The firm's focus is on three broad areas of legal practice, namely commercial transactions and legislative compliance, commercial litigation and divorce and family law disputes.
The firm's focus is on three broad areas of legal practice, namely commercial transactions and legislative compliance, commercial litigation and divorce and family law disputes.
The firm's focus is on three broad areas of legal practice, namely commercial transactions and legislative compliance, commercial litigation and divorce and family law disputes.
Commercial Transactions and Legislature Compliance
This involves the negotiation and drafting of contracts for the general spectrum of business transactions. Typically these would include contracts for the sale of businesses or shares in incorporated enterprises, shareholders' agreements, joint ventures, partnerships, associations, trusts, franchises, distribution agreements, standard terms and conditions of trade, leases, credit agreements, employment contracts and marriage contracts. This work also extends to speciality contracts for sport, sponsorships and public events.
Where appropriate this work is done in conjunction with experts in the field of long term insurance and financial and tax matters, in order to produce a quality, tailor-made product.
Related to this is the legislative compliance programme which involves bringing a business's existing trading and legal documentation into a state of compliance with recent changes in business law, particularly with the advent of the Companies Act 2008 and the Consumer Protection Act 2008.
Commercial Litigation
The firm has an efficient and systematic approach to debt collection for the benefit of an array of commercial clients in various centres throughout South Africa.
Legal costs are measured against returns and the process is managed and adjusted to ensure that on average the collection process is a sensible and viable one for the client.
The litigation services extend to include more serious matters concerning the enforcement of rights and damages claims arising out of commercial transactions generally, but with substantial exposure to partnership disputes and breach of restraint of trade.
Divorce and Family Law Disputes
This line of work includes divorce, either by opposed litigation or mediation, custody and visitation disputes, maintenance claims and adoptions.
This area of work does not make up the bulk of the firm's work but it is where its passion lies. Contrary to the stereotypical divorce lawyer, the firm's focus is to resolve these matters quickly but fairly, with the least amount of damage to parent / parent and parent / child relationships which must necessarily survive a divorce. This approach also results in legal costs being kept at a minimum.
Most often where the firm can assist in achieving a reconciliation between spouses without having to take legal action, it will not raise any fees for work done.
The firm's approach to marriage has spontaneously created a successful divorce mediation practise which serves to save couples the cost, time and trauma of protracted divorce litigation.
Experts in the field of family counselling and social work are called on to assist in appropriate cases.
Property and Conveyancing
Property transfers, bond registrations and other conveyancing and notarial work is handled through a close association with Fourie Stott Attorneys, who are experts in the field.
Labour Law
The firm attends to the drafting of employment contracts, disciplinary enquiries, CCMA hearings, Labour Court reviews and the management of retrenchment procedures.
General
The remainder of the firm's practise covers the drafting of Wills, administration of Estates and selected criminal defences.
Correspondent Attorney Services
The firm acts as a correspondent in the Durban and Pinetown jurisdictions for instructing attorneys around the country.
The firm's offices are conveniently located between the local Magistrate's and High Courts.
As a rule correspondent work is handled on a first priority basis, with reports being issued on a same-day to 12 working hour basis. No fees are charged for perusing documents or for work already done by the instructing attorney.
