Rand & Rule vs hiring a lawyer: an honest comparison

What a lawyer costs

A South African attorney typically charges R1 500–R4 000+ per hour. A custom freelance contract alone often runs R3 000–R8 000, and you'll pay again for every variation.

What the kit gives you for R349

• A contractor agreement, quotation, tax invoice, receipt, credit note, pro-forma, statement of account, NDA, retainer agreement and letter of demand
• A playbook covering CIPC, SARS, provisional tax, VAT and pricing
• An income, expense and tax tracker spreadsheet
• Profession-specific contract guidance for 12 fields

When templates are enough

For standard freelance work — quoting, contracting, invoicing, chasing payment — well-drafted templates cover what most sole proprietors need day to day.

When you genuinely need a lawyer

• Large or high-risk contracts
• Partnerships, shareholders or investors
• A dispute heading to court
• Anything where you're unsure — a one-hour consultation is money well spent

The sensible path

Use proper templates for routine work, and spend on a lawyer only for the big stuff. The kit's dispute and demand-letter templates also help you resolve issues before legal fees start.