Quick answer
Before booking, ask whether the service handles your exact problem and current stage, what eligibility screening applies, which date may require action, what documents are needed, who will conduct the meeting, what the meeting will produce, and whether any work after it is included. Finish by asking how you will know if representation has actually been accepted.
Key takeaways
- Lead with the event, forum and next date rather than requesting “a free lawyer.”
- Ask separately about financial eligibility, matter coverage, merits and capacity.
- Confirm whether the meeting is screening, advice or the start of representation.
- Ask about actual expenses even when professional work is free.
- Do not send a complete sensitive file before the official intake channel is confirmed.
- Require an outcome, reference and next step after the appointment.
How to use this guide
A booking is useful only if it moves the matter to a defined decision. It should establish eligibility, route, urgency, scope or referral—not merely repeat that you need affordable help.
1. Give a 30-second matter summary
Start the enquiry with:
I need help with [event or document]. The matter is at [court, commission, department or other stage]. The next stated date is [date]. I need [advice, a response, filing, appearance or referral].
This lets the intake team test the route before booking. Do not wait until the meeting to disclose a court date, arrest, dismissal, protection concern, eviction step, appeal notice or expiring instruction.
2. Ask whether the service covers the problem
Use questions that force a specific answer:
- Do you assist with this issue and this stage of the process?
- Is the request for advice, drafting, negotiation, filing or representation within your mandate?
- Is another court, council, ombud, regulator or official service the correct first route?
- Does the office have a geographic, client-type or subject limit?
- If several legal issues overlap, which one can you handle and which needs referral?
Legal Aid South Africa publishes current covered and excluded categories, but the organisation still has to assess the actual request. An LPC pro bono process, law clinic and private free consultation each use different intake rules.
The free-help route guide explains where these services fit. Your booking questions should test the specific route selected from that map.
3. Ask how eligibility will be decided
For Legal Aid, ask which current income, household, asset or special-qualification evidence applies and whether a merits assessment is required for the requested service. Use the live official page because thresholds can change.
For LPC pro bono assistance, ask which provincial form and means or merits process applies, where it must be submitted and whether a referral is available for the issue. For a clinic, ask about client, subject, geographic and capacity rules. For union, insurance or membership assistance, ask whether the event occurred while cover was active and which exclusions apply.
Do not send bank statements, identity numbers or an entire confidential file to an address found in a social post. Confirm the organisation's official domain, office or secure intake channel first.
4. Ask what must happen before the meeting
Confirm:
- the minimum documents for screening;
- whether originals, copies or redacted copies are required;
- the upload or delivery method;
- the deadline for providing them;
- whether someone will review them before the appointment; and
- what to do if an important record is missing.
Put the deadline-bearing notice or court paper first. The fuller evidence-pack guide can help after the service confirms what it is willing to receive.
5. Ask who you are booking
Find out whether the appointment is with an intake adviser, candidate legal practitioner, supervising attorney, attorney, advocate or another authorised professional. Ask who will make the eligibility or acceptance decision and who would perform later work.
If a private practitioner is named, use the Legal Practice Council's current records to verify status and category. A directory entry does not establish that the person works for the assistance programme or has accepted your case.
6. Ask what the appointment includes
Use a bounded list:
- How long is the meeting?
- Will documents be reviewed in advance or during it?
- Will I receive advice, an eligibility outcome, an issue map or only an intake screen?
- Will any letter, form, chronology or referral be prepared?
- Can the adviser identify the forum and the next procedural step?
- Will the result be recorded in writing?
A free consultation may be an introductory conversation only. If you need a review of a notice or deadline, say so and ask whether that task is included.
7. Ask about fees, expenses and later work
Ask whether the professional service is free, reduced-fee or only free for the first meeting. Then ask about sheriff, expert, travel, copying, filing, counsel and other third-party expenses. Require advance approval for any amount you may have to pay.
If paid work may follow, ask for the first phase, rate or fixed amount, VAT treatment, deposit, exclusions and cancellation terms. The fee-and-scope question guide provides a detailed private-service checklist.
8. Ask how urgency is handled
Do not ask only whether the office has the earliest appointment. Ask:
- Who will read the operative document now?
- Which rule or process controls the date?
- Is an emergency, court, police or official forum route required before intake is complete?
- Can the service perform the immediate task, or must it refer that task today?
- What proof should I keep of the enquiry and response?
An application for free assistance does not suspend a time limit. Continue using the appropriate official process while the assistance decision is pending.
9. Ask how acceptance and referral work
End the conversation with four questions:
- Has anyone accepted responsibility for a specific task?
- What is the reference number and next action?
- Which work or date remains my responsibility?
- If you cannot assist, what exact capability or forum should the next referral cover?
Request a written outcome or keep a dated contact record. If Legal Aid refuses assistance, ask for the reason and current internal appeal route. If a clinic or pro bono process lacks capacity, obtain a capability-specific referral instead of another generic list.
10. Use a booking scorecard
A useful booking has five outputs: the route, eligibility step, urgent action, required document list and person responsible for the next decision. If the service cannot provide those outputs, the appointment may still offer information, but it should not be treated as representation.
Use the final selection checklist after the calls. It helps compare accepted scope and fallback plans without confusing availability with authority.
FAQs
Should I ask for a guaranteed outcome before booking?
No. Ask about process, comparable work, scope and next steps. A promise of success is not reliable evidence of fit or acceptance.
Is a free consultation always legal advice?
No. It may be screening or an introductory discussion. Ask what the meeting will produce and whether documents will be reviewed.
Must I send income records before the first call?
Only through the verified official channel and according to the current process. First ask which records are required and how sensitive information should be delivered.
Does paying a consultation fee mean the lawyer represents me?
Not necessarily. Payment may cover only the meeting. Obtain express written acceptance of any further task or deadline.
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Legal note
This article is general legal information for South African readers. It is not legal advice. Speak to a qualified legal professional about your specific facts before taking action.