Solicitors’
accounts can be a minefield. Solicitors have enough on their plate without the
additional stress of trying to remember and apply all the Solicitors Accounts
Rules (SARS) that exist, and so for this task, they may well rely on their
Legal Cashiers. In this article, we attempt to outline the top 7 tips that all
solicitors should know when it comes to Legal Accounts.

1. Purchase invoices/counsel / expense receipts must be retained
for VAT purposes.

It doesn’t matter what the amount is, any expenses need to
be supported with a receipt. If a vat inspection took place this information
needs to be produced.

Attorneys are supposed to represent their clients competently and diligently and to the utmost of their abilities. Attorneys are not allowed to accept employment where their loyalties may be divided because it’s a conflict of interest.

An individual that I previously represented visited me the other day. Turns out he was injured in an automobile accident where he was driving and the other car made a left turn in front of his vehicle. He wanted me to represent him and his family that were passengers in his car. I informed him that I would gladly take his case, but I would have to decline representation of the passengers, who would need to hire a different attorney. This news not only surprised him, but made him somewhat annoyed with me, so I had to explain to him about conflicts of interest.

For those of you who don’t know, Malaysia has very, VERY tight regulations on sports supplements and you are unable to purchase most of the new stuff that hit the shelves overseas here in Malaysia. Maybe the US FDA is not good enough for some doctor that bums in the government office I suppose? I’m not talking about steroids or anything illegal here.

Not only that, if you were to attempt to get it shipped to you, it would be confiscated by the Malaysian Customs. So we Malaysian fitness enthusiasts have to be content by just reading the amazing product reviews and drooling at the ads in bodybuilding magazines.