Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The cornerstone of the legal profession is the trust harboured by clients when depositing
monies with legal firms. A few regulations usually exist to protect trust monies. In the
absence of a client protection fund, a client has no insurance against theft of trust monies.
Most countries have come to realise the importance of employing a client protection fund to
reimburse victims of theft in order to protect the integrity of the legal profession.
Client protection funds are operated on different business models and a broad overview of the
funds of New York, British Columbia, New Zealand and Botswana indicated that such funds
are not able to compensate all proven claims without enforcing limitations. There is currently
no benchmark whereby client protection funds can assess their effectiveness and
sustainability. A standard for evaluating these funds is created based on the following criteria
common to all funds: the purpose of a fund, the status of a fund, proper management of the
fund, the methods which a fund employs to limit liability, the financial strength and
sustainability of a fund, the rights of a fund where claims are awarded and the preventative
measures employed by a fund.
After evaluation of these funds it became clear that all of them are financially unsustainable if
they were to pay proven claims without imposing limitations on their liability. The Namibian
fund appears to be the most sustainable fund and was also used as the benchmark in one of the
criterion of the evaluation model.
A more critical study of the Namibian fund indicated that it would in future become less
sustainable as the growth rate in trust deposits exceeds the growth rate of the fund's reserves.
After a SWOT analysis it is suggested that the Namibian fund continues its current
preventative measures, as same is likely the reason why an insignificant amount of thefts
occurred over the past 15 years, and should focus on increasing income by negotiating better
agreements with banks and employ a dedicated inspectorate, not only to ensure compliance
with such agreements, but provide the fund with annual reports on each firm's level of
compliance with statutory regulations on trust accounting. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die hoeksteen van die regsprofessie is die vertroue wat kliënte in prokureurs plaas om
trustgeld te bewaar. 'n Basiese stel boekhou regulasies is al wat normaalweg dien as
beskerming van trustgeld. In die afwesigheid van 'n getrouheidsfonds het 'n klient geen
versekering teen diefstal van trustgelde nie. Meeste lande het reeds die waarde van 'n
getrouheidsfonds besef as beskermingsmeganisme van die integriteit van die professie.
Getrouheidsfondse is baseer op verskillende besigheidsmodelle en 'n breë oorsig van die
fondse van New York, British Columbia, New Zealand en Botswana dui daarop dat sulke
fondse nie in staat is om alle eise te vergoed sonder om daadwerklike beperkinge op hul
verpligtinge te plaas nie. Daar bestaan huidiglik geen universele maatstaf waaraan fondse hul
effektiwiteit en volhoubaarheid kan meet nie. 'n Eenvormige evaluasie model is ontwerp wat
gebruik maak van die volgende ooreenstemmende kenmerke van alle fondse: die doel van die
fonds, die status van die fonds, die behoorlike bestuur van die fonds, die metodes wat die
fonds aanwend om verpligtinge te beperk, die finansiële vermoë en volhoubaarheid van die
fonds, die regte van die fonds na betaling van eise en die voorkomende maatreëls wat die
fonds aanwend.
Na evaluasie van die bogenoemde fondse is dit duidelik dat sulke fondse nie finansieel
volhoubaar sal wees as hulle alle goedgekeurde eise ten volle sou uitbetaal sonder die afdwing
van beperkende maatreëls nie. Die Namibiese fonds blyk die mees volhoubare fonds te wees
en word ook as maatstaf gebruik in een van die kriterium van die evaluasie model.
By nadere ondersoek van die Namibiese fonds is vasgestel dat die fonds in die toekoms
minder volhoubaar sal raak omdat die groeikoers in trust deposito's hoër is as die groeikoers
van die reserwes van die fonds. Na 'n SWOT-analise word voorgestel dat die Namibiese
fonds moet volhart in die uitvoering van voorkomende maatreëls en ook inkomste moet
verhoog deur beter ooreenkomste met banke aan te gaan. 'n Toegewyde ondersoek afdeling
sal verseker dat firmas sulke ooreenkomste nakom, asook aan die fonds raporteer oor firmas
se nakoming van statutêre reëls.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/50243 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | De Klerk, Eben |
| Contributors | Smith, J., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Economic & Management Sciences. Graduate School of Business. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | en_ZA |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 95 p. : ill. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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