Terms and conditions of the Oddfellows' Legal Aid Scheme for Employment Matters
Please note: From 16 September 2026, the Legal Aid Scheme has been removed from our Standard, Extra Benefits and Young Oddfellows membership packages. Existing members on these packages will continue to have access to this discretionary, non-contractual benefit until their next renewal date. After renewal, it will no longer form part of their membership package.
As a discretionary benefit, the Oddfellows may provide eligible members with access to legal services required to make an application to the employment tribunal or obtain advice in relation to other employment matters. Access to the benefit is not guaranteed and is subject to the Society's approval and the assessment of its appointed solicitors.
The date of the member's dismissal or the incident being complained about by the member must have taken place after the member joined the Oddfellows.
Claims are supported by a preferred firm of solicitors selected by the Oddfellows.
As a discretionary benefit, the member must accept the choice of firm chosen under the scheme.
Applications for the benefit will be recorded by the Oddfellows Care Department and then forwarded to the solicitors for investigation and assessment of the merits of the case. The decision whether to provide, or continue, funding under the scheme rests with the Oddfellows, taking into account the advice of its appointed solicitors.
For assistance with an employment tribunal claim, the Oddfellows may agree to fund all or part of the member’s costs, including any tribunal application fees advised by the solicitors, up to a maximum of £20,000 (before any recovery from compensation is made – see below) provided the claim is accepted under the scheme and continues to satisfy the scheme's requirements.
For an employment matter which does not involve bringing an employment tribunal claim but still requires strategic employment advice, eg advice on a settlement agreement or pursuing a grievance, a member may be provided with up to five hours of legal advice under the scheme, subject to acceptance of the application and the Society's discretion.
It is a condition of the benefit that, in the opinion of the appointed solicitors, a claim must at all times have more than a 50% chance of success.
It is the solicitor’s duty to investigate and advise the Oddfellows of the merits of the case at the outset of the matter, and throughout the matter as required, in order that funding can be approved, continued, varied or withdrawn.
Should the solicitor obtain an offer of settlement, the Oddfellows will take into account and ordinarily rely upon the advice of the solicitors regarding whether that offer represents a fair and reasonable settlement.
If at any time during the case the member does not accept what the solicitor considers to be a fair and acceptable settlement sum, the Oddfellows reserves the right to cease all future funding with immediate effect.
The Oddfellows also reserves the right to withdraw or discontinue funding where, in the opinion of the appointed solicitors, the claim no longer satisfies the merits requirements of the scheme or where any other condition of the scheme is no longer met.
The member has the right to continue their case under their own financial arrangements.
On the successful conclusion of a claim, the Oddfellows may require the member to reimburse the Oddfellows with up to a maximum of one third of the compensation awarded.
In consultation with the Oddfellows, the solicitors will deduct the amount agreed from the member’s compensation/settlement award.
If the legal fees incurred are less than one third of the member’s compensation, the Oddfellows will only be entitled to recover the actual amount of the legal fees incurred.
The service provided by the chosen firm of solicitors is entirely confidential and the information obtained by the solicitor will only be used for the purposes of progressing a claim on behalf of a member and/or providing the member with legal advice.
The information obtained by the solicitor will also be available to the Oddfellows to enable decisions to be made regarding funding and the payment of costs and disbursements.
As the Legal Aid Scheme is a discretionary, non-contractual member benefit, the Oddfellows reserves the right to amend, suspend, withdraw or discontinue the benefit, or any funding provided under it, at any time and without creating any ongoing obligation to fund a claim.
Member’s obligation of good faith and cooperation
The benefit provided by the Oddfellows is strictly conditional on the member acting in good faith and the member must always cooperate fully with the solicitors and/or the Oddfellows during the initial assessment of the potential claim and thereafter for so long as any assistance or funding is provided under the scheme.
This includes being full and frank in their disclosure and providing the solicitors with all the necessary information and documents that are relevant to the matter (regardless of whether they help or hinder your case).
In the event that the member is found not to have complied with their obligations regarding disclosure and cooperation, the Oddfellows reserves the right to withdraw the services and/or funding provided under the Legal Aid Scheme with immediate effect and, in exceptional circumstances, reserves the right to recover from the member any costs incurred in the provision of legal services under the scheme.
