PPS surveys SA's legal professionals

Of the South African legal professionals, including 423 attorneys, surveyed by PPS, only 52% are confident that the court and justice administration system is efficient.

Gerhard Joubert

The PPS survey also revealed some interesting findings around other profession-specific issues. When asked whether pro bono work should be a requirement for all in the legal profession in the future dispensation, 49% indicated they think it should be.

"It is positive to note that approximately half of the respondents feel pro bono work is necessary as there is a real need for more free legal services in the country in addition to providing valuable experience to legal professionals," says Gerhard Joubert, head of Group Marketing and Stakeholder Relations at PPS, the financial services provider focused on graduate professionals.

Further findings

When asked whether the split profession (attorneys and advocates) increases legal costs unnecessarily, 50% of respondents said they believed it does. Further results revealed that 65% of respondents believe wills and estates should be reserved for attorneys only. Finally, 43% of respondents said they object to other professionals being partners in law firms.

Further information about the respondents:

68% of respondents work in the private sector, 15% in public sector and 17% in corporate.
61% of respondents believe attorneys do better financially in the corporate sector, while 34% and 5% believed private and public sector attorneys respectively do better financially.

For more information, go to www.pps.co.za.