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Uncontested divorces – Notice of Set Down for undefended and uncontested divorce matters – The document used to place your divorce on the divorce court roll
Undefended, unopposed or uncontested divorce cases are what all divorcing couples should strive towards. If the marriage broke down completely and there is no possibility of saving it, then why fight any longer? If both parties act fairly, there is no need to spend thousands of Rands on legal fees. That money can be used on starting a new life. If there are minor children involved, then the money saved in avoiding litigation can be used on them. At the end of the day, no one really benefits from a long drawn out or protracted contested divorce process.What is the simplest divorce?
The simplest divorce is when the parties are married out of community of property and profit and loss, with the exclusion of the accrual regime. What this means, it that whatever property a spouse owns during the marriage, still belongs to him or her after the marriage. There is also no need to pay the other spouse any amount after the divorce as an accrual. The simplest divorce would also require there to be no minor children born from the marriage. In other words, all the children are adults or there were none. Lastly, neither party claims personal maintenance or alimony from the other spouse. If the above scenario applies, then all that the divorce court would have to do is ascertain whether or not the marriage has irretrievably broken down, and grant a decree of divorce. There is no issue regarding child maintenance, custody issues, or proprietary rights. It’s a simple divorce and easily finalised.What do couples usually fight over in the divorce process?
As can be seen from the above, if a couple has children, things may turn out to be complicated. The parents may dispute who should have primary care or custody over the minor children. Then there is the issue of child maintenance, and the amount thereof. This latter issue is usually a stumbling block when it comes to the finalisation of a divorce. Some parents are unreasonable in their request, and others again don’t want to pay or contribute what is fair and reasonable.The matrimonial property regime
If the parties are married in community of property, there should be an equal division of the joint estate. However, parties still find a way to argue on this aspect which makes the divorce a contested one. The same applies should the spouse be married out of community of property with the inclusion of the accrual regime. Most of the time, the divorce gets settled just days before the divorce date, after both parties spent thousands of Rands on legal fees.The notice of set down in divorce matters
After the divorce, summons has been issued and served, and the divorce is uncontested, a notice of set down must be filed at the divorce court. Usually, it’s 10 days after the divorce summons was served on the other party. Basically, the notice of set down advises the court and the other party that the divorce is going to be heard on a certain date. Once the notice of set down is filed, the divorce matter would be placed on the court roll for the divorce to be finalised.What happens on the unopposed divorce court date?
Once the notice of set down has been filed and the divorce date has arrived, one of the parties, usually the plaintiff would have to appear at court to give evidence. Basically, he or she needs to confirm that the marriage has broken down, the court has jurisdiction and that all aspects have been resolved. This is usually done with a consent paper. If the parties were married out of community of property without the accrual regime and there are no minor children, then there is no need for any other documents to be filed.What happens after the divorce has been granted?
Once the divorce has been granted, the parties can move on with their lives. They may remarry incur debt in their own name and so on. A few days after the divorce, and depending on the specific court, the parties would be able to collect a document called a final decree of divorce. This document would confirm to the world that they are divorced.Free Online Divorce Form and Guide
If you want to attend to your own uncontested divorce, we can to help you kick start it at no charge. Fill in the form below, and then our system will send you an email with the details you provided, which you should include in the divorce documents. [ninja_form id=35] Have a family Law appointment with us We have an online appointments system which enables you to save valuable time and cut straight to the chase. There is, therefore, no need for you to visit our offices (unless it is best for you to do so, or is your most preferred option).
You may set up telephonic or video consultations should you wish to do so. You can, therefore, stay in the office or on the couch in the comfort of your own home when dealing with us. We are therefore physical, online, set-up and ready to meet with you. Make your appointment online for a consultation today. If you find any of our articles, free resources and posts interesting, or possibly useful to others, please like IN THE HIGH COURT OF SOUTH AFRICA
(WESTERN CAPE DIVISION, CAPE TOWN)
Case no.: JOHN WILLIAMS PLAINTIFF
(Identity Number: 0000000000000) And JANE WILLIAMS DEFENDANT
(Identity Number: 1111111111111 NOTICE OF SET – DOWN
KINDLY BE ADVISED that Plaintiff hereby sets the above matter down for hearing for 2015 at 10:00 or so soon thereafter.
Kindly enrol the matter accordingly.
DATED AT SIGNED AT CAPE TOWN THIS___DAY OF __________________2017. ______________________
Per: JOHN WILLIAMS
(Plaintiff in Person)
4 Green Street,
Greenland,
WESTERN CAPE TO: THE REGISTRAR
HIGH COURT
CAPE TOWN AND TO: JANE WILLIAMS
1 Apple Street,
Apple Town,
WESTERN CAPE
_________________o0o_________________
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Top tips and tricks from a Senior Family Law Advocate on claiming maintenance for a five-year-old child in Graaff-Reinet.
Child Maintenance is the right of the child, and not that of the parent. It is also not a privilege granted to parents who must pay it. It is their duty to pay child maintenance and support their children. Once the child is self-supporting (being able to care for him or herself), the obligation falls away. This can happen when the child is 18, 20, or even 30. It all depends on the circumstances of the case.
