On a daily basis our clients are hard at work, engaged in a myriad of business activities, personal pursuits and relationships that have legal consequences.
Our clients have misfortune and disputes, their children and family members have fights, accidents, collisions, break the law, sell, buy, divorce, retire, enter into employment, resign and unfortunately sometimes they pass away.
More often than not the fine print in contracts is not scrutinized properly (or at all) and even the “large print” is ignored. That is of course if there is in fact a written document.
Just a small proportion of these matters are given to us to assist and handle.
Perhaps that is as a result of the perception that attorneys are too expensive, too busy or too involved with “important matters” to take care of what they regard as insignificant matters.
Our motto is “Your Partner-in-Law”. By this we mean your business associate, confidante, helping hand, friend in need and generally someone who you can rely on for help – no matter the seriousness of the problem you are confronting.
So we are there for you and although there are always financial considerations, we are more than willing to sit down and make a plan suitable to all parties involved.
Keep the following in mind:
The old adage “A man who is his own lawyer has a fool for a client” remains as true today as when it was coined centuries ago, which just goes to show that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Representing yourself is not a good idea – you may be biased, emotionally involved and not adept at argument while facing an experienced opponent who is out to do the best for his client.
Lawyers are trained in legal precedent, argument and procedure. Especially the latter can be a large barrier to success as all spheres of the law have procedural rules that have to be met before you can achieve success. These relate to content and format of pleadings, time constraints in filing papers and simply the way in which things are done in court. If you are not aware of these rules it could be a serious bar to success.
Often enough you need to apply a holistic approach in planning your legal affairs. The use of the services of an attorney working together with your insurance broker, banker and accountant, is often a necessity to ensure proper management in terms of your tax and estate planning. Our approach is to engage with other professionals whenever necessary in order to make sure that there are not unforeseen consequences.
Choices are made early in business and personal life which have a bearing on events much later. For example, choosing your marital regime is an important event that affects your estate planning and has consequences during divorce, insolvency and after death. There are also other areas of speciality where your own attorney can assist you in identifying the right path to take.
In conveyancing and during the sale or purchase of what is often your major asset, correct advice from your own attorney is extremely valuable. Checking the fine print in sale agreements is a necessity, not a luxury.
If you end up at the end of the long arm of the law you have to be extremely careful as to what you say and do – we are usually just a phone call away.
Our network could be of value to you – we have forged relationships across all spheres of business and may be able to put you in touch with the right person.
In summary, by partnering with your own attorney and forging a relationship that often lasts for generations is a choice that can be of great benefit to you.
Our firm was founded in 1880 and over the past 138 years we have served many members of and from the same families, businesses and communities. We have an institutional memory as a firm that can assist our clients in many ways.
As a result of our various areas of specialisation, we have a wide exposure to matters in which you may have need of our help.
So don’t do it alone – we would gladly be your “Partner in Law”.
Article by Zane Meyer, Director at Faure & Faure Inc.