Panel Attorney Terms

    This page sets out the standard engagement terms NDRC offers to panel attorneys. It is maintained by NDRC and may be updated from time to time; the version in force on any given matter is the one accepted at registration or in the signed Panel Attorney Terms issued to that attorney. This page is a plain-English summary and does not itself constitute the contract.

    A summary of what the written Panel Attorney Terms cover. The full signed Terms and the individual fee schedule are issued to the attorney on registration and are available inside the attorney portal. This page is a summary; the signed instrument governs the relationship.

    1. Parties and status

    NDRC is a registered debt counselling company (NCRDC3106) under the National Credit Act, not a law firm. The panel attorney is an independent legal practitioner in good standing with the Legal Practice Council.

    2. Consumer mandate

    The consumer engages NDRC for the debt review removal service and, in the same engagement, mandates an independent instructing law firm (the appointing attorney) to run the court application. The appointing attorney is the attorney of record. Where jurisdiction requires an appearance at a Magistrate's Court outside the appointing attorney's seat, the appointing attorney instructs a panel attorney as correspondent. The correspondent attorney takes full professional responsibility for the work they carry out on the matter and acts on their own signature and mandate.

    3. Pack and pleadings

    NDRC supplies a factual pack drawn from the consumer's file and template pleadings. The attorney reviews, amends where professional judgment requires, settles and signs the pleadings.

    4. Fees

    A per-matter professional fee is agreed on registration and set out in a fee schedule issued to the attorney in writing. NDRC does not share in the professional fee.

    5. Payment administration

    The consumer pays NDRC under a single written fee arrangement disclosed in the consumer's engagement. NDRC retains its debt counselling component. The instructing law firm renders its own statement of account to NDRC for the legal preparation and instructing work. The correspondent panel attorney renders a separate tax invoice to the instructing law firm (or to NDRC as paying agent for that firm, as set out in the signed Panel Attorney Terms) for the correspondent appearance and related work, and is paid on a monthly cycle. NDRC does not share in professional fees and does not itself practise law.

    6. Trust monies

    Any trust money handling on a matter is governed by the Legal Practice Act, the LPC Rules and the attorney's own trust arrangements. NDRC does not operate a trust account and does not hold consumer monies in trust.

    7. Professional indemnity, conflicts, adverse costs

    The attorney warrants appropriate PI cover, applies their own conflict-of-interest checks, and manages adverse-costs risk in accordance with their professional obligations.

    8. Verification and data protection

    Practising status is verified against the Legal Practice Council's public register. Attorney registration and banking details are processed under access controls aligned to POPIA, used only to administer the panel and effect payment, and are not published.

    9. Referrals

    No cash referral fee is paid to attorneys. Where jurisdiction permits and the consumer so instructs, a referring attorney may be nominated to run the matter.

    10. Termination

    Either party may terminate on written notice. Matters already accepted are run to completion under the signed Terms unless the consumer instructs otherwise.

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    Concerns can be raised with NDRC at [email protected] or reported directly to the Legal Practice Council.

    NDRC (NCRDC3106) is a registered debt counselling company, not a law firm. Panel attorneys are independent legal practitioners who act on their own professional mandate. Nothing on this page constitutes legal advice.