Although many law firms purport to perform and provide similar services to the clients they represent within a geographical area, one fact is indisputable: Service standards in the practice of law vary widely from firm to firm.

There are many variables to qualify service delivery. Professional standards, along with specific levels of training and expertise, differ significantly from firm to firm, resulting in inconsistent quality of service to clients generally by legal service providers.

At Tim Du Toit we have managed quality successfully for more than three quarters of a century. Never in the history of the firm have we prepared a document or registered security for a financial institution that has been found to be invalid or unenforceable and this is a reputation that we jealously protect. We have consistently proven that we know what it takes to merge client expectation of responsive service with quality of execution and it certainly is not about to change now.

Our professional standards relating to quality and ethics were set by our founding members and are as strictly enforced today as it has ever been. These standards are considered sacrosanct and are the cornerstones upon which we have built our business and our reputation. Every one of us know what we expect of each other professionally, both as individuals and when operating as a whole, with trust and integrity as the driving principles.

We take seriously our ethical and professional responsibility to our clients, the courts and those we encounter generally and resolutely apply these stringent standards, with no exceptions tolerated. These standards are continually reviewed by our executive committee, to ensure that we enforce standards that remain within the strict parameters of trust and integrity.

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People

We provide a service which, by necessary implication, can only be rendered by people. This means that our people are the key to achieving the service excellence upon which we pride ourselves. This realisation of the direct link between the people we employ and the quality of our service offering has brought with it a structured approach to who we appoint and how we train them.

More than half a century in practice has afforded us the opportunity to have clearly defined requirements when it comes to new applicants. Specific training programmes, on all levels of our business, ensure consistent skill and competency levels amongst our professional staff, as well as a consistently professional approach to their work from all members of staff, irrespective of whom you encounter at any of our offices.

South Africa has a widely diverse population, where race, culture, religion and various other factors impact on the manner in which people approach their professional day. We are acutely aware of these differences and embrace the challenges of our transformed society, as this brings with it wonderful opportunity and, at present, untapped potential. We strongly believe that people who know and respect each other are more tolerant of, and accountable to, each other and we take great care to ensure that this is true of our people on every level within the firm, whether you view us as departments, per office or as a whole.

Our shared vision and common goals, from the chairman of the board to administrative support, has seen us successfully harnessing these apparent differences and unique individual qualities of our people and build strength from diversity.

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Inspections

It is one thing to have standards and rules, quite another to ensure compliance. Every department within our firm can expect a surprise party in their honour every now and then, and whilst it may sound like fun, it is not a cherished prospect for the staff members receiving the visit from a group of fault finding directors!

Every single instruction within such a department is assessed and scrutinised for quality and adherence to the professional standards and rules. We evaluate everything from the mundane (accuracy of typing, etc.) to the frequency of client communication, consistency of file management, quality of legal input and even whether the specific instruction should have been allocated to that department in the first place, based on skill level required to effectively execute the mandate.

A report is then compiled, assessed by the executive committee and areas of concern addressed with the department head and his or her staff.

We leave nothing to chance in our pursuit of service excellence.

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