Top tips and tricks from a Senior Family Law Advocate on claiming maintenance for a five-year-old child in Phalaborwa.

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 Phalaborwa

Whether you claim child maintenance in Phalaborwