Case Studies
Mr and Mrs Smith divorced 25 years ago. They entered into a settlement agreement at the time which required Mr Smith to pay monthly maintenance to his wife until she died or remarried. He was also required to pay maintenance for their minor children until they became self-supporting. Despite
A parent’s liabilities towards a child do not change when the child turns 18 years of age or if the parents are divorced. Both parents remain liable for taking care of the child for as long as the child requires maintenance. A maintenance Order does not have to make
Spousal Maintenance is different from child maintenance in that it is paid by one spouse to the other spouse following a divorce. It is a general principle of law that neither spouse has a right to spousal maintenance upon divorce. However, the Divorce Act, 70 of 1979 provides the
There are people who suffer emotional and physical abuse on a daily basis but are not quite sure what they can do to prevent it. There are two options available to them. They can either apply for a Protection Order or apply for a Harassment Order. However, many people
Requirements for an engagement Capacity To enter into an engagement, one must be 18 years of age or older. Minors need the consent of both parents (or guardians), unless certain circumstances are in place or a court order is granted. Mentally ill persons cannot get engaged. Consent Both parties
Having a baby for some couples doesn’t come as easy for a few as it does others, and then it leaves that couple having to make some hard decisions, do you want to adopt? And if so, how hard will it really be? Adopting can be quite a hard
Rule 43 of the Uniform Court Rules provides parties involved in divorce proceedings with the opportunity to approach the court for an order granting interim relief pending the finalisation of a divorce. This rule aims to avoid any considerable prejudice to either party pending divorce. The interim relief the
Parental Alienation as a form of emotional child abuse and is the single most important concern for Family Law practitioners in South Africa. Parental alienation occurs when separated parents inflict doubt in the children’s minds towards the other parent resulting in frustration by one parent to have contact with
Cohabitation, living together or a domestic partnership, is not recognised as a legal relationship by South African law. There is, consequently, no law that oversees the rights of parties in a cohabitation relationship. Cohabitation usually refers to people who, regardless of gender, live together without being validly married to
The Family Advocate assists the parties to reach an agreement on disputed issues, namely custody, access and guardianship. If the parties are unable to reach an agreement, the Family Advocate evaluates the parties’ circumstances in light of the best interests of the child and makes a recommendation to the
