Terms and Conditions

1.1. These Terms and Conditions ("Terms") govern your access to and use of LawFinder, a web-based and mobile platform accessible at www.lawfinder.co.za operated by LawFinder (Pty) Ltd, Registration No. [insert], with its principal place of business at [insert physical address] ("LawFinder", "we", "our", "us").

1.2. By accessing or using the Website, subscribing, creating an account, or interacting with any content on or through LawFinder, you ("User", "you", "your") acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms, as well as our Privacy Policy and any other legal notices published on the Website.

1.3. If you do not agree with these Terms, you must refrain from using the Website or any of its Services.

2.1. LawFinder provides access to AI-generated and human-curated legal information, learning material, summaries of legislation, and general legal guidance for educational and informational purposes only.

2.2. LawFinder is not a law firm, does not offer legal representation, and does not establish an attorney-client relationship between you and LawFinder or any of its affiliates.

2.3. All information provided through the Website, including automated responses or summaries, constitutes general information and not legal advice. You are encouraged to consult a qualified attorney for advice tailored to your specific circumstances.

2.4. LawFinder makes reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy of information but does not warrant that all information is up to date, complete, or error-free. Laws and regulations change regularly, and LawFinder accepts no liability for any loss, claim, or damage arising from reliance on information provided through the Service.

3.1. To use certain features of LawFinder, you may be required to create a user account. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to keep your account details updated.

3.2. You are responsible for safeguarding your login credentials. Any activity that occurs under your account will be deemed to have been performed by you.

3.3. LawFinder reserves the right to suspend or terminate any account that violates these Terms or applicable law.

4.1. Access to LawFinder's full features may require a paid subscription. Subscription fees, billing intervals, and renewal terms are set out on the Website or within your subscription plan.

4.2. Payments are processed through secure third-party payment gateways (e.g., PayFast, PayPal, or similar) and are subject to their respective terms of service.

4.3. All prices are in South African Rand (ZAR) and include VAT unless stated otherwise.

4.4. Subscriptions automatically renew unless canceled before the renewal date. You may cancel at any time via your user dashboard; however, no refunds are provided for partial subscription periods or unused access.

4.5. LawFinder reserves the right to change its pricing structure, introduce new plans, or modify existing ones, with reasonable notice to users.

5.1. You agree to use the Website only for lawful purposes and in compliance with all applicable South African laws.

5.2. You agree not to:

• Copy, distribute, reproduce, or resell content or AI outputs from LawFinder without written consent;
• Upload or transmit any harmful code, malware, or attempt to gain unauthorized access;
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to extract data;
• Publish defamatory, unlawful, or infringing material;
• Misrepresent yourself as affiliated with LawFinder or its personnel.

5.3. LawFinder reserves the right to monitor platform activity and remove or restrict access where misuse is detected.

6.1. All materials, content, databases, AI outputs, visual designs, code, trademarks, and text appearing on or generated by the Website are the exclusive property of LawFinder (Pty) Ltd or its licensors.

6.2. Users are granted a limited, revocable, non-transferable, non-exclusive license to access and use LawFinder's materials for personal, educational, and non-commercial purposes only.

6.3. Except as expressly permitted, you may not:

• Modify, adapt, translate, or create derivative works based on LawFinder content;
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or extract underlying algorithms;
• Use content for AI training, resale, or redistribution.

6.4. All rights not expressly granted herein are reserved by LawFinder.

7.1. LawFinder (Pty) Ltd values your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. We comply fully with the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) and other relevant South African data-protection laws.

7.2. Personal data is collected and processed strictly for the purpose of providing and improving the Service, billing, and user support, as outlined in the Privacy Policy.

7.3. By using the Service, you consent to the collection, storage, and lawful processing of your data as described therein.

8.1. The Website may contain links to third-party websites or integrations (e.g., payment processors, analytics, or external resources). Such links are provided for convenience only.

8.2. LawFinder is not responsible for third-party content, security, or data practices, and inclusion of a link does not imply endorsement.

9.1. To the maximum extent permitted by South African law, LawFinder and its directors, employees, affiliates, and licensors shall not be liable for any:

• Direct, indirect, consequential, or punitive losses;
• Loss of income, business, or data;
• Reliance damages resulting from the use or inability to use the Website or its content.

9.2. In any event, LawFinder's aggregate liability to you shall not exceed the total subscription fees paid by you in the preceding 12 months.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless LawFinder, its officers, employees, and affiliates from any claims, damages, or expenses (including legal fees) arising out of your misuse of the Service, breach of these Terms, or violation of applicable laws or third-party rights.

11.1. LawFinder may suspend or terminate your access immediately, without notice, if you:

• Breach these Terms;
• Misuse the Website or its content; or
• Engage in conduct that may harm the Company's reputation or operations.

11.2. Upon termination, your right to access the Service will cease, and LawFinder may retain or delete your data as permitted by law.

12.1. These Terms are governed by the laws of the Republic of South Africa, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

12.2. Any disputes or claims shall first be resolved through good-faith negotiation. If unresolved, disputes shall be referred to mediation or arbitration under the rules of the Arbitration Foundation of Southern Africa (AFSA), seated in Johannesburg, Gauteng.

12.3. If litigation is pursued, the High Court of South Africa (Gauteng Division, Pretoria) shall have exclusive jurisdiction.

13.1. Nothing in these Terms limits your statutory rights under the Consumer Protection Act 68 of 2008.

13.2. Where the CPA applies, any provision inconsistent with the CPA will be construed to give effect to the consumer's lawful rights.

14.1. LawFinder reserves the right to update or modify these Terms at any time. Revised Terms will be posted on the Website with an updated revision date.

14.2. Continued use of the Service after publication of revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of the changes.

15.1. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, it shall not affect the remaining provisions, which shall remain in full force and effect.

15.2. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any additional guidelines or notices published by LawFinder, constitute the entire agreement between you and LawFinder (Pty) Ltd.

For any queries, complaints, or notices in terms of Section 43 of the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act (ECTA), you may contact: