Employment Tribunal Representation

Attending an employment tribunal can be a highly stressful process, and, without high-quality legal representation, you may struggle to defend your rights and protect your career. At Clough & Willis, we can provide you with the very best employment tribunal representation to ensure you get the outcome you deserve. 

Our team of employment tribunal law experts advise on every aspect of the legal process, helping you understand how and when to bring a case, and how to present your claim in a way that will maximise the chances of a ruling in your favour. 

If you are attending an employment tribunal over an unfair dismissal or another professional dispute, you may feel that your professional reputation and livelihood is at stake. By getting in touch with the experts at Clough & Willis, we can provide the legal support you need to get the right result and move on with your career. 

To discuss a claim with our unfair dismissal solicitors in Bolton and Bury, call us on 0800 083 0815 for a free, no-obligation chat, or fill out our online enquiry form and we will get back to you at a time that suits you.

How we can help

Clough & Willis has provided legal services for employment tribunals in Manchester and the North West for many years. Our team is highly experienced in providing the very best employment tribunal legal advice for individuals involved in these processes. 

Our solicitors can help you with the following: 

• Advising you on the complex employment tribunal processes leading up to the hearing, including alerting you to the relevant deadlines and time limits
• Helping you set out your application to properly explain the grounds of your complaint, and the evidence and legal precedents in your favour
• Walking you through the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) Early Conciliation process to determine whether your case can be resolved without going to the tribunal stage
• Where necessary, providing tribunal representation to help you obtain the best possible outcome for your case 

It is extremely important that you seek specialist legal advice when applying to bring a dispute to an employment tribunal. The law around these hearings can be complicated, and the most relevant aspect of your case may not receive sufficient consideration by the tribunal if not correctly set out by a specialist employment law solicitor. 

Clough & Willis has a strong reputation for tribunal representation in Manchester, Bolton, Bury and the surrounding areas, and can help you put together a strong case.

When can I make a claim to an employment tribunal?

When you feel you have been treated unfairly or unlawfully by an employer, you can make an employment tribunal claim to seek redress. Potential reasons include: 

• You have been unfairly dismissed or unfairly made redundant from a role
• You are engaged in a dispute over your salary or a breach of your contract
• You feel you have been unfairly discriminated against based on your identity, lifestyle or beliefs 

By bringing an employment tribunal claim, you may be able to secure a legal ruling to end your employer’s unlawful practices, or secure compensation and recompense for any financial losses.

How does the employment tribunal process work?

If you are bringing an employment tribunal case against your employer, you will need to follow this procedure: 

• Before proceeding to a tribunal, the dispute must first be brought to ACAS, which will attempt to settle the dispute through its Early Conciliation process. The case can only be brought to tribunal if this is not successful 

• Once you have lodged your claim the employer will receive a copy of your claim   and a Response form , along with a copy of a booklet explaining employment tribunal procedures. The employer must complete the form, stating whether they wish to contest the case, and if so, detailing their grounds 

• Each party may request further particulars of the other's case; this information must be provided accurately with full details, as these statements will form the legal basis of each party’s position 

• Prior to a full hearing of the claim, preliminary hearings may be held to determine procedure, set dates to disclose documents and exchange witness statements, and determine whether or not the tribunal has jurisdiction to hear the claim 

• If the complaint has not been settled, a full hearing will take place, attended by both parties. This will be presided over by an Employment Judge  and sometimes two lay members, one from an employer background and the other from a trade union background will sit with the judge. 

• During the hearing, you and your team of representatives will be given the opportunity to forward your case, responding to questions from the tribunal panel and the other side. Hearings are generally completed in one day, although some cases - particularly those regarding discrimination - may take a lot longer 

• The final ruling and explanation will usually be provided on the day, with written reasons supplied on request 

• If necessary, you can ask for a review of the decision of the employment case or appeal against the tribunal's decision

What are the time limits on making an employment tribunal claim?

In most instances, an employment tribunal application must be received within three months of the date of termination of your employment, or from the date of the incident you are complaining about. You must have completed ACAS Early Conciliation (which can extend the 3 month period) before you can issue your application; without this, the tribunal will not accept your claim. 

If the application is received later than the three-month deadline, an employment tribunal will only consider the complaint if they believe it was not reasonably practicable for the employee to submit the claim within the time limit. This is an extremely difficult test to satisfy, although greater lenience is sometimes available in cases of unlawful discrimination.

What are the costs involved in bringing an employment tribunal claim?

You do not have to pay a fee to make an employment tribunal claim, but many claimants choose to invest in professional legal support to give them the best possible chance of a successful outcome. 

You can find out more about Clough & Willis’ pricing for bringing employment tribunal claims here. We are committed to helping you avoid unexpected charges and third-party costs, and will be able to confirm a full estimate of our costs during your initial meeting.

Fees for bringing claims

We know that many people have been hit by unexpected charges and third party costs when using legal services in the past.  

There are no hidden costs and we will be able to confirm a full estimate of our costs at the initial meeting.