Claimants using lawyers to represent them at the Labour Court run the risk of losing a significant portion of compensation awarded to them in legal fees, according to the Chairman of the Labour Court, Kevin Duffy.
Speaking as the court's annual report was published, Mr Duffy said that increasing numbers of claimants are hiring lawyers - with 73% of complainants in equality cases now retaining legal representation.
However, Mr Duffy warned that because costs cannot be awarded in the Labour Court, a winning claimant can lose a large portion of their award to cover legal fees.
He said claimants need not feel at a disadvantage because they were not represented, or because they were represented by a trade union or employer body.
Mr Duffy described the current industrial climate as relatively stable.
He noted that while there was a small increase in the numbers of days lost due to industrial disputes in 2003, the number of individual disputes continued to fall.
