SA Matrimonial Property Settlement Charge

[writer7]

Hello,

I'm hoping to obtain some information in regards to a large charge that has been applied to my invoice for Matrimonial Property Settlement. The item on the invoice reads as 'draft and engross draft minutes of order'. I have searched for answers on various legal sites but to no avail. I am currently in dispute with my lawyer and as such I am looking for answers. I would like more clarification please as to what this item entails and how much a lawyer can charge for an item like this.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

K

 

[Rod]

No-one here can answer the question about what is fair and reasonable in your situation. What you need is an itemised account from your lawyer.

'Draft and engross orders' is preparing the orders and then writing them up in a form suitable for presenting to court. Could be 30 minutes work, or could be weeks of time.

 

[Lennon]

It depends how complex the orders were, as to how much time that would ordinarily take. How long is a piece of string?

 

[writer7]

It was an amicable divorce settlement which never reached court, so I was just a little perplexed when I received a 'draft and engross draft minutes of order' worth over 9 pages with a hefty tag attached to it.

Thank you for your replies!

 

[Lennon]

An amicable settlement still requires an appropriate order to be drafted.