Comprehensive Divorce Legal Services – Johannesburg
Expert Guidance in Child Maintenance, Custody, Visitation, and Divorce
Searching for reliable and accessible family legal services can be a source of anxiety and uncertainty, especially when you’re unsure whether suitable help is available nearby. For residents of Cape Town area, there is good news: professional, trusted, and convenient family law assistance is a phone call or click away. Our legal consultancy specialises in a broad spectrum of family legal matters, offering guidance, resources, and practical support tailored to your unique situation.
Your Family Law Experts in Johannesburg
Family legal issues are often emotionally charged, requiring not just technical legal knowledge but also sensitivity, compassion, and a clear strategy. Our consultancy understands these challenges and is structured to provide comprehensive advice and solutions for all your legal needs, whether you are facing questions about child maintenance, wrestling with custody disputes, or navigating the complexities of divorce.
What sets us apart is our commitment to accessibility and convenience. With the advent of online consultations, expert legal advice is now at your fingertips—no matter where you live within Bantry Bay or the surrounding suburbs. Our streamlined online system lets you schedule an appointment for a face-to-face, telephonic, or video consultation from the comfort and privacy of your own home.
Service Offerings and Fees
Clients frequently seek clarity on the costs associated with family legal services. While it’s straightforward to provide price listings for standard consultations and specific legal tasks, it’s important to note that the overall cost of more complex matters—such as child custody, contested divorces, and maintenance disputes—will vary depending on the facts and nuances of each case.
Areas of Family Law Expertise
Our consultancy offers tailored legal advice on a comprehensive range of family law topics, including, but not limited to:
- Child Maintenance
- Ante-nuptial Contact
- Change Matrimonial Property Regime
- Child Adoption
- Child Custody and Access
- Domestic Violence Protection
- Family Trust Registration
- Fast Unopposed Divorces
- Non-Compliance with maintenance orders
- Parenting Plans
- Postnuptial Contract Registration
- Pre-nikkah Agreement
No legal concern is too small or too complex. No matter your family law challenge, we strive to ensure you have access to the expert guidance you need to make informed decisions and protect your interests.
Free Legal Articles and Resources
Understanding that not everyone requires a formal consultation, we have developed an extensive library of free, expertly written legal advice articles and DIY guides. These resources are designed for the layperson and aim to answer your pressing questions, provide practical steps, and empower you with knowledge—without cost.
Our free articles are organised by topic and address issues such as:
Child Maintenance
- How to Apply for Child Maintenance at Court – Step-by-Step Guide and Advice
- Child Maintenance Question. How much should I pay or contribute as a p
- Child Support or maintenance claims. Does an unemployed father pay?
- Non-compliance with Maintenance Orders — Civil and Criminal Remedies
- Tricks and tips on how to win your child maintenance case
Child Custody
- The Law Regarding Children – The Children’s Act 38 of 2005
- Child born out of wedlock: Mother will not consent to her surname change and to be registered as her biological father. What can I do?
- How do I get full custody of my child?
- Parental Child Abuse in Custody Cases
- Relocate with minor child. Parent Refusing Consent for a Passport
- Father is being refused contact with his child! What are his rights as a Father?
- Father’s Parental Responsibilities and Rights to his Child
- Urgent Access to your Children without a Lawyer
- Parenting Plans and the Law
- What happens in a custody dispute where one parent is mentally ill?
- How to win your child custody and access court case – Tips and Tricks
- Rights of care, contact and guardianship of grandparents to their grandchildren – What does the law say?
Divorce and Property
- How to Change your Matrimonial Property Regime
- Do your own Unopposed Divorce. No lawyers needed, and it’s Free.
- Parental Rights of Divorced Muslim parents after a Talaq or Faskh
- Free Online Divorce Assistance Form – DIY Cape Town, South Africa, comprising:
These resources are accessible online and are intended to help you take the first steps in resolving your legal concerns, even before seeking direct advice.
