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Employment Law Services

Our Employment Law department comprises our Partners, Steve McLaren and Sally McCartney.  Steve was admitted as a solicitor in 1983, came to Kippen Campbell in 1985, and has been a partner since 1987.  He is a Law Society of Scotland Accredited Employment Specialist, a designation first awarded to him in 1999.  Sally was admitted as a solicitor in 1997, joined the firm in 2003 and was assumed as a partner in 2009.  She has been advising on Employment Law matters since 1998. 

For Employment Tribunals, the work carried out usually falls into four stages, but many Employment Tribunals settle long before a final Hearing.

Stage 1 – Initial Stage

  • Initial meeting and discussion with you
  • Reviewing your documentation
  • Providing advice on legal position
  • Taking your instructions
  • Writing to Respondent Employer

Stage 2 - Early Conciliation before the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS); Agreement may be reached, and matter completed

  • Liaising with Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) on your behalf
  • Representation and negotiating at ACAS
  • Providing legal advice should conciliation fail

Stage 3 – Submission of claim to Employment Tribunal – where early conciliation has been unsuccessful

  • Preparing and submitting a claim to Employment Tribunal
  • Preparing a schedule of loss
  • Representation at a Preliminary Hearing
  • Drafting witness statements
  • Reviewing documents and preparing and agreeing a bundle of documents
  • Exchanging lists and documents
  • Advising on Respondent’s witness statements
  • Agreeing list of issues
  • Miscellaneous correspondence and general case management
  • Any further settlement discussions

Stage 4 – Final Hearing

  • Preparation for Final Hearing
  • Representation before Employment Tribunal

Potential outlays can be:

  • Expert Witness
  • Cost of Counsel – should the matter be complex.

Given the nature of employment litigation and general employment law advice, we do not provide fixed fees for this kind of work.  We are always happy to give an indication of costs, especially once the case is underway and the position of the other side, in particular, is known, so far as is possible.  Please ask the solicitor dealing with your matter for such an indication should you wish one.

We will have an independent Law Accountant prepare a detailed narrative note of fee as close as possible to once a fortnight as the case progresses (subject to the availability of the Accountant and the case reaching an appropriate stage for the file to be released to him temporarily) so that upon receipt of each Narrative Note of Fee you will have a “real time” cost of the work to date.

Our charges are based on an hourly rate of fee (revised on 1st May each year) with Steve’s hourly rate being £260 per hour plus VAT (currently 20%) broken down into £26.00 per 6-minute units or part thereof.  Sally’s hourly rate is £250 per hour plus VAT (currently 20%) broken down into £25.00 per 6-minute units or part thereof.

Telephone calls will be charged at £26.00 plus VAT and £25.00 plus VAT per 6-minute unit or part thereof, respectively.

Letters will be charged at 1.25 units per page of 100 words or part thereof.

The drafting of Deeds and Tribunal documents will be charged at 5 units per sheet of 200 words or part thereof.

Copying will be charged at £1.00 per page for the first copy of any document and 40p per page for each subsequent copy.

A charge of 5% of the total assessed fee, plus VAT, will be charged to cover posts and incidents.

There will be a separate one-off charge of £25 plus VAT at 20% in respect of our gathering (and updating, where necessary), documentation to comply with the Anti-Money Laundering regulations and administrative matters when opening your file.

The number of hours spent on your case will be determined by the complexity and the unique circumstances of your case.  The hourly rate does not include any outlays that may be required.  These are variable depending on the nature of the case but, in most employment cases no outlays are incurred.

In many non-contentious matters (such as advice on a contract of employment, for example), fees are commonly no more than £750 plus VAT at 20% but this can vary depending on the complexity of the subject matter, exactly what is required, and what additional advice you require.  We are happy to provide an indication of likely cost during our first meeting.

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Contact us to arrange an appointment to see how we can help you.

Client Comments


I can’t thank Susan Wightman and her secretary Valerie enough for their professional care, advice and  hard work that made my last few years possible.  This journey started before “COVID” and has just finished.  Even with the restrictions and stresses that it brought to all of us they stayed on the ball throughout.  The representation I received was efficient, strong, fair, professional and kind.   I can’t recommend Kippen Campbell enough. Thank you so much!  

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