In 2016, Garlicke & Bousfield Inc established a dedicated Pro Bono services department, which had been an objective of the firm for many years. The aim of the department was not only to meet the legal requirements in terms of providing pro bono services, but also to engage with clients on various legal matters, some of which having persisted for several years, due to legal processes.

Our team of attorneys in the Pro Bono department offer specialised skills in labour law and deceased estates and are committed to treating every matter as though it was for a paying client and seeing matters through from beginning to end. We work together with non-profit organisations, such as ProBono.Org, the Foundation for Human Rights and SASLAW, being independent institutions providing free legal services to those from impoverished backgrounds, on a weekly basis. The Pro Bono department strives to bring hope to the hopeless, providing quality legal advice.

Our services include:

• Assisting clients with representation in labour matters, at the Labour Court and in exceptional circumstances, we assist at arbitrations as well.
• Where we cannot provide legal representation, we either refer the client to able organisations or we assist by providing detailed legal advice on the way forward.
• We assist in deceased estate matters by applying for Letters of Executorship.
• We give advice on general matters relating to deceased estates and how the law applies in different scenarios.
• We deliver seminars to members of the public and to any organisations that request us to, where we discuss various legal topics, with the aim of educating communities, as we believe that an informed people make informed decisions.
• We collaborate with the KZN Deaf Association, where we participate in their Life Skills program and train the learners from EDeaf on various legal matters.
• We host Facebook Live discussions, on topics such as disciplinary hearings, understanding the rights & responsibilities of tenants and landlords, amongst others.
• We are able to assist in civil litigation such as family matters, civil claims and property disputes, however, we do so only with the assistance of Counsel, as approved by ProBono.org.

All clients are subjected to a means test and legal representation is only provided to clients who meet the test.

We only assist in matters that are adjudicated within the greater Durban region in KwaZulu-Natal. Good prospects of success are imperative in making our decision whether we litigate on a client’s behalf. Clients outside of our jurisdiction are provided with legal advice and/or referred to other organisations within their jurisdiction.

Over the years the Pro Bono Department has received various awards in recognition of our outstanding commitment to the pro bono services that we provide.

Garlicke and Bousfield Inc is dedicated to helping communities and providing them with legal services and education, one person at a time.