Booking a Legal Consultation
Arranging a consultation with our family law experts is designed to be as simple and user-friendly as possible. Here’s how it works:
- Call our law offices, where our friendly receptionist will assist in scheduling your appointment online in just a few minutes.
- You can choose your preferred consultation method: Telephonic, Video (E.g. MS Teams), or Face to Face if necessary.
- Once your appointment is made, you’ll receive an automated email confirming the details—date, time, nature of the matter, and payment methods.
- Review the terms and conditions carefully. The appointment is confirmed once payment is received.
- Should you need to change your appointment, flexibility is built into the system for your convenience.
Why Choose Our Family Law Consultancy?
- Expertise: Our legal team brings years of focused experience in family law, providing up-to-date advice grounded in South African law and best practices.
- Accessibility: Whether you prefer to meet in person, talk on the phone, or connect online, we’re flexible and committed to your convenience.
- Transparency: Clear communication about fees, timelines, and expectations ensures no surprises.
- Resource-rich: Our online articles and toolkits empower you to understand and, where possible, resolve issues independently.
- Support: Beyond advice, we help you access attorneys and other legal professionals when necessary.
What to Expect at Your Consultation
During your scheduled session, our legal consultant will:
- Listen carefully to the details of your situation
- Identify the key legal issues and explain your rights and obligations
- Offer recommendations for next steps and practical solutions
- Discuss possible outcomes, timelines, and costs
- Refer you to an attorney if your matter requires further action in court
In Summary
Finding effective, trustworthy family legal services in Cape Town does not have to be a challenge. With our consultancy, you gain access to a full spectrum of family law solutions—from expert advice on maintenance, custody, and divorce, to free articles and practical toolkits. Our flexible approach, transparent pricing, and dedication to client support ensure that you are never alone during your legal journey. Take the first step today, and connect with a family law expert who truly understands your needs.
God evening i have started working 9months ago as a garden boy and i earn as little as 4000 per month i have 1child i stay with and he is 1year old and the other one i dont even know he is 2year 5months so the mother she want me to pay 1500 and i cnt afford that, i have to pay rent, transport and buy grocery and pay accounts ill be left with 400 after wards, and i dnt knw if that child is mine or what please what can i do as for 1500 i cant i also have family to feed and my 1year old needs nappies and milk, what to do plz kindly advise
Good day. You should ask for a paternity test. Also, the court can only order you to pay what you can afford and not what the mother wants.
I am unemployed and have no money but the magistrate still gave an interim order of R3500. Will I be jailed if I cannot get that money?
Good day I would like to know I’m staying with the father of my child he has 3 kids including mine. His other child is 2 months young than mine when we fight he always tells me that I must go. And I wanna know since he does everything for his other baby mama paying her rent, buying food etc and when it comes to my child hys always saying that GE doesn’t gave money since hebought clothes for our child when she was 3 months till today his never bought her anything and I wanna take him to court what do you think I should do and I also want him to get me a place and pay my rent
Good day
We suggest to take him to the maintenance court. The Court would look at everything and make a fair maintenance order.
Hi!
Am Yolanda
Can you please assist me, I have been receiving maintenance money from Court. Since they have changed the payment system that now the money must be paid directly into my account not via court, I don’t receive it anymore. I have submitted my banking details and everything but nothing it’s been 7months now. When I went to court to do follow up they tell me that they don’t have an invitation officer to go deliver the document to the father of my child, since the court can’t get hold of His Hr. I really don’t Know what to do anymore.
Good day
This is very disappointing. We suggest to go back to the court and speak to someone higher that the person you spoke to.
I have been paying maintenance for about 15years but my child’s mom won’t allow me to see my child please advise me what can I do so that I can see my child.
