May It Please the Court
A Practical Handbook for Candidate Attorneys in South Africa
The LLB teaches you what the law is. This handbook shows you what to do on a Monday morning in articles: how to consult a client, draft a letter of demand, compute prescription, run a bail application and address the court.
E-book (PDF): R650, emailed to you once payment clears.
Written for the step between university and practice
Bridging the gap between the LLB and everyday practice, in plain English, with the scenarios, checklists and precedents you will actually use.
Final-year LLB students
- Know what articles involve: your PVT contract, admission and where you may appear
- Walk into your first week knowing what to ask your principal
- Learn how to address the court before you have to do it
- See real letters, pleadings, affidavits and agreements before day one
Candidate attorneys
- Scripts for postponements, unopposed applications and first appearances
- Computing court days, prescription and statutory time limits
- From arrest to bail: the police-station checklist and the bail onus
- A five-step framework for when you do not know what to do
On the roll: 45 chapters in 8 Parts
The book follows the life of a candidate attorney, from the first day in the office to admission.
Arriving in practice
Your articles, your first week, etiquette, dress, ethics and trust money
Core office skills
Consultations, file management and computing time, prescription, letters of demand, research, fees
Drafting agreements
Contract drafting, acknowledgements of debt, settlements, suretyships, loans, sales and leases
Civil litigation
Jurisdiction, pleadings, applications, interdicts, service, default and summary judgment, costs, execution
In court
Appearances, evidence, trial preparation, examining witnesses, argument and appeals
Criminal practice
Arrest, bail applications, pleas and trials, sentencing, appeals and expungement
Family, estates and other areas
Protection orders, divorce, maintenance, wills and estates, the CCMA, evictions, the RAF and small claims
Survival skills
When you do not know what to do, technology and POPIA, wellbeing, and the precedent bank
Appendices: key time periods, a glossary of legal terms and Latin phrases, key statutes, leading cases by topic and useful websites.
Read 17 pages first, free
The sample is a PDF taken straight from the handbook. It includes:
- How to address the court, with forms of address
- Scripts for short court appearances
- A letter of demand you can adapt
- A full bail affidavit
Prefer WhatsApp? Send “SAMPLE” to 077 427 6114 and we’ll send it to you.
“Never guess on a deadline. Never mislead the court, your principal or a client. Never leave a problem to grow.”
The three golden rules of articles, from the introductionWhy it is an e-book
A book you use in practice works better on your phone and laptop. You can still print it.
Search it
Find a rule, a time limit or a precedent in seconds, across all 301 pages.
Adapt the precedents
Copy them into your own documents instead of retyping them.
Carry it
On your phone, tablet or laptop, at the office and at court.
Print what you need
A chapter before a consultation, or the checklists for your court bag.
Get it today
Emailed to you once payment clears. No shipping, no waiting.
Order the e-book
E-book (PDF): R650. Choose how you would like to pay.
Pay online
Pay by card or instant EFT from any bank. Enter the email address where we should send your e-book.
Pay R650 onlineThe e-book is emailed to you once the payment notification reaches us, normally the same or next business day.
Pay by EFT
- Bank
- Capitec Bank
- Account name
- Belmont Roster Publishers
- Account number
- 2606 609 537
- Branch code
- 470010
- Reference
- Your surname and cell number
- Pay R650 into the account above.
- Send your proof of payment and email address by WhatsApp or to info@brpublishers.co.za.
- Your e-book is emailed to you once the payment reflects.
Order on WhatsApp
Send us a message and we’ll take you through the order, answer any questions and send an invoice if your firm is paying.
WhatsApp “ORDER” to 077 427 6114Firms buying for their candidates: we issue an invoice in the firm’s name.
Questions
How do I receive the book?
The e-book is a PDF. We email it to the address you give us once your payment has cleared, normally on the same or the next business day. EFTs from other banks can take a day or two to reflect.
Is there a printed version?
No. The handbook is available as an e-book only. You can print as much of it as you need for your own use.
Can I share my copy with friends or classmates?
No. Each copy is licensed to one user and may not be copied, shared or distributed. Each person needs their own copy.
Can my firm pay for it?
Yes. WhatsApp or email us with the firm’s details and we will issue an invoice in the firm’s name.
Does the book have an ISBN?
Not at this stage. The first edition is sold directly by Belmont Roster Publishers as an e-book. An ISBN will be assigned if a printed edition is released.
What if my file does not open or I never receive it?
A damaged, incomplete or unreadable file reported within 14 days will be replaced, or refunded if it cannot be fixed. If the e-book is not delivered within three business days after your payment clears, you may cancel the order for a full refund. Sales are otherwise final once the e-book has been delivered, which is why the free sample is available first. These terms do not limit your rights under the Consumer Protection Act or the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act.
Is the law up to date?
The law is stated as it appeared from the sources consulted when this edition was prepared. Rules, tariffs and time periods change, so always check the current legislation, rules and practice directives before relying on them.
About the author
LB Mostert, LLB (cum laude), LLM (NWU, Potchefstroom Campus), wrote May It Please the Court to give candidate attorneys the practical guidance that the LLB does not cover. The book is published by Belmont Roster Publishers, Klerksdorp.
Belmont Roster Publishers
57 Smit Avenue, Flamwood, Klerksdorp
Quick links
© 2026 LB Mostert and Belmont Roster Publishers. All rights reserved. This website does not use cookies and does not collect personal information; details you send us by WhatsApp or email are used only to process your order.