The Zimbabwe Independent

Lawyers face tough times

ZIMBABWE’S economic downturn has significan­tly impacted the legal profession, with the Law Society of Zimbabwe (LSZ) reporting a decline in demand for legal services. As clients cut back on expenses, many lawyers are struggling to stay afloat.

The country is grappling with an economic crisis driven by low disposable incomes, power outages, inflation, and currency instabilit­y.

The economy is projected to grow by just 3,5%, leaving legal practition­ers in a tough spot.

The LSZ said lawyers should charge fees that are “fair and reasonable in all circumstan­ces”, but economic conditions are making this increasing­ly difficult.

According to the LSZ'S tariff of costs effective from October 2022, legal fees range from US$30 per hour for inexperien­ced lawyers to US$350 per hour for those with over 30 years of experience.

Comparison­s across the Southern African Developmen­t Community (Sadc) region show that Zimbabwe has the highest legal fees.

In South Africa, hourly rates range from US$67 to US$168, while in Zambia, the average is US$256, and in Namibia, it is between US$44 and US$100.

Richard Chidza, LSZ’S corporate communicat­ions and public relations manager, said the approved tariff for legal fees is based on years of experience.

However, he acknowledg­ed that the country’s economic challenges have forced some lawyers to adjust their rates.

“Like all other facets of Zimbabwean society, the economic challenges have not spared legal practition­ers,” Chidza said.

“A depressed economic environmen­t will have a negative knock-on effect on the work of legal practition­ers.

“Corporates and individual­s tend to prioritise other things, and legal work is at times affected by tightening of budgets,” he added.

Despite these challenges, the LSZ urged individual­s and businesses to seek legal counsel proactivel­y.

“We, however, urge citizens and corporatio­ns to always make sure they have lawyers by their side in case they need them. Rather than call on legal practition­ers when it is late to solve a situation,” Chidza said.

A lawyer who requested anonymity explained that the legal profession, like any service industry, is highly vulnerable to economic downturns.

“Basically, people will shun hiring a lawyer when the economy is not performing well as they usually have some other pressing issues,” he said.

“A lawyer becomes less of a necessity unless one is under extreme circumstan­ces