tribunal representation service

Are you facing an Employment Tribunal Claim? We understand how stressful – as well as expensive – such a claim can be.

sentient employment tribunal representation service

At Sentient, our expert team of Employment Lawyers understand employment law inside-out. Not only can our lawyers quickly identify the claims and issues, we  can make representations that play to your strengths. At Sentient, we provide comprehensive advice and representation, with the aim of ensuring that your case has been advocated thoroughly.

It is important to understand the potential cost and impacts of engaging in an employment tribunal. You can find out more about guidance for these costs in our document available here.

how do we do this?

We assign one of our highly-qualified  Tribunal Advocates to each case, who will work with you to ensure your case is pleaded and advocated in the most effective way possible.

Our Tribunal Advocates are experienced in the full range of Employment Tribunal Claims and all relevant legislation, including the UK Employment Rights Act 1996 and the Equality Act 2010.

Our Tribunal Advocates have years of experience in employment law, and are ready and able to assist you defend the claim against you.

Our 24/7 helpline and HR support services for employers ensure that advice is available to keep you on the right side of the law.

employment tribunal representation in six steps

step 1

Identify claims:

Investigate what the claim and issues are.

step 2

Formulate the defence:

Sentient will assist with case strategy and timetabling.

step 3

Address preliminary issues:

Sentient will identify and advise on any jurisdictional matters that need addressing.

step 4

Collate evidence:

Sentient will advise on what evidence needs acquiring.

step 5

Draft statements:

Identify witnesses, and take statements from them.

step 6

Prepare for the hearing:

This will involve briefing witnesses, preparing cross-examination, drafting skeletal (legal) arguments and collating relevant case law; all of which Sentient’s Tribunal Advocates will  take the lead.

Our employment Tribunal Advocates have the knowledge and advocacy skills to ensure that your case is defended and articulated/advocated in the strongest possible way.

what claims does sentient’s employment tribunals representation service cover

Sentient provides total employment tribunal support, including

  • Unfair, constructive, or wrongful dismissal
  • Breach of contract
  • Redundancy & redundancy pay claims
  • Discrimination on grounds of race, age, sex, disability, sexual orientation, religion, belief
  • Maternity, paternity, and parental-related reasons
  • Assertion of a Statutory Right
  • Health and Safety dismissals
  • Trade union duties or activities
  • Unlawful deduction from wages
  • Holiday pay claims
  • Whistleblowing
  • Flexible working requests
 

Contact us if you receive notification of a claim from the Employment Tribunal  and require tribunal representation. You have limited time in which to submit a defence, so call us for help immediately.

ACAS pre-claim liaison service

Before a claim can be raised at the Employment Tribunal, in most cases the Claimant (employee or ex-employee) must contact ACAS as part of pre-claim conciliation. This is where ACAS tries to broker a settlement between the employer and the claimant to avoid a claim being lodged before the Employment Tribunal.

,Arguably, employers do not need legal representation at this stage, because ACAS will assist in the case being settled; and anything said is ‘off the record’ or ‘without prejudice’ so cannot be used in any subsequent Tribunal proceedings. Whilst ACAS Conciliators do an excellent job in trying to broker a deal, their aim is to settle the case, regardless of blame, liability, or settlement value.  Unfortunately, often ACAS act only as a ‘go-between’ passing offers and counteroffers between the employer and the Claimant.

However, Sentient can liaise with ACAS on your behalf and articulate some of the legal arguments with any offers; and/or counter-respond to any points advanced by the Claimant; with the ultimate aim of persuading the Claimant to either withdraw their claim, or accept a commercial settlement without the need to lodge a claim before the Employment Tribunal.