Home page of Legal Practice Assist

Set your mind on a definite goal and observe how quickly the world stands aside to let you pass.

Napoleon Hill

Welcome to Law Practice Assist (LPA). LPA was created to enhance Legal Practices by providing strategic support with links, information, training and facilitation.

Our attorneys are dedicated to pass on skills to lawyers so that legal practitioners and law practices can benefit in a way that enhances their services to the public. To this end we are always open to suggestions. Please mail us if you identify ways in which we can improve on the information supplied on these pages. The Legal Practice Act changed the regulatory environment. The Law Society of South Africa changed its constitution to move it from a regulator co-ordinator, to a representative organisation. Law Practice Assist is a vehicle where trained, experienced and practicing legal practitioners can contribute to putting back into the profession. If this is also your desire, we would encourage you to take hands with us in supporting the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) Legal Education And Development team. Read more about The Law Society of South Africa here.

To learn more about or contact the Legal Education And Development of the LSSA, go to the LSSALEAD pages here.

With Legal Practice Assist, we aim to provide lift-off for legal practices. In this way we aim to make legal services and access to justice easier. You are on the homepage of Law Practice Assist (Pty) Ltd but we also have a very handy App that you can get access to by going here. You can also read more about this app on the Law Practice Assist App home page.

Below on this page, we will over time publish a list of links that we think every legal practitioner should have ready access to so that the information on the linked websites can be applied to their practice for the benefit of clients and the public access to legal; services. The Law Practice Assist App also has a valuable compendium of quicklinks that you can always have readily available by downloading the App to your mobile device. To do that, go here The app is free (but it is online and to download and use it effectively, you will require internet connectivity.

…Tipping Points are a reaffirmation of the potential for change and the power of intelligent action…Look at the world around you….With the slightest push - in just the right place - it can be tipped

Malcolm Gladwell (In The Tipping Point: How little things can maker a big difference)

The Law Practice Assist team have thought it good to compile these pages to assist practitioners and practices in positioning themselves to embrace the future. To do so should involve a good comprehension of the new regulation but also an appreciation of macro and other trends in society. We are confident that the resources referred to on this page are a good starting point to understand the environment in which we operate:

To download the Law Practice Assist App with access to many links to tools and resources: Please go here.

Useful links to assist legal practitioners with compliance information:

Statutes and Regulation in South Africa:

Go here to access the national legislation or Statutes and Regulations of South Africa by topic

Privacy:

Go here to update on the Protection of Private Information Act requirements

The Information Regulator has on 11 June 2021 amended the commencement date of section 58(2) of the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (No.4 of 2013), as contained in the Government Notice No.44383 published in Government Gazette No. 297 of 1 April 2021.

The new date (see s114(3) and section 58(2) The Information Regulator has, in terms of section 114(3 of POPIA) is 1 February 2022. This is the date on which the processing requirements referred to in section 57 of the said Act will become applicable.

Go here for good guidance on the act.

Go here to register.

The future of law

Late Justice Chaskalson on the future of law under the Legal practice Act

Read what the respected human rights lawyer and judge had to say about the developing Legal Practice Bill at the time

Legal Costs under the Legal Practice Act

Read Ettienne's discussion on Section 35 of the Legal Practice Act

Fees & Costs Paper presented obo the Law Society of South Africa at the International Conference on Access to Justice, Costs & Other Interventions

Read the discussion on client expectations, reasonableness, attorney and client versus party and party costs,Trends,Hourly rates, Fixed/Flat Fees, Contingency Fees, Percentage fees/ value-added fees, Volume based discounts, retainers,how tariffs should be determined, the referral system, Transformation, Team building and project management dynamics

Journalist predicts legal fees will be halved

Is this scenario scetched by Ernest Mabuza in Time Live a possibility?

The future of many things including the law

"The Fox knows many things"

Also read about Clem Sunter Scenarios of the future regarding the economy, technology and other aspects

The Legal Practice Act will be amended

Read the discussion on how lawyer regulating acts in South Africa have frequently been amended and why the Legal Practice Act will also be amended in an attempt to get things right.

Note that there has already been at least one amendment since this article was published. And also see:

Constitutional Court to look at Legal Practice Act

Read news about the High Court declaring the education qualification section of the LPA to be unconstitutionalWill the Constitutional Couirt confirm, decline or merely interpret the current wording in the context of the Constitution?

Difference between the Law Society of South Africa and the Legal Practice Council

Read the explanation that puts the LPC and LSSA in the correct perspective

Future Scenarios Under the Legal Practice Act-What do we not yet know?

Practices need to prepare for the aspects that have not yet fully been implemented but which are dealt with or referred to by the Act. These include cost estimates, community service, multidisciplinary practices, the Legal Services Ombud, Foreign based Lawyers getting formal recognition to practice in South Africa etc.

Need a Cost Effective Website? See below or mail us

Our mission is to empower new practices, young practitioners or small law practices to focus on legal services. If you need a website etc. for our firm, talk to us or make a start by selecting an option below.