Asking a lawyer can sometimes be a very pricey affair as you need to keep in mind the possibility of court fees and the expense of hiring a lawyer. If you are able to hire a lawyer then you are one of a few fortunate individuals.
But what happens to those who are unable to spend much money? Recently there has been a boom in online free legal advice from a licensed professional; there is no stress on preparing a list of what you will be asking a lawyer. There are an abundance of websites that have 24 hour lawyers ready and waiting to help and advise you with any pending legal matters. In South Africa it is as simple as opening your internet browser and type in ‘asking a lawyer’ or ‘legal advice’ and you’ll find plenty of websites that can assist you.
You can receive free help and tips on almost all every day and grander topics such as child custody, divorce law, property law, family law and labour disputes. Receiving online advice from lawyers is a cheaper and faster means of receiving the information you need and being guided to make the correct and most appropriate decision in your situation. Asking a lawyer doesn’t mean waiting weeks for a response or having to budget your income and life for a court case.
If receiving online legal advice is an unknown area of expertise to you, it would be a good idea to have a trial basis; this will give you a better understanding and idea of if asking a lawyer online is best for you or if you would want to seek other forms of legal advice.
There are other options such as seeking out a pro bono legal advisor, these are either lawyers in training or are law firms that wish to give back to the community. Either way, asking a lawyer under these conditions still ensures legal advice from a licensed professional, however, the efficiency of online responses and quick replies are not the same but if you prefer seeing an individual face to face this would be a great option.
Finding legal advice in South Africa
Finding legal advice in South Africa is easily accessible; depending on your financial situation you have two options as to how to acquire it.
Firstly, if you are financially stable; hearing via word of mouth through friends and family can help you find legal advice from a lawyer which you have appointed. However, there is a bit of preparation prior to your appointment with your legal advisor or lawyer – make a list in point form of all the questions you’d like to ask as well as important information you need to convey to your lawyer.
Or secondly, if you are unable to come up with the funds to appoint a lawyer for legal advices there are many other options at your finger tips. The most popular forms of finding free legal advice is online, type into your browser legal advice, and you will have an endless list of lawyers who are ready and willing to help you with your legal matters. Many of these online sites have lawyers around the clock waiting to give free legal advice readily. This form of receiving legal advice in South Africa is fast, economic and efficient.
It is easy to confuse legal advice with legal information; an advisor is there to guide you step by step to receive the best possible outcome of your situation, to listen and understand and to find the solution. Receiving legal information is merely just the facts that are reiterated to you, this can come in the form of legal notices, street signs or through information which is accessible in books and on the internet, so a legal advisor is not necessary.
Within South Africa there have been a lot of aids established to help the underprivileged obtain their rights as a South African citizen. Establishments such as the Legal Aid Bureau are pro bono to the underprivileged who seek legal advice with no costs or documentation involved. However, a brief protocol at your nearest magistrates court needs to be executed before you receive the free legal advice as it is exclusive to citizens who fall in the lowest income groups.
