Fees and Payment

Being a trade union member brings many benefits – on pay, working conditions and health and safety.

Bad employers ignore or pay lip service to laws that protect the rights, interests and safety of their employees. When worker’s rights are infringed, trade union membership offers heavy weight legal backing. The members affected may need advice to get an employer to listen and change their practices, or assistance to receive compensation.

Free legal services for members of partner unions

If you are a member of a trade union, and are seeking legal advice, visit our union legal services hub to see whether your union’s legal service is provided by Thompsons Solicitors.

The vast majority of the legal advice and assistance we provide is free as part of your union membership.

High street law firms can deduct up to 25% of personal injury compensation and will charge their time in employment claims. With your trade union legal service and Thompsons you are guaranteed to keep 100% of your compensation and face no deductions for legal fees.

There are a small number of occasions when charges are made. These include medical negligence claims and additional legal services, such as wills and conveyancing. Where legal fees do apply, they are calculated at a dramatically reduced rate to ensure that injured or mistreated union members still benefit from significantly more cost-effective legal services than those available on the high street.

If you have questions about whether your union provides funding for a specific type of personal injury or employment law case, contact your union legal scheme for advice.