Type a name and the check runs in two places at once: the public register of the Legal Practice Council at lpc.org.za, and the AttorneyOS directory. AttorneyOS organises public profile and verification signals. It is not the Legal Practice Council and does not replace official confirmation.
A few seconds. If nothing appears, open the same search on the Council website.
Search “Elzana Gerber” on lpc.org.zaA few seconds. If nothing appears, run the same check on the Fund website.
Open the Fidelity Fund verification toolBadges show what the directory holds about the listing. Practising status and good standing still come from the Legal Practice Council.
Two minutes, before any money changes hands.
Every attorney and advocate in South Africa is enrolled with the Legal Practice Council. Ask for the practitioner number and confirm the name, the firm and the enrolment with the Council. A practitioner who cannot give you a number is a warning sign.
If you are paying a deposit, a purchase price or a settlement into trust, ask to see the current Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund certificate. It is issued yearly. Without a valid certificate the Fund does not protect you if the money goes missing.
Phone the firm on a number you found independently, not one from the email, and confirm the attorney works there and the bank details you were sent are the firm's trust account. Most deposit fraud is an email with the right name and the wrong account number.
Email verified, profile claimed, firm claimed, LPC details supplied and AttorneyOS reviewed are directory trust signals. They do not mean LPC approval, guaranteed good standing or certified compliance.
For practising status, good standing, Fidelity Fund certificate status, disciplinary records or complaints, use official Legal Practice Council channels or contact the practitioner directly for confirmation.
Do not upload highly sensitive documents before an attorney-client relationship is confirmed. A directory enquiry is a request for contact, not an instruction accepted by an attorney.
Confirm three things: that the person is admitted and enrolled as a legal practitioner with the Legal Practice Council, that they hold a current Fidelity Fund certificate if they practise for their own account or take trust money, and that the firm and contact details you were given match the ones on record. The directory search above shows what AttorneyOS holds; the official confirmation comes from the Legal Practice Council.
The Legal Practice Council enrols every attorney and advocate and issues a practitioner number. A practitioner should be able to give it to you on request, and it can be confirmed with the Council.
The Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund certificate is issued each year to practitioners who may receive money into trust. If you are paying a deposit, a transfer amount or a settlement to an attorney, ask to see the current certificate. Without it, the Fund does not cover you.
Email verified, profile claimed, firm claimed, LPC details supplied and AttorneyOS reviewed are directory trust signals about the listing. They do not mean Legal Practice Council approval, good standing or certified compliance. AttorneyOS is not the Legal Practice Council.
No. The AttorneyOS directory is free and opt-in, so most of the roughly thirty thousand practising attorneys in South Africa are not on it yet. Use the official steps below, and if you are the practitioner, list your firm in two minutes.
Disciplinary records, striking-off and suspension are matters for the Legal Practice Council. Contact the Council directly with the practitioner name and, if you have it, the LPC number.
List your firm free on the AttorneyOS directory: a public profile with your practice areas, location and verification badges, and enquiries straight to your inbox.