How to Get Employment Tribunal Help in England and Wales: Your Options Compared

If you are facing a problem at work in England or Wales and thinking about an employment tribunal, you do not have to choose between paying thousands for a solicitor and going it completely alone. There are several options in between, and the right one depends on your case.

This guide assumes you are at or near the point of needing help with a claim. If you have not yet tried to resolve the problem internally, it is usually worth starting there first - our guide on what to do before making a tribunal claim covers the grievance, appeal and ACAS steps that normally come before this stage.

The four main options at a glance

_Comparison correct as of August 2026. Aricase is independent and unaffiliated with the other providers named below; details describe each service's general model and may change - check each provider directly._

Instructing an employment solicitor

A solicitor gives you advice specific to your situation and can represent you throughout. It is the most hands-off option for you and the most expensive: many employment cases run to thousands of pounds in fees. It tends to make most sense for complex, contested or high-value claims. See our guide to employment solicitor costs for what to expect.

No-win-no-fee

Some solicitors take employment cases on a "no win, no fee" basis, taking a percentage of your compensation if you succeed. This removes the up-front cost but reduces what you keep if you win, and firms are selective - they tend to take only stronger, higher-value claims.

Representing yourself

You have the right to represent yourself at an employment tribunal, and many people do. The tribunal process is designed to be more accessible than the civil courts. It is free to lodge a claim, and GOV.UK, ACAS and Citizens Advice publish substantial free guidance. The trade-off is that you carry the work and the responsibility for getting it right - the tribunal without a solicitor guide covers what that involves.

Self-serve case-building tools

A newer option sits between full representation and going it alone: tools that guide you through building your own case. They vary - some focus on document templates, some add AI assistance, and some include an element of hands-on help - so it is worth checking each one's jurisdiction, what is included, and how it charges. For a side-by-side look at the main types, see AI tools for employment tribunal claims compared.

Where Aricase fits

Aricase is an AI case-building platform for employment tribunal claims in England and Wales. It is free to start with no card and no subscription: your case plan, a set number of messages with Ari, your first document and one review of a draft you wrote are free. A Case Pass is £50 for 2 months on one case. It covers every other document Ari prepares for that case and as much help from Ari as you need for your case (fair use applies). If your case needs longer, you can buy another 2 months; nothing is charged automatically. See the pricing section for the details. It guides you through understanding your claim, gathering evidence and preparing your documents step by step, and your case file is automatically graded on six separate areas: the roadmap, the strength of each issue, the timeline, the overall assessment, evidence gaps and any drafts. It is AI case-building plus an automated quality check - not legal representation or legal advice, and it cannot represent you at a hearing. Free tools (no signup) include the tribunal deadline calculator and other employment law calculators. For many people who cannot afford a solicitor but need more than a generic guide, it is built for that gap. You can start your case for free.

Also useful: tribunal without a solicitor, what generic AI gets wrong, and employment solicitor costs.

So which should you choose?

There is no single right answer - it depends on the complexity and value of your claim, your budget, and how much you want to handle yourself. As a rough guide:

• High complexity / high value / you want someone to run the case → solicitor or no-win-no-fee if they will take it.
• Simple claim, low budget, high personal capacity → self-representation with GOV.UK / ACAS / Citizens Advice.
• Need structure, document help and an automated quality check without full representation → a self-serve case-building tool such as Aricase, if it covers England and Wales and matches what you need.

None of these options changes the tribunal deadline - check your dates first.