LEGAL FEES
Fee structure:
Before scheduling the initial consultation, we will agree on a consultation fee upfront. If you accept and pay this fee, we will schedule a meeting to discuss the merits and prospects of your case, how we can assist you, and, if appropriate, agree on the further costs involved.
- We offer alternative billing arrangements such as agreeing on a fixed fee up front, that will give you peace of mind by assuring that you won’t be met with unexpected legal fees.
- If you are happy to entrust us with your legal work, we will need you to supply us with certain information, so that we comply with Section 21 of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act, No. 38 of 2001.
- We require you to sign our engagement letter so that the scope of the work, the method of calculating the fee and the payment terms are in writing. This is in terms of Sections 37(7) – (9) of the Legal Practice Act that requires us to provide you – and for you to accept – in writing, an outline of the work to be done and a cost estimate notice in respect of the envisaged legal services. You are entitled to negotiate the proposed fees. If you win a case, you will not recover all the fees that you pay us. See this article.
Retainer-Based Legal Support
Many businesses prefer the certainty of having a trusted law firm available whenever legal questions arise. For this reason, we offer retainer-based legal support for clients who wish to treat us as their outsourced external legal counsel.
A retainer arrangement means that your business retains our firm to provide agreed legal services for a fixed monthly fee. The scope of services is agreed in advance and recorded in a retainer agreement. Retainers are typically structured for a minimum period (usually six or twelve months) and the fee is billed monthly in advance.
This approach allows your business to obtain ongoing legal guidance without the uncertainty of hourly billing.
Advantages of a Retainer Arrangement
A retainer-based relationship offers several practical benefits:
- Predictable legal costs– your business can budget with certainty through a fixed monthly fee.
- Immediate access to legal advice– you can contact us whenever issues arise without worrying about opening a new file for each matter.
- Continuity and familiarity – we become familiar with your business, contracts, policies and risk profile.
- Cost-effective legal support – retaining an external legal team is often significantly more economical than employing a full-time in-house lawyer.
- Proactive risk management – regular legal oversight helps prevent disputes before they escalate.
Our Retainer Options
We offer several retainer structures depending on your business needs, including:
- Advisory Retainers for ongoing employment and commercial law advice
- Managed HR Legal Support for employers requiring structured workplace legal support
- Full Employment Risk Cover for comprehensive employment law risk management
- Integrated Commercial and Employment Retainers tailored to businesses requiring broader strategic legal support
Each option defines what services are included and what matters may be billed separately (for example, court litigation).
Discussing the Right Retainer for Your Business
Because every business is different, we usually begin with a short needs analysis to understand your workforce size, risk exposure, and the level of legal support you require.
We can then structure a retainer that provides practical, cost-effective legal support aligned with your business operations.
If you would like to explore whether a retainer arrangement is suitable for your business, please contact us to discuss the available options.
Satisfaction:
To assure satisfaction we:
- Promise an honest and frank assessment of your case.
- Set expectations with you up front (what you expect and the likelihood of achieving it).
- Define the scope of our mandate.
- Determine what features or services are important to you.
Can’t afford legal fees?
If you cannot afford the services of an attorney, you do have other options:
Legal Aid SA provides professional legal advice and representation to those who can’t afford it (if you are unemployed, or are employed, but your take-home pay is under R 5,500.00 per month).
Attorneys in South Africa provide 24 hours per year of pro bono (free) legal assistance to indigent members of the public on a compulsory basis. Pro bono is administered by the four provincial law societies where attorneys are registered. See www.probono.org.za