Family law insights and commentary from the offices of divorce and family law attorney Simon Dippenaar.
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What the law says Sadly, one of the causes of divorce or relationship breakdown is domestic abuse, whether physical or emotional. The situation is traumatic enough on its own, but when there are children of the marriage or partnership, it can become very complicated. Numerous competing rights need to be balanced. How do you go […]
How to tell children you’re getting divorced? Most of the advice given in this article is common sense, but common sense is precisely what goes out the window at times of high emotion. These tips are worth noting if you are faced with this situation. Reprinted from the Roodepoort Record, by Sasha Wyatt-Minter – 2021-10-04 […]
Narcissists can be grandiose or “vulnerable” – but they’re still narcissists We’ve written a lot about narcissism and narcissistic personality disorder (NPD) over the past few years, because we see a lot of it in our family law practice. It is a common factor in divorce, and narcissistic parents can be a challenge when it […]
Over a year ago, we wrote about a case brought by the University of Pretoria, appealing against a decision concerning Section 10 of the Births and Death Registration Act. The appeal found that Section 10, which requires a child born out of wedlock to be given the mother’s surname, is discriminatory. It discriminates against fathers […]
Reprinted from the Pretoria News, by Zelda Venter – 2021-08-13 Pretoria – The courts have once again warned that those who do not pay maintenance will feel the long arm of the law. A judge yesterday ordered a father and well-known businessman to report to jail within five days to start serving a jail sentence. […]
Reprinted from the Mail & Guardian, by Nokuthula Mbele – 2021-09-19 When Elizabeth Gumede’s husband instituted divorce proceedings and sought to evict her from their marital home, she consulted the Legal Resources Centre (LRC) and set in motion a process that would end in a high court finding that the laws under which she was married are […]
Relationship on the skids? It’s time to hit the gym together A growing body of evidence suggests couples who sweat together really do stay together Reprinted from the Sunday Times, by Devlin Brown – 2021-08-29 You may be familiar with the expression that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. It’s outdated and not […]
How to determine if child sexual abuse allegations are legitimate or fabricated Sexual abuse of children happens. It is tragic and can have lasting consequences for the child concerned. But it is a difficult and delicate matter to discuss. It is undoubtedly a factor in some divorces, but reliable, authoritative information on child abuse in […]