Good day. I need to find out where I stand and what should I do. My ex husband and I have two girls 13 and 10 and we share custody. He sees them every second weekend. He never had issues with paying maintenance. He told me he lost his job in May and stopped paying. He promised he will catch up as soon as he finds a job so I waiting. I am a teacher and I do struggle on my salary with two kids. He recently got engaged to a lady who apparently doesnt work either. My daughter confirmed after weekend with them that they have booked a huge venue, have wedding rigs, dress etc. We all know how much money it takes. I have a feeling he is doing jobs on a side and getting paid cash and lies to me so I do not ask for money. Can I approach a maintenance court without a legal representative? I cannot afford one. If they ask him for his bank statement and it will show that he indeed have no income, can they question him for proof who pays for the wedding? He also said he wants to move to Ireland in search for job but I have a feeling he wants to run away from responsibilities. How long will I wait for court date if I do go to maintenance court with this case?
Good day
Yes, you may approach the maintenance and they should act as you suggested. You do not need a lawyer. They will ensure that all information is disclosed. Each court is different regarding their caseload. They would advise you accordingly.
Hi,I’ve just filed for maintenance and I was given a court date.It won’t actually be my first appearance as I appeared last time and there was a postponement due to the monthly amount disagreement. So now I want to withdraw but would like to find out if a warrant of arrest will be issued out if I don’t appear on my next court date. As though I’m the applicant.
Good day
It is best you contact the specific maintenance court to advise you accordingly.
I would like to find out if a court can block or blacklist me from opening a bank account if i do not pay child support. The reason for not paying child support is because I am no longer employed. Now the bank account that I had was blocked by a maintenance officer and each time I try to open an account I found out that my profile has been blocked. The problem now is that I have found employment but I can not open a banking account. PLEASE ADVICE.
Good day
We would advise that you visit the Maintenance Court and resolve the issue with them ASAP.
hi there
if i pay maintenance, do i have every right to request for receipts?
do i do an affidavit?
Good day
Yes, you have full right to ask for a receipt. Otherwise, request to pay it into a banking account.
Good day to who it may concern. Me and my husband are married for 14 years we’ve got a child together of the age of 13. 6 years ago I become a diabetic using insulin and had heart failure 4 years ago so I’m not healthy. My husband got a child with his ex girlfriend but got no contact with them but he paid maintenance every month since she were born she turned 19 in April this year. Her mother are a manager at human resources and gets a huge salary. We can’t afford the maintenance anymore.How do we go ahead to stop the maintenance? If anybody can please assist us with this matter please.
Good day
We presume there is a maintenance order in place. If so, he would need to apply to the maintenance court to have it reduced.
Good day, I am 4 months pregnant and my baby daddy denies the pregnancy and says he will not be responsible for this child. I do have a job but I do not earn enough to give my soon coming child the best. The father works well off and I feel it is unfair for him to deny his child a better life then what I can proved alone. What should I do, he has moved from where he was staying but still works for the same company
Good day
Very soon after you give birth, approach the maintenance court in your area for a maintenance order against the father.
morning I’m Judy,Ive been attending court from 2013 until last year,baby daddy denies to support the baby while she was 8 months until now she doesn’t want to hear nothing about the baby,he denied pay support inside court,I feel helpless please my daughter has problem of epilepsy needs medical assistance
Good morning
The maintenance court has a legal obligation to assist. You. If the father cannot afford to pay, then his parents must be approached.
Since 2003 until 2016 I have been in and out of the maintenance court. The clerk never used her power to make the father pay. I want to know if I can sue the court for the stress and problems and losses I had to go through. Now I get told that the clerk is doing 3 people’s job. Also that they must be sent for training to know how to deal with me. So my question is who employ a person. And pay a salary of that person don’t know her job description.
Good day
We advise you to see an attorney on this issue. You may lay a complaint to their bosses.
Hi,I’m 30 years old women,my dad has been paying maintance for m till I graduated, now my problem is dat he has been hiding m from his wife,now her wife needs a prove dat his been maintaining,m through court,so I was wondering if it is possible for m to get a prove of letter we’re we took our DNA n we’re he signed n agree to maintain.were can I go to get such info from.
Good day
You may obtain that letter from the Maintenance Court.
Hi there, I was born 1981 have two sisters one is born 1983 and one 1989 then last one was born my father sad the two is not his 1981 and 1989 then we went for DNA test we were send by Home affairs just want to know where can I get the result print out because he only supported the other sister of mine can you give me advise because he just recently passed away want claim what is rightfully mine he never got married he stayed with girlfriend with no children , where do I start?
