Opposed Divorces IN SOUTH AFRICA

- The cost of consultations (both in person and telephonic) – your divorce attorney will charge per hour or a pro rata portion thereof for all time spent consulting and advising on your matter.
- The cost of pleadings – all official court documents (pleadings and notices) in a divorce must be drafted by the divorce lawyer and this will be also be charged for.
The cost of correspondence – all emails and letters sent and received by the attorney (both from and to you as well as from and to the opponent) are charged for based on the length and complexity of the correspondence and how long it took your attorney to draft or read the document in question. - Legal couriers/messengers – this is a cost that cannot be avoided as the pleadings and notices in a divorce matter must be issued, served and filed to be valid. The cost of the couriers/messenger is however still more affordable than if your attorney attended to these duties him/herself.
- Sheriff’s fees – it is a rule that a divorce summons must be served by sheriff and cannot be served by couriers or your attorney. The sheriff charges a fee for this service and the fee will vary based on the status of the service (urgent or standard), whether they have to try more than once to serve the summons, how far they have to travel to serve the summons etc.
- Other hard cost disbursements – this includes but is not limited to printing, telephone calls (mobile and local), text messages, envelopes etc.
- Counsel or advocate’s fees – most divorce specialists (attorneys) will make use of an advocate when the time comes to proceed to trial. The advocate will charge a rate per hour for all court appearances and for any preparatory consultations or briefings that are required.
- Correspondent’s fees – should one or both of the parties to a divorce reside in another province or country, SDF Attorneys may have to appoint a correspondent attorney closer to the relevant party to ensure that all processes run smoothly and the required documents and pleadings are served timeously and in the correct manner. The correspondent will charge for all work performed on behalf of your attorney (serving pleadings, accepting service of pleadings, communicating with the client on your behalf etc.)