Periodic imprisonment for parents who fail to pay maintenance should be used as a deterrent, but not to prevent a parent earning an income to support their children. This is the view of divorce lawyer Shando Theron, who was reacting to a Johannesburg high court judgment that directed a father, who defaulted on paying maintenance for his two children for more than two years, be sent to jail for 10 days.
In an ideal world, every baby is planned and there are two parents to care for and raise the child until he or she is ready to fly the nest.
In the real world, relationships are complicated and sometimes babies come to be without planning.
In February, the Department of Basic Education released its amendments to the Admission Policy for Ordinary Public Schools.
The update is 23 years in the making and includes proposed protocol which public schools might follow on matters such as language of instruction, school zones and the “compulsory school-going age”.
When readers send us complicated questions, we at Parent24 reach out to local experts for insight and advice to help.
This dad had a question about maintenance, so we asked a local lawyer for insight.
We regularly receive questions on tough topics from maintenance matters to parenting problems and everything in between, so Parent24 reaches out to local experts and legal professionals for advice and insight, when appropriate.
This mom wrote to us with a heart-breaking plea – the father of her son actively avoids spending time with him, which causes the boy much distress. She asks what can be done, and we asked two local experts for help.
A woman recently took to Reddit to say why she refused to give her daughter’s grandparents access to her.
Having lost her fiancé in a car accident (while she was driving), the woman said she was blamed by her fiancé’s parents for his death and told to “never contact them again.”
Schools have reopened, and many parents are relieved to once again leave the teaching to the professionals.
Still, many parents may not feel confident with returning their children to a potentially unsafe environment, choosing to homeschool instead.
Lawyers are reporting an increase in divorce applications now that the lockdown regulations have lifted somewhat and it’s easier to apply.
Parent24 spoke to Shando Theron, a senior partner at Theron Inc, specialist divorce and matrimonial attorneys in Johannesburg, to find out more about why this is and how the lockdown has impacted families across South Africa.
The Covid-19 lockdown has divided many families, as they had just days to decide who would live where, and with whom.
Some parents found themselves in a tug-of-war over the children, and with courts closed, travel restricted and lockdown regulations it became harder to enforce custody agreements.
If the Covid-19 lockdown has affected your business or caused you to lose you job, you might be finding yourself faced with the issue of not being able to meet all your financial obligations.
And while this is indeed a difficult time for everyone, it is important to remember that your children still have needs, and even though schools are closed, there are still fees and expenses that must be covered.
The vow to love in sickness or in health is being tested by Covid-19 as couples barricade themselves against the virus. But it needn’t be so bad.
Marriage counsellor Nadia Thonnard said the key was to remain connected even while having minimal physical touch. “Cooking together, playing together, even reading together can bring people very close to each other.”
If you have a child or children with someone, whether you were never married or are divorced matters not. What matters is that you believe you can provide a better home for your child, one of stability, consistency, love, nur-turing, and the opportunity for your child to grow and develop as a person. You want your children to live with you.
WHAT LAW AND ACTS ARE APPLICABLE?
There are a number of Acts in-volved. The most important, how-ever, is the Children’s Act, 38 of 2005.
South Africa needs to develop a culture of dissolving customary marriages in court by form of divorce, just as it is done with civil unions. After all, this is what the law requires.
Simply walking away from your customary marriage partner should not be equated to divorce, lawyers have told The Star.