You must start by advising the executor of his estate and the mast that you are his child.
Good day all
My name is Noxolo and I have a son who is turning 4 years old in june and I am 26 years old, I would like to be advised on how to claim maintanance from the father because he says he is doing a learnership and I am also doing a learnership but I do everything I can for my son and most of the time I do everything for him, in the beginning when our son was still a new born baby and we were together he used to do everything for him but since we broke up he stopped doing things for him and waits for me to beg for him to do things for him and he does not even make time to see him or even call him can I please get advise on how to go about this im really stressed and confused.
Good day
You need to approach the maintenance court in your area ASAP for a maintenance order. They will look into the matter and decide on it.
I have a 4month daughter with a man who refuses to support her in any way. I have on many occasions tried reaching out to him to get him to commit to atleast something which he has countlessly failed to do. He insists on dna testing as he denies the child but will not commit to doing it… I have even gone as far as voluntaring to meet him half way after contacting a paternity testing facility. The problem I’m having now is that my daughter’s birth certificate is still pending at home affairs because i was subjected to a late registration because of personal reasons and then told it would take up to 6months for them to issue it out. I registered her when she was a month old.
My biggest issue right now is that I need financial assistance from him and I was told when I went to the family court that nothing can be done without the birth certificate.
I wanted to know if there could be another way to deal with this whole situation or better getting a court order that would subject him to actually taking the dna test so he can at least commit to supporting our daughter while we wait for the birth certificate? I just wanted to get advice or a way forward.
Good day
The Court should still assist you even though you do not have the birth certificate.
When the father appears in court, and he says he is not the father, he would then go for a paternity test.
Good day ,i have filled a maintanace for two kids, at Atteridgeville court in Pretoria in 2017 April, first appearance was in September 2017, till this day am going up and down summoning my ex husband with dates, last 2018 August they have sent a garnish to his work and the verdict was he’s on contract they cannot garnish the persons, if I cannot be help by the court where should I go now.
Good day. It seems to me that the maintenance court is not trying really hard to assist you in your matter. It may be a good idea to lodge a complaint on to someone higher than the maintenance officer.
Good day ive moved from Pretoria to Polokwane 4 yrs back and was not receiving maintenance money since then, I want to know if I can get the unclaimed money since then as I had family problems to make follow ups on that?
Good day. Yes, you may claim maintenance from four years back. We advise that you approach the maintenance court to confirm this.
morning the father of my child is unemployed and his wife is employed so that they are married incommunity of property can i take the wife to maintenance court?
Good day
You should take the father to court. The court can order that the money comes from the Joint Estate.
I want to open a case for maintenance for the father of my child, he stop paying maintenance because I now have a boyfriend. Does the fact that I earn more than him count?
Good day
The father of your child still has a legal duty to maintain his child even if you earn more than him. His contribution may, however, be less. But the court would decide based on the facts of your case. We advise you approach the maintenance court as soon as possible.
How true is it that if the father dies and yet still owing maintenance, in the event of death, the life policy will treat the maintenance court as a creditor and money will be paid? as opposed to not getting anything because child was not listed as a beneficiary…
Want to open case against father of child now for not paying maintenance since birth.
He is currently serving currently in prison and will be out next month on probation.
What impact does this case have on his probation? will he go back to jail?
Good day
You need to discuss that issue with the probation officer. We do not want to guess.
Hi. I am on a MAINTAINANCE trial for 2years now with the baby father, he was garnished R3000.00 for a 2year old child and still do not receive it since 3months ago.
He gets same salary as of mine yet he has loans and lies to have siblings paying for his lifetime investment s. Do I stand a Chance to win again because he’s against this garnish order and has applied for a set aside.
Please advice
Good day
Your guess would be better than ours as to what the outcome of your matter would be.
My kids are staying with my ex wife and I see them every second weekend and we also alternate school holidays. Do I still have to pay maintenance when the kids are with me for December holidays for an example?
