What a tribunal claim involves
The main stages of an employment tribunal claim, from the ET1 form to the hearing.
Checked against official sources on 11 October 2026
Before you start
- It is free to make a claim. There are no tribunal fees.
- You need your ACAS early conciliation certificate number.
- You must claim within the time limit. Tribunals accept late claims only in rare cases.
- You can represent yourself. Many people do.
The main stages
- You fill in and send the claim form (ET1), usually online. This app does not fill in or send it for you.
- Your employer has 28 days to reply on form ET3.
- The tribunal may hold a preliminary hearing to sort out the issues and set a timetable.
- Both sides share relevant documents (disclosure) and agree a bundle of documents for the hearing.
- Both sides write witness statements.
- At the final hearing a judge, sometimes with two members, hears the evidence and decides.
Settlement is possible at any stage, often through ACAS.
How your diary helps
A clear record made at the time is often useful evidence. Your entries show when you wrote each one and whether anything changed later.
Read next
Sources
General information, not advice about your situation. ARX Algorithms Ltd is not a law firm and is not regulated by the SRA or the FCA. For advice, contact ACAS (free), Citizens Advice, your trade union or a solicitor.