Advice

We heard a mother’s story on the radio recently that stayed with us. A custody battle stretching on for years. Children caught in the middle. A legal process that seemed to have no end in sight. No parenting plan. No...

You have built a relationship with your partner’s child. You are present at school events, at the doctor, at the dinner table, and at bedtime. You have become, in every practical sense, a parent to that child. Now you want...

If you pay child maintenance or receive it on behalf of your child, the question of when it ends is one of the most important and most misunderstood aspects of South African family law. A widely held belief among parents,...

Over the past several weeks, the Before You Say I Do series has worked through the legal decisions that matter most before a wedding in South Africa. From antenuptial contracts and property ownership to debt protection, business planning, blended families,...

Love does not check passports. But the law does. If you are a South African citizen planning to marry someone who is not, or if you are a foreign national planning to marry in South Africa, your wedding involves a...

Choosing to remarry when you have children from a previous relationship is one of the most meaningful decisions a parent can make. It is a statement of hope, a commitment to building something new, and for many families it is...

You built your business before the relationship began, or during it, through long hours, personal financial risk, and years of work that most people never see. Now you are getting married and somewhere in the back of your mind is...

Most engaged couples talk about combining their lives. They talk about shared goals, shared space, and a shared future. What far fewer couples talk about openly before the wedding is debt. Who owes what. How much. To whom. And what...

When you are planning a wedding, a will is probably the last thing on your mind. You are thinking about venues, guest lists, catering, and honeymoon destinations. The legal paperwork feels like something to deal with later, once you are...

For most couples, the family home is the most valuable thing they own. It is where they plan to raise their children, build their life, and put down roots. It is also, in many marriages, the asset that becomes the...

You have set the date. You are planning the venue, the flowers, the guest list, and the honeymoon. In the middle of all of that, there is one legal conversation that most engaged couples either skip entirely or leave too...

You own a property. Your relationship is serious. Your partner moves in, contributes to the bond repayments, helps with renovations, and starts treating the place as their home too. It feels right to make it official and add their name...

When parents separate or divorce, one of the most common questions that arises is whether their child can decide which parent they want to live with. It is a question that comes from both sides. Parents ask it hoping for...

Someone owes you money. A contractor did substandard work and refuses to fix it. A landlord will not return your deposit. A business delivered goods that were never paid for. Whatever the situation, you are owed something and the other...

Losing contact with a grandchild is one of the most painful experiences a person can face. Whether it follows a divorce, the death of a child, a family breakdown, or a decision by a parent to cut ties, the impact...

Your Will May Not Decide Who Gets Your Pension. Most people assume that their will controls what happens to everything they own when they die. In South Africa, that assumption is correct in most situations, but retirement funds are a...

When a maintenance order is in place and your ex stops paying, the impact is immediate. Bills do not pause. School fees do not wait. Groceries still need to be bought. For many parents, unpaid child maintenance is not just...

You signed on the dotted line. Maybe you felt rushed. Maybe you did not fully understand what you were agreeing to. Or maybe someone made it very clear that you had no choice. Now you want out, and you are...

It’s the middle of winter in Gauteng. You arrive home after work and discover the lights won’t switch on. The fridge has stopped running, the geyser is cold, and your prepaid meter suddenly appears inactive. A message from your landlord...

When someone dies, families are often hit with an unexpected second shock: money they thought was available suddenly disappears from reach. Bank cards stop working. Online banking access is blocked. Debit orders bounce. Even accounts with significant balances become inaccessible...

A single social media post can create serious legal consequences during divorce proceedings. What feels like a harmless Facebook status update, Instagram story, or emotional WhatsApp message may later appear in court documents, maintenance disputes, or custody proceedings. In South...

You finally receive the keys to your new home. The transfer has gone through, the moving boxes are unpacked, and for a brief moment everything feels settled. Then the problems begin. Water starts leaking through a bedroom ceiling during the...

In Gauteng, legal disputes often begin with a message that sounds harmless. A friend forwards a voice note explaining what “usually happens” in divorce court. A family member insists that maintenance payments can simply stop after losing a job. Someone...

The administration of a deceased estate is supposed to bring closure to a family after loss. In reality, it often becomes the beginning of conflict. Across South Africa, and particularly in Gauteng, estate disputes are increasingly common. Families who once...

Relocation is a reality for many families in South Africa. Job opportunities, rising living costs and changing personal circumstances often require parents to move between cities or provinces. In Gauteng, this happens frequently. For separated or divorced parents, however, relocation...

Changing your surname is often seen as a personal decision. It reflects identity, relationships and life transitions. In South Africa, however, it is also a legal process. Whether after marriage or divorce, a surname change affects more than how you...

Owning rental property comes with responsibility. It also comes with risk. One of the most difficult situations a landlord can face is a tenant who refuses to leave. In Gauteng, this is not uncommon. Lease agreements end. Payments stop. Communication...

A letter of demand is often the first formal step in resolving a dispute. It signals intent. It sets out a legal position. Most importantly, it creates an opportunity to resolve the issue before legal proceedings begin. In many cases,...

Dealing with a deceased estate is rarely straightforward. For many beneficiaries, the process becomes even more difficult when there are delays in administration. In Gauteng, executor delays in South Africa are a common source of frustration. Beneficiaries often expect the...

Divorce settlements are often presented as the final step in ending a marriage. Once both parties reach agreement, there is a strong desire to move forward and close the chapter. In many cases, this leads to decisions being made quickly....

Property transfers in South Africa are often expected to follow a clear and predictable process. Once an offer to purchase is signed, buyers and sellers typically assume that transfer will proceed smoothly until registration at the Deeds Office. In practice,...

Child maintenance orders play an important role in protecting the financial wellbeing of children after separation or divorce. In South Africa, maintenance is not simply a once-off legal decision. It is an ongoing obligation that must reflect the real financial...

When parents separate, one of the most important questions is how they will continue raising their children. In South Africa, parenting plans provide a structured way to organise care, contact and parental responsibilities after separation or divorce. A well considered...

Most people understand that having a will is important. What far fewer people realise is that having an outdated will can be just as damaging as having no will at all. In Gauteng, estate disputes frequently arise not because there...

Legal disputes rarely begin in a courtroom. They usually start with something small. An unpaid invoice. A boundary disagreement. A missed payment. A letter that feels unfair. A contract clause that is ignored. In Gauteng, where commercial activity and property...

In Gauteng’s competitive job market, background checks are increasingly common. Employers want to protect their businesses, clients and reputations. Employees want fair access to work and protection from discrimination. When criminal records enter the employment conversation, legal and practical tensions...

Divorce does not end financial responsibility the moment a marriage dissolves. For many South Africans the question of spousal maintenance becomes one of the most emotionally charged and misunderstood aspects of separation. There is often confusion about who qualifies how...

Divorce is rarely experienced as a purely legal process. It is a deeply personal transition that affects family life, finances, routines and emotional wellbeing. For many South Africans, uncertainty around court processes and timelines adds further strain at a time...

School is starting again soon in Gauteng, Johannesburg, Pretoria and across the country. For many families, this time of year brings mixed emotions. Excitement. Relief. Logistics. Schedules. There is another piece of the puzzle that many parents might not think...