Employment Solicitors

Since 1 October 2026, most Employment Tribunal claims must be started within six months less one day of the act you are complaining about, such as your dismissal or the discrimination. If that act happened before 1 October 2026, the old limit of three months less one day still applies. Before you can issue a claim you must notify ACAS and go through early conciliation, which pauses the clock for up to about six weeks. Because the limits are short and strict, get advice as soon as you can.

Ordinary unfair dismissal under the Employment Rights Act 1996 requires two years' continuous employment where your employment ends (your effective date of termination) before 1 January 2027, and six months where it ends on or after that date (Employment Rights Act 2025). There are important exceptions: dismissals that are automatically unfair, such as those for whistleblowing, pregnancy, or asserting a statutory right, and discrimination claims under the Equality Act 2010, have no qualifying period. We check your start date and reason for dismissal to confirm which route applies.

A settlement agreement is a legally binding contract in which an employee agrees to waive certain claims, usually in return for a payment. It is only valid if it meets the statutory conditions in the Employment Rights Act 1996, which include the employee receiving advice from an independent legal adviser, such as a solicitor, on the terms and effect of the agreement. Employers commonly contribute to the cost of that advice. We can advise on or draft these.

Constructive dismissal is where you resign because your employer has committed a serious breach of your contract, leaving you no real choice but to leave. The breach must be fundamental, such as a unilateral pay cut, sustained bullying, or removing your core duties, and you must resign in response and reasonably promptly. These claims are fact-sensitive and harder to prove than ordinary unfair dismissal, so early advice on the evidence is essential.

The Equality Act 2010 makes it unlawful to discriminate against, harass or victimise someone at work because of a protected characteristic. The nine protected characteristics are age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Protection covers recruitment, terms, promotion, dismissal and detriment, and unlike unfair dismissal there is no qualifying period of service.

A restrictive covenant, such as a non-compete or non-solicitation clause, is only enforceable if it protects a legitimate business interest and goes no further than reasonably necessary to do so. Courts start from the position that such restraints of trade are void, then ask whether the scope, duration and geography are justified. A clause that is too wide will usually fail, so both employers seeking to enforce and employees seeking to challenge should have the wording reviewed.

We work at our hourly rates — £174 to £420 including VAT (£145 to £350 plus VAT), depending on the nature of the case and the seniority of the person acting — and give you an estimate before we start; where we can agree a fixed fee, for example for advice on a settlement agreement, we will. An employer offering a settlement agreement usually contributes to the cost of the employee's advice. Disbursements such as barristers' fees are payable in addition, and we tell you what those will be in advance.