If the Court order says you may pay each month, then you must. If there is no Order in place, you need to discuss this issue with the mother. She my have monthly expenses for the kids during that time. That is likely.
What can happen to me if I didn’t attend child maintenance DNA test in court
If the court ordered you to appear in Court, they can issue a warrant of arrest.
Greetings I was supposed to be in court by the 14th of November 2018 for child DNA as the they say am a father but I couldn’t be there because I didn’t have enough money for traveling from Cape Town and to Mount Frere, so I need your advice what can I do to make things right before they arrest me
My brother is paying maintenance but is not allowed to see the child except if he comes with our parents so how do you prepare a Affidavit to complain about the situation
He needs to visit the children’s court in the area where the child lives and make an application for an order to regularly see the child.
good day.need help want to apply for maintenance but the problem its that i don’t know where my baby daddy work right now, because he has been fired from the work place he was working before but i guess he find another job cause after the birth our baby he started to fight with me nd change the number,address as well.i used to talk to him via email and he threaten me.
he block me every where.can i get help please
Good day
The Maintenance Courts have investigators who can find the details of the father. We advise you to approach the maintenance court in your area as soon as possible.
Hi I received a letter from the family court to pay for child maintenance, but the children are not mine. I was in a relationship with the lady and now she claim child support. How do I ask the court for a paternity test so I can proof to the court these children is not mine?
Good day
When you at court, then advise the court that you are not the father. They would then ask the mother, you and the child to go for a paternity test.
hi im magdie m 32 yrs with 2 kids ,working as a contract, and doing office administration course ,,so does my father has powers to drop the maintannance?thank u
Good day
Your father has to pay maintenance to you if you are not self-supporting. Please visit the Maintenance court for assistance if you cannot afford to maintain yourself.
Mornings, when a person is garnished, when does the next person get her money after pay day?
Good day
That would depend on the companies processes in place and what the court order says.
The father of son he pay 1000 amonth. When ask if he can increase the money. He said not gone pay extra
Good day
You need to approach the maintenance court in your area. They can institute an enquiry as to what is a fair amount the father should pay.
Hi my name is Thabo I have a child with my ex girl friend but we broke up when the child was 1 year old now since then it is hard for me to see the child I have asked both my ex girlfriend and her mother to go with me to family court because Its a must as the father of the child to maintain or support the child but they refused and asked me to give them money they can do everything but I don’t want that I need everything to be in papers and done legally
please assist I also want to spend some time with my child
Good day
We advise that you approach the family court ASAP.
Hi am currently five months pregnant and the person responsible said he doesn’t want anything to do with me and the baby.He suggested I have abortion of which I didn’t agree with it.U don’t want to leave this matter till it late.Hes working and can afford to support the child am currently unemployed @the moment it hard having to go clinic and visit a gynaecologist now and again.My worry is that he can change the address where he’s currently staying but I know where he works a big company.I don’t have the energy to fight or neither to call him.It clear to me that I’ve been sleeping with an animal.Please if you can assist
Good day
Soon after the baby is born, approach the maintenance court for a Maintenance Order against him.
Good Day,the father of my two kids is maintenance payer but when the children were on holiday with him during the past winter holidays he defaulted.Reason being that they were with him so he felt that automatically wouldnt have to pay.Can you please assist me on what steps I should take regarding this matter.
Good Morning
I have been receiving maintenance from my ex husband but now hes coming up with excuses and i need to apply for him to be garnished. we work for the same company. Whats is the process
Good day
You need to approach the maintenance court.
I want to go to maintenance court and do the application my problem is that I don’t know the physical address/ work address of the person but I have his phone numbers, can they summoned him using phone please help
Good day. The courts have maintenance investigators to assist in matters like this. We therefore advise that you approach the maintenance called as soon as possible.
just some advise I suspect the child I am currently paying maintenance for is not my child what can I do I order to that first I verify the paternity of the child legal and secondly what the steps to follow in order to settle this matter legal as well
We would advise you to approach the maintenance court.