Tribunal process
Most people meet the employment tribunal system exactly once, at the worst moment of their working life, and the process is rarely explained to them properly. These guides walk through it in order: ACAS early conciliation, which is compulsory before you can issue a claim, the ET1 form, the response from your employer, case management, evidence bundles and the hearing itself.
The single thing worth knowing before anything else is the deadline. In most cases you have three months less one day from the act you are complaining about, and early conciliation pauses that clock rather than resetting it. Miss it and a strong claim can be lost on timing alone.
We also cover the parts people underestimate: how long a claim really takes, what disclosure involves, when settlement usually happens, and how costs work in a tribunal compared with the civil courts. If you would rather talk it through with a specialist, an enquiry takes two minutes and matching is usually done within one working day.
What actually happens at an employment tribunal hearing
Who is in the room, the order of events, giving evidence, cross-examination and when you get the decision: a plain-English walkthrough of hearing day.
Last reviewed September 2026Employment tribunal time limits: three months becomes six
From 1 October 2026 most employment tribunal time limits double from three months to six. What changes, what does not, and why waiting is still risky.
Last reviewed September 2026Employment tribunal costs: what you will actually pay
Tribunal fees were abolished in 2017, so what does an employment tribunal really cost? Solicitor fees, cost orders and the costs people forget, explained.
Last reviewed September 2026Employment tribunals explained: the complete guide
What an employment tribunal is, who can claim, time limits, costs, the hearing and what you could win: the complete plain-English guide for 2026.
Last reviewed August 2026The employment tribunal process, step by step
Every stage of an employment tribunal claim in plain English, from ACAS early conciliation and the ET1 through case management to the final hearing and judgment.
Last reviewed August 2026Do you need a solicitor for an employment tribunal?
When representation makes the difference in a tribunal claim, when you can reasonably manage alone, and what a specialist actually does that changes the outcome.
Last reviewed August 2026How long does an employment tribunal take?
Realistic timescales for an employment tribunal claim, from ACAS notification to final hearing, and the factors that make some claims take considerably longer.
Last reviewed August 2026ACAS early conciliation: how it works and what to expect
The mandatory ACAS step before any tribunal claim: how conciliation works, how long it takes, what the certificate does, and how it affects your time limit.
Last reviewed August 2026Need more than a guide?
Free enquiry, matched with a specialist employment solicitor, usually within one working day.