Legal costs, in this country, can be crippling. The short and sweet of it is stay out of trouble where you would require any legal assistance and think very carefully before entering into litigation with another party. A recent high-profile case involving a prominent personage, resulted in him being found guilty of the charges laid against him and a legal bill of 17,6 million rand.
High legal costs like the aforementioned is not at all unusual as it involves senior advocates with their research teams, spanning two or more years - AND the courts are full to the hilt with cases While the Law Society sets the fees to be charged by attorneys, such fees are really for the mundane tasks, like reading and replying to letters, the cost of services in the transfer of property etc. When you and I receive the bills from these good men and women, it is us possible to faint at the prospect of paying these bills - and not the professionals that issue the bills. Be wise.insure against any legal expense. There are legal underwriters that will insure you of reasonable legal costs brought about by litigation. These costs are limited, of course, but it is infinitely better than having to find thousands of Rands because your wife's pretty little poodle happened to fancy a piece of the neighbour's kid's left calf for breakfast. These insurance premiums are affordable and the insurer will refer you to a legal practitioner on their books. The ensuing bill (a limited amount per annum) is then settled by the insurer.
Getting involved in litigation of any sort requires substantial financial commitment on your behalf and if you lose the case, you are more often than not held responsible for the legal costs of your opponent as well. The result is an unwelcome double whammy, which could even have been prevented if you thought clearly and unemotionally about the matter in the first instance. But, of course, sometimes it becomes necessary to enter into litigation, but do so with the full knowledge of all the possible consequences of such action. Unfortunately the high cost of legal action put many people in a position where justice simply is not done because they can't afford the legal costs to pursue justice. This means that the guilty person, who has the money, often escapes justice at the expense of the injured party. So, give the Kaiser his due and pay your taxes, keep stones away from your kids and don't let them handle any cricket ball near the neighbour's huge picture windows. Be nice to the nasty traffic cop, and for heaven's sake 'say' to the dog "Don't get involved in any slinging matches with your mother in law, because calling her names might land you in court and cost you a lot of money". This could be particularly true if the judge doesn't have a sense of humour and won't accept your explanation of an unfortunate misspelled word used in describing your mother in law.
For more information about legal costs visit the website http://www.quotecruncher.co.za/
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