I have a legal emergency

Do these today

1. Check the date you were served and read the summons for the deadline to deliver a notice of intention to defend (usually a short number of court days, often 10). Write the deadline down.
2. Take the summons and any contract, statements or letters to Legal Aid SA, a law clinic or an attorney today or tomorrow.
3. If you agree you owe the money, ask for advice about offering a payment arrangement in writing, or about debt review with an NCR-registered debt counsellor.

Try not to

• Do not ignore it: if you do nothing, the other side can usually ask for judgment against you by default.
• Do not sign an acknowledgement of debt or consent to judgment before getting advice.

Who can help: Legal Aid SA, Attorney, NCR-registered debt counsellor

Read: letters of demand and summonses explained · what happens if someone sues you · debt collectors your rights and responsibilities

Do these today

1. If you are in danger or being threatened, call SAPS on 10111. Otherwise ask SAPS to attend and explain that no court order was shown to you.
2. Go to the magistrate's court or contact Legal Aid SA today to ask about an urgent spoliation order to get back into your home.
3. Take photos, keep messages from the landlord, and gather your lease and proof of rent payments.

Try not to

• Do not break in or use force to get back in; let the court process restore your access.
• Do not assume the landlord is allowed to do this: a lock-out or cutting water or electricity without a court order is unlawful.

Who can help: Legal Aid SA, Attorney, Emergency services

Read: can my landlord lock me out · eviction what landlords and tenants should know

Do these today

1. Read it carefully: is it a letter from the landlord, or court papers with a case number and court date? Only a court can order an eviction.
2. If there is a court date, contact Legal Aid SA or an attorney today and plan to attend court on that date.
3. Gather your lease, proof of payments and all messages, and write down your household situation (children, older people, disability, where you could go).

Try not to

• Do not ignore court papers or miss the court date; the court can take your circumstances into account only if it hears them.
• Do not move out in a panic or hand over keys without advice if you have nowhere else to go.

Who can help: Legal Aid SA, Attorney, Shelter or NGO

Read: eviction what landlords and tenants should know · what happens if i cannot pay my rent · can my landlord lock me out

Do these today

1. Ask for the reason for dismissal in writing, and your final pay slip, UI-19 form and certificate of service.
2. Diarise the deadline: an unfair dismissal dispute usually has to be referred to the CCMA or bargaining council within 30 days of the dismissal.
3. Contact your union, the CCMA, a law clinic or a labour attorney this week, and apply for UIF benefits.

Try not to

• Do not sign a resignation letter, settlement or acknowledgement of debt before getting advice.
• Do not wait to see what happens: late referrals need condonation, which the CCMA may refuse.

Who can help: Labour attorney, Legal Aid SA, Counsellor

Read: what to do if you are dismissed · the ccma when and how it may help · retrenchment what employees need to know

Do these today

1. Read the notice carefully and write down the charges, the date and who will chair the hearing.
2. Ask a fellow employee or shop steward to represent you, and ask for copies of the documents the employer will rely on.
3. Write your version of events with dates and gather witnesses, messages and records that support you.

Try not to

• Do not skip the hearing; if you cannot attend, ask for a postponement in writing and give the reason.
• Do not resign in a hurry or sign an admission of guilt without advice.

Who can help: Labour attorney, Legal Aid SA

Read: workplace disciplinary hearings explained · what to do if you are dismissed

Do these today

1. If you are in danger right now, call SAPS on 10111 or the GBV Command Centre on 0800 428 428.
2. Go to the nearest magistrate's court (or ask the police or a shelter to help you) to apply for a protection order under the Domestic Violence Act; if it is harassment by someone who is not family or a partner, ask about the Protection from Harassment Act.
3. Write down incidents with dates, and keep messages, photos and medical records somewhere the other person cannot reach.

Try not to

• Do not confront the person or tell them in advance that you are applying.
• Do not delete threatening messages; they can be evidence.

Who can help: Emergency services, Shelter or NGO, Legal Aid SA, Social worker

Read: domestic violence understanding protection orders · what to do if you feel unsafe at home

Do these today

1. Get the death certificate from Home Affairs and look carefully for a will with the person's attorney, bank or papers, just in case.
2. Report the estate to the Master of the High Court's office for the area where the person lived (usually within 14 days of the death) with the death notice and an inventory of assets.
3. List what the person owned and owed and who their spouse, children and other family are.

Try not to

• Do not sell, give away or use the person's property or money before the Master has appointed someone.
• Do not agree to share the estate informally among family before getting advice: the Intestate Succession Act decides who inherits.

Who can help: Estates attorney, Fiduciary / estate specialist, Legal Aid SA, Grief specialist

Read: what happens if someone dies without a will · estate administration after a death

Do these today

1. Call your bank's fraud line now using the number on your card or in the official app, and ask them to block cards, accounts and app access.
2. Change passwords from a safe device, contact your network provider if your SIM or phone may be compromised, and open a case at SAPS.
3. Apply for protective registration with the Southern African Fraud Prevention Service, and report investment scams to the FSCA.

Try not to

• Do not pay anyone who promises to recover your money for a fee: this is often a second scam.
• Do not delete the messages, emails or screenshots: they are evidence.

Who can help: Emergency services, Attorney, Counsellor

Read: scams and fraud what to do after being defrauded

Do these today

1. If anyone is hurt, call an ambulance on 10177 or 112 from a mobile, and SAPS on 10111. Make the scene safe.
2. Exchange names, ID numbers, phone numbers, addresses, registration numbers and insurer details, and take photos of everything.
3. Report the accident at a police station (usually within 24 hours if police did not attend) and notify your insurer.

Try not to

• Do not admit fault or sign anything at the scene.
• Do not move injured people unless they are in immediate danger.

Who can help: Emergency services, Attorney, Insurance adviser (FSCA-authorised)

Read: car accident practical legal steps

Do these today

1. Ask the collector, in writing, for their Council for Debt Collectors registration number, a full statement and a copy of the agreement.
2. Check when you last paid or acknowledged the debt: debts older than about 3 years may have prescribed.
3. Keep a log of every call and message, and complain to the Council for Debt Collectors about threats or abuse.

Try not to

• Do not pay or sign an acknowledgement of debt under pressure before checking the debt.
• Do not believe threats of arrest: owing money is not a crime.

Who can help: NCR-registered debt counsellor, Legal Aid SA, Consumer attorney

Read: debt collectors your rights and responsibilities · letters of demand and summonses explained