percentage proportional to the discount applied to the standard fee (see table 1).

Please note that the figures used in this table are for illustration only: The number of hours needed to pursue a case will vary from one client to the next, and the maximum amount of compensation a person could receive is related to the amount of money lost in consequence of the matter giving rise to the claim.

Variations on this arrangement are possible where compensation is not expected, eg appeals to the EAT. Please call to discuss.

Investigations

• Employers only, for disciplinary and grievance investigations
  
• Standard Fee rate applies
• Fee subject to initial estimate, 50% of estimated amount payable in advance, and remainder before submission of final report.
  
• This arrangement reduces the risk of perceived bias. See Really Independent Investigations