Legal Costs – WC DIPPENAAR ATTONEYS & NOTARIES

LEGAL COSTS

Legal costs are always the “white elephant” in the room.

The Great Fiction: –

- All attorneys are rich.
- All attorneys play golf; and of course,
- All attorneys are thieves.

A Service

- Attorneys provide a professional service for a price.
- Attorneys are lawfully entitled to expect payment for their services and entitled to deny legal assistance for non-paying clients.
- Payment arrangements are at the discretion of the Attorneys.

TYPES OF LEGAL COSTS EXPLAINED:

Party and Party costs: –

- Party and party costs are legal costs that a court may order the defendant to pay to the plaintiff in a court case.
- Party and party costs are costs incurred in the course of prosecuting or defending a claim in court.
- It does not include legal costs incurred before a summons or notice of motion has been issued and served and also don’t include costs related to attendances between you and your attorney.
- It does include the attorney’s charges for time spent communicating with the other party’s attorney.
- The costs are subject to court tariffs as set out below.

Attorney and Client costs: –

- Attorney and client costs include party and party costs, as well as other legal costs – including charges for attendances between you and your attorney.
- The costs are subject to court tariffs as set out below.

Attorney and “own” Client costs: –

These are the actual fees payable by a client to an attorney, in terms of their fee agreement (in which case the hourly rate is not restricted to the statutory Magistrates and High Court tariffs).
The costs are NOT subject to court tariffs as set out below.

PRO BONO

Clients without the means to funds for legal services can apply for representation through the pro bono scheme at the LPC in their jurisdiction.
LINK: https://lpc.org.za/

LEGAL AID
- Clients without the means to funds for legal services can apply for representation through Legal Aid in their jurisdiction.
- LINK: https://legal-aid.co.za/

SCALES