Claiming child maintenance for your child in Graaff-Reinet
Whether you claim child maintenance in Graaff-Reinet, or any other city in South Africa, the procedures would be the same. There are however two (2) courts that can deal with child maintenance matters. That is a divorce court, in a divorce matter, and a Child Maintenance Court. For this article, we will focus on claiming maintenance in a Maintenance Court matter in Graaff-Reinet.
The maintenance scenario – Graaff-Reinet South Africa
In this article, we will deal with the following fictitious scenario, in a child maintenance matter:
- The Child is seven years old and attends school in Graaff-Reinet
- The child is cared for by the mother who works in Graaff-Reinet
- The mother works and earns a Salary of R 10 000
- The father sees the child every second weekend. He also lives and works in Graaff-Reinet
- The child’s monthly expenses are R 6000 – 00 which includes food, clothing, accommodation, education, travel etc.
- The father earns a reasonable salary and can afford the R 20 000 – 00 per month
- The mother claims R 4 000 – 00 maintenance as the father earns double her salary
What is the first step the mother must take in claiming child maintenance?
The first thing the mother must do is work out exactly what the child costs by item. She breaks down the minor child’s living expenses, starting from rent or accommodation to groceries to school fees etc. Once she has done that, she would need to determine what exactly does the minor child cost per month, seeing that she will be asking the father to contribute towards that. As best as possible, she needs to collect proof of expenses. This can be in the form of receipts.
How does she start the legal process?
The mother now needs to approach the maintenance court in the area where she lives or works to lodge a complaint for child maintenance. If she lives or works in Graaff-Reinet, it would be the maintenance court in Graaff-Reinet. She will complete a Form A wherein she will provide all the expenses for her and the minor child. She would also have to stipulate her income. Once she completed the form and submitted it to the maintenance court, she must then follow the next step.
What do you do while waiting for the maintenance court date?
While you wait to be informed of the court date by the Maintenance Court of Graaff-Reinet, and up until the actual first court date, you need to ensure that you keep a record of all income and expenses for you and the child. This is very important as the court allocates maintenance based on recent income and expenses.
What happens at the first court appearance at the Graaff-Reinet Maintenance Court?
Once you have been notified of the maintenance court date by the Graaff-Reinet Maintenance Court, you need to ensure that you attend it. On that day, both you and the father of the child would appear before a maintenance officer. The maintenance officer would go through both your income and expenses as well as that of the father. If all the relevant information is not before the maintenance court, then the matter may be postponed in order for the parties to submit it.
The maintenance officer will try to settle the matter and have the parents come to an agreement regarding the amount of child maintenance to be paid. If they cannot come to an agreement regarding the child maintenance to be paid, the matter would have to proceed to a formal hearing or trial before a Magistrate.
How does the Maintenance Court hearing or trial work in Graaff-Reinet?
Essentially, the maintenance court is called upon to make a fair ruling regarding what is a fair amount of child support that needs to be paid. For that to happen, the parents would have to give evidence in that regard. The mother would present to the court what the child costs, what she contributes and what she requires the other parent to pay. The Father would have a right to question the mother and to present evidence as to why he cannot afford the amount requested or why he feels it is an unfair amount. The mother can they also question him.
At the end of the day, the Graaff-Reinet Maintenance Court would be able to properly determine what is a fair and adequate amount of child maintenance to pay after being presented will all relevant information. The Graaff-Reinet Maintenance Court should play an active role in determining what is a fair amount of child maintenance the father should pay.
The above child maintenance application principles should apply to the following provinces and cities:
Eastern Cape:
Alice, Butterworth, East London, Graaff-Reinet, Grahamstown, King William’s Town, Mthatha
Port Elizabeth, Queenstown, Uitenhage, Zwelitsha
Free State:
Bethlehem. Bloemfontein, Jagersfontein, Kroonstad, Odendaalsrus, Parys, Phuthaditjhaba, Sasolburg, Virginia, Welkom
Gauteng:
Benoni, Boksburg, Brakpan, Carletonville, Germiston, Johannesburg, Krugersdorp, Pretoria, Randburg, Randfontein, Roodepoort, Soweto, Springs, Vanderbijlpark, Vereeniging
KwaZulu-Natal:
Durban, Empangeni, Ladysmith, Newcastle, Pietermaritzburg, Pinetown, Ulundi, Umlazi
Limpopo:
Giyani, Lebowakgomo, Musina, Phalaborwa, Polokwane, Seshego, Sibasa, Thabazimbi
Mpumalanga:
Emalahleni, Nelspruit, Secunda, North West, Klerksdorp, Mahikeng, Mmabatho, Potchefstroom, Rustenburg, Northern Cape, Kimberley, Kuruman, Port Nolloth
Western Cape:
Bellville, Graaff-Reinet, Constantia, George, Hopefield, Oudtshoorn, Paarl, Simon’s Town, Stellenbosch, Swellendam, Worcester
Posted on by Telelaw