If you have been dismissed and believe it was unfair, you may have a claim at the employment tribunal. You do not need a solicitor to bring it. ProHearings provides fixed-fee case review, document preparation and hearing support. Strict time limits usually apply.
You must start Acas early conciliation within three months less one day of your effective date of termination. If you miss this deadline, the tribunal may refuse to hear your claim. Contact Acas promptly and obtain case-specific advice about the deadline.
Under section 94 of the Employment Rights Act 1996, employees with two years' continuous service have the right not to be unfairly dismissed. A dismissal is unfair if the employer cannot show it was for one of the five potentially fair reasons (conduct, capability, redundancy, breach of a statutory duty or restriction, or some other substantial reason) or if the employer did not follow a fair procedure.
Some dismissals are automatically unfair regardless of length of service. These include dismissal for whistleblowing, asserting a statutory right, pregnancy or maternity, trade union membership, and making a flexible working request. If your dismissal falls into one of these categories, you do not need two years' service.
Understand whether you have a viable claim, what it could be worth, and what evidence you need.
Contact Acas to start early conciliation. This is mandatory before you can file a tribunal claim.
Submit your claim to the tribunal online. The deadline is three months less one day from dismissal (extended by early conciliation).
Gather your documents, prepare your witness statement, draft your schedule of loss and get ready for the hearing day.
Compensation for unfair dismissal is made up of two parts. The basic award is calculated like statutory redundancy pay: half a week's pay for each year of service under 22, one week's pay for each year between 22 and 40, and one and a half weeks' pay for each year over 41. For relevant events on or after 6 April 2026, the statutory week's-pay cap is £751. Earlier events can attract an earlier limit.
The compensatory award covers your actual financial losses: lost earnings from the date of dismissal, loss of statutory rights, loss of pension contributions, and any other financial losses caused by the dismissal. For relevant events on or after 6 April 2026, the ordinary statutory cap is the lower of 52 weeks' gross pay or £123,543. Different rules apply to some automatically unfair dismissals, and earlier events can attract an earlier limit. The value of any individual case depends on proved loss, mitigation and the facts.
GOV.UK explains that a representative may help complete a claim, correspond with the Tribunal and present a case at a hearing. ProHearings is not a firm of solicitors. We agree a defined scope for case review, document preparation or hearing support and do not conduct reserved legal activities. See the fixed-fee options: case review is £149, ET1 preparation is £199 and hearing support is quoted from £699.
Many unfair dismissal claims settle before reaching a final hearing. Your employer may prefer to settle rather than spend money on legal representation and face the risk of losing. Settlement can happen through Acas conciliation (a COT3 agreement) or through a settlement agreement. ProHearings can provide non-reserved settlement planning support and help you prepare a response. Where a statutory independent-adviser certificate is required, we refer you to an independent solicitor. If your case settles before the hearing day, the hearing fee does not apply.
For ordinary unfair dismissal, yes. You need two years' continuous employment. However, some dismissals are automatically unfair regardless of length of service, including dismissal for whistleblowing, asserting a statutory right, pregnancy, trade union membership, or making a flexible working request.
There is no single average because every case is different. Awards depend on your salary, length of service, how long it takes to find new work, and whether the employer's conduct warrants an uplift. There is no reliable single average. The amount depends on provable loss, mitigation, statutory limits and the facts of the case.
Possibly. If you resigned because of your employer's conduct (a fundamental breach of contract), you may have a claim for constructive dismissal. This is harder to prove than ordinary unfair dismissal because you must show the employer's breach was serious enough to justify your resignation and that you did not delay too long before resigning.
Gather everything you have: your contract of employment, the dismissal letter, any disciplinary or performance management correspondence, emails and messages about the events leading to dismissal, payslips, and the employer's disciplinary and grievance policies. ProHearings can advise on what else may be needed after reviewing your case.
That is fine. You can instruct ProHearings at any stage, whether before early conciliation, during it, or after you have received your Acas certificate and are ready to file your ET1. The earlier you get help, the better your preparation, but we can pick up cases at any point.