Started a Tribunal case against my ex employer - How does their word against mine work?

Bobbobbobingalong

celesp said:

Surely there are cons to having a Union Rep vs a Solicitor in your corner when going to court though? I know I am still in early conciliation process for which I think the Union will be perfect. But when it comes to court matters?

The normal process is that your union rep will support you to the point where your case is referred to the union's solicitors who will assess the merits of your case. They will, like as not, apply a strict overview and if your claim appears to have at least a 51% chance of success then they will recommend that the union extends its support to cover the Tribunal hearings as well. At that point, a solicitor will be allocated to prepare your arguments and present them at the formal hearings. If your case falls short of the 51% threshold, it would most likely fall to you to instruct your own solicitor, the union not wanting to risk throwing members' subscriptions away on a potentially unwinnable argument.

Undervalued

Bobbobbobingalong said:

celesp said:

Surely there are cons to having a Union Rep vs a Solicitor in your corner when going to court though? I know I am still in early conciliation process for which I think the Union will be perfect. But when it comes to court matters?

The normal process is that your union rep will support you to the point where your case is referred to the union's solicitors who will assess the merits of your case. They will, like as not, apply a strict overview and if your claim appears to have at least a 51% chance of success then they will recommend that the union extends its support to cover the Tribunal hearings as well. At that point, a solicitor will be allocated to prepare your arguments and present them at the formal hearings. If your case falls short of the 51% threshold, it would most likely fall to you to instruct your own solicitor, the union not wanting to risk throwing members' subscriptions away on a potentially unwinnable argument.

Yes, but where "the point" is can vary considerably. The abilities of lay union reps can vary considerably.