LegalWise runs a branch in Bloemfontein with its own landline, alongside the national numbers that serve every branch. The branch handles membership and walk-in business; the national LegalLine is the one to use when you need legal advice rather than administration, and it runs around the clock.
LegalWise Bloemfontein branch
- Branch: 010 271 2255
- Alternative branch number: 051 447 5262
- Address: 186 Nelson Mandela Drive, Unit 184, Bloemfontein, 9310
Branch hours
- Monday to Friday: 08h00 to 16h30
- Saturday: 09h00 to 12h00
- Sunday: closed
National channels
- LegalLine, the 24-hour advice line: 0861 42 7777
- WhatsApp: 071 640 0337
- Email: [email protected]
An older Westdene address for this branch still circulates on directory sites. Both LegalWise branch pages now give Nelson Mandela Drive, so use that, and phone before travelling if you have an old address written down.
What LegalWise actually covers
It is legal expenses cover, not free legal representation. You pay a monthly premium and, subject to waiting periods and the limits in your policy, the cover pays for legal costs on qualifying matters. Waiting periods are the thing people trip over: cover for a matter that already existed when you joined, or one arising inside the waiting period, is generally excluded. Ask which waiting period applies to your type of matter before you rely on the cover.
Before you call the LegalLine
- Have your membership number and know how long you have been a member, since that determines the waiting period position
- Summarise the matter with dates, and have any letters, contracts or notices in front of you
- Ask explicitly whether the matter is covered and, if it is, what the limit is and whether you may choose your own attorney
- Get the answer in writing; a verbal assurance about cover is difficult to rely on later
If a claim is declined
- Ask for the decline in writing with the specific policy clause relied on, then use the internal dispute process
- Legal expenses insurance is a short-term insurance product, so the National Financial Ombud Scheme South Africa takes unresolved claim complaints on 0860 800 900
- For a complaint about advice given when the policy was sold, the FAIS Ombud is the correct office