De Saude Darbandi | South African Immigration & Citizenship Lawyers

Order in the court, chaos in the books.

I strongly advise prospective clients to exercise due diligence and ensure that all fee structures, billing arrangements, and account terms are explicitly agreed upon and recorded in writing prior to engaging this firm. In my experience, I identified apparent discrepancies between the amounts I understood to be agreed and those subsequently billed. These concerns were raised promptly, and I retained detailed records of all correspondence and payments. Despite this, the account rendered to me did not align with my documented understanding of the agreed terms. Over the course of my matter, I paid in excess of ZAR 125,000 directly to the firm, with a further ZAR 250,000 processed in relation to my case. I later received communication stating that a portion of these funds had not been received, notwithstanding that I hold proof of payment through recognised banking institutions. It was further indicated that, in the event of a successful outcome, approximately 60% of certain funds would be returned to me. To date, no such reimbur*****t has been received, and the basis for this has not been clearly explained to me. I have made repeated efforts to resolve these issues through the appropriate channels over a period approaching two years. However, the matter remains unresolved, with limited substantive engagement or resolution provided. This matter has been referred to the Legal Practice Council for review. Based on my experience, I recommend that clients maintain comprehensive records of all agreements, payments, and correspondence, and address any discrepancies without delay.