Why all this paperwork?
To establish an attorney and client relationship, it is compulsory that you enter into a written mandate with our firm. As a firm of attorneys, we also need to comply with the provisions of the Financial Intelligence Centre Act (“FICA”).
What is FICA?
FICA is a legal framework established to fight financial crime such as money laundering, fraud, tax evasion, terrorist financing activities and to identify theft. Attorneys are defined as accountable institutions in terms of FICA and must therefore comply with Act. To be compliant means that we need to establish and verify the client’s identity in accordance with the requirements of FICA.
Our Mandate:
Our mandate sets out the terms and conditions under which the attorney will render professional legal services to yourself, the client.
To establish an attorney/client-relationship, the client must therefore complete and sign our mandate and fee agreement.
FICA requires that a client’s personal details are updated from time to time and specifically concerning entities such as Companies, Trusts, Bodies Corporate, etc. where members/trustees/directors may change.
We are POPI compliant. Furnishing personal information required for FICA purposes is a statutory requirement and not a breach of the provisions of the POPI Act.
Should you require any further clarity, please consult the attorney dealing with your matter.