Employment tribunal: do you need a solicitor?
No fee applies when you make an employment tribunal claim, but a deadline applies and Acas early conciliation comes first. Legal fees and other costs can still arise, so it helps to weigh up advice before you start. This guide explains each step and what a solicitor can add.
The short answer
GOV.UK says you pay no fee to make a claim to an employment tribunal. However, a time limit applies. You usually have 6 months if the problem happened on or after 1 October 2026, and 3 months if it happened before that date. Before you claim, you must tell Acas, which offers free early conciliation. You then need your early conciliation certificate number to make the claim. Although the claim has no fee, legal fees and other costs may still arise.
What an employment tribunal is
GOV.UK describes an employment tribunal as impartial and independent of government. It hears from the claimant and the respondent before it decides. Therefore, you should expect to explain your side clearly and to hear the other side’s account. Keep your own notes and papers in order, because you may need to refer to them later. Dates, messages and letters about the problem are a sensible place to start.
What a claim can be about
GOV.UK names four kinds of claim you can make to an employment tribunal:
- discrimination based on a protected characteristic
- unfair dismissal
- breach of contract terms
- unauthorised deductions from pay
Work out which kind of claim fits your problem before you go further. For example, the unfair dismissal period runs from the date your employment ended. If redundancy is behind your problem, our guide to redundancy rights and advice covers that topic in more depth.
There is no fee to make a claim
GOV.UK says you do not have to pay a fee to make a claim to an employment tribunal. However, other costs can arise. For example, you may have to pay legal fees. You may also have to pay the respondent’s costs if the tribunal decides you have acted unreasonably. Because of this, ask any adviser what their fee covers before you agree to it, and decide in advance what you can afford. If the dispute ends in a deal, our guide to what a settlement agreement is explains that route.
Time limits and early conciliation
The time limit depends on when the problem happened. GOV.UK says you usually have 6 months to make a claim if the problem happened on or after 1 October 2026. If it happened before 1 October 2026, you usually have 3 months. For unfair dismissal, the period runs from the date your employment ended.
Write down the date the problem happened, because a written record keeps the facts clear. However, compare that date with 1 October 2026 when you plan your next step.
You must tell Acas that you plan to make a claim. Acas offers free early conciliation, which is a legal process. In it, Acas talks to both you and the respondent about the dispute. Acas cannot represent you. If the service has not worked, or you choose not to take part, Acas sends an early conciliation certificate. You need your certificate number to make the claim.
Who can bring a claim
A tribunal claim can be for yourself alone. It can also be for yourself and others who were treated in the same way. Alternatively, you can make a claim for someone else if you are acting as their representative. Decide which applies before you start, because that tells you whose details and evidence you need to gather. If you act for someone else, note down how you came to represent them.
Legal aid and free help
GOV.UK says you cannot get legal aid for employment disputes unless you are being discriminated against. It also says you cannot get legal aid for debt problems unless you might lose your home. As a result, check early whether the discrimination exception could apply to you, because otherwise you pay for advice yourself. For free help, Acas offers early conciliation at no charge, although it cannot represent you.
What the SRA says about prices
The SRA says firms must publish price information for employment tribunals covering unfair or wrongful dismissal. That information must include what the price covers and the likely timescales. Therefore, when you read a firm’s published details, check what the price includes and how long the work is likely to take. This guide gives no price figure, so use the firm’s own published information for that.
What a solicitor can add
A solicitor can give advice on your own situation. That can include which kind of claim fits, which time limit applies and where the cost risks lie. While this guide sets out the general rules, a solicitor applies them to your facts. If you search for employment tribunal solicitors London firms list, read our employment law guide first, so you know what to ask. Then follow the steps to check a solicitor before you choose anyone.