Family law insights and commentary from the offices of divorce and family law attorney Simon Dippenaar.
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Recognising and coping with a narcissistic partner As we embark on 16 Days of Activism for No Violence Against Women and Children, I want to reflect on a type of abuse that is often hidden or not recognised as abuse: narcissistic abuse. Narcissistic abuse may involve physical violence but is predominantly a form of emotional […]
What happens to a parent’s rights if they commit a criminal offence? According to the Department of Correctional Services (2021), in 2019 there were 162 875 inmates in South Africa, 97% of them male. According to the General Household Survey (2019) 42% of children in South Africa lived only with their mothers. Research conducted by […]
What happens when a child wants to live with their other parent? What happens when a child of divorced parents expresses a preference to live with the (currently) non-custodial parent? As children grow, and their relationship with each parent develops, they may at some point decide they would like to go live with the other […]
I think my friend’s husband is emotionally abusing her. Should I talk to her about it? We’ve written a lot about narcissistic abuse, coercive control, and emotional abuse by partners. This letter to an advice column highlights a real-life example of emotional abuse by partners, raised by someone with deep concerns about her friend’s situation. […]
What questions should you ask when hiring a divorce attorney? Hiring a divorce attorney is rarely a happy event. You may well have a sense of relief at finally moving on from a difficult situation, but the end of a marriage is not usually happy. So hiring a divorce lawyer is sometimes seen as a […]
And go on to thrive The objective of divorce is to end a legal contract between two people who once loved each other and now no longer feel able to continue their life together. The love may have waned, or there may be other factors that make the pair incompatible and the relationship untenable. South […]
What you need to know about divorce and your finances If you’re contemplating or going through a divorce, your key concern is extracting yourself from a once-happy situation that has turned at best unproductive and at worst toxic. You want to enable a more life-affirming environment for yourself and your children, if you have them. […]
What does a social worker do? If you are going through a divorce, especially if you have children, there may be a social worker involved in helping you and your partner resolve disputes. Social workers are an important part of the divorce process, particularly when it comes to child care and contact arrangements. Sometimes clients […]
