Costs & Fees

You may instruct a Lawyer of your choice. The Lawyer must submit a claim to LegalWise for assessment. Should cover be provided, we will only be liable for the Lawyers fees as per the LegalWise Membership conditions and tariffs.

LegalWise does not provide GAP Cover.

No, this exclusion applies to both Paralegal services and Insurance Cover.

No, this exclusion applies to both Paralegal services and Insurance Cover.

LegalWise does not cover class actions. Refer to Section 6(10) of the LegalWise Membership Agreement.

The Claim Value Multiplier is utilised to determine the maximum amount of legal expenses we are willing to pay per matter, which is twice the value of the existing claim by you, limited by the maximum benefit of your Membership. It exists to encourage acceptance of reasonable offers of settlement. It avoids disproportionate legal expenses when there is a risk of either a very small or no reward.

Tax related matters are not covered in terms of the LegalWise Membership. It is specifically excluded in terms of section 6(24) of the LegalWise Membership Agreement.

Yes. The exclusion is specific to any criminal matter where a fine is payable which will not result in a criminal record. In the instance of a traffic fine where there is no option to pay a fine (i.e no admission of guilt payable), it will not be excluded, provided that no exclusions are applicable.

Under the Gold Membership, you will need to pay an Excess Amount for all types of matters, including civil, criminal, and labour. However, if you have the GoldPlus or Platinum Membership, the Excess Amount will be waived specifically for labour matters.

No. You are not liable for any extra fees except when the appointed Lawyer does not agree to work in terms of the LegalWise Schedule of Tariffs, where we do not provide Confirmation of Cover, or where maximum cover available has been exhausted.

The amount provided in the Confirmation of Cover is the maximum amount of Legal Expenses payable. Legal expenses insurance covers the legal costs that would be incurred in the pursuit or defence of a legal dispute by a Member or against a Member. This means that when a legal dispute arises or when there is an infringement of a Member's rights, then we pay a lawyer's costs (either an Attorney and/or an Advocate) to assist the Member in protecting and enforcing their rights. The legal expenses incurred are paid strictly in terms of the LegalWise tariffs only.

The Member will have 90 days from the date of the Repudiation to advise us in writing that they object and do not agree with the repudiation. If the repudiation is based on non-payment of premiums, then our decision will be final. If the repudiation is based on any other reason, then LegalWise will send the objection to an Independent External Referee to review the repudiation and make a recommendation. Should the Member still not agree with our repudiation then the Member has 365 days to institute action against LegalWise at their own cost. The Member is also entitled to lodge a complaint with the Short-Term Insurance Ombudsman.

Attorneys provide a service from the day the instructions are received. They are permitted to provide interim invoices to settle the fees in respect of the services they have already rendered. It is only when the court or tribunal has granted the Applicant/Plaintiff's relief that the money awarded by the court or tribunal be recovered from the other party. This process may be protracted given to the nature of the court procedures and existing court backlogs. As a result, this may potentially mean that an Attorney could be paid for services prior to the client receiving the settlement of his/her claim.

The current set up of the legal profession in South Africa does not permit Lawyers other than those in private practice (enrolled as a practising Attorney or Advocate) to appear in Court. We therefore, do not represent Members in court, but pay Practising Lawyers legal expenses in terms of the Membership Agreement to represent our Members in Court.

Your Membership consists of two parts, Paralegal Services and Insurance Cover. The current set-up of the legal profession in South Africa does not permit lawyers other than those in private practice to appear in court. We, therefore, do not represent our Members in court, but pay a practising lawyer (Attorney and/or Advocate) legal expenses when required. All non-litigious matters are handled by our Paralegal Services Department where some of our staff are non-practising, but duly admitted and enrolled attorneys or advocates.

Our Gold Membership only covers Defamation claims against the Member. Our GoldPlus and Platinum Membership will cover the Main Member for Defamation claims by and against the Main Member. There is however a limitation of only one claim per 2 years by the Main Member. Our Teacher, Healthcare Professional and Enforcement Officer Benefit will cover defamation claims by or against the main Member in both his/her personal and private capacity, as well as in the course and scope of his/her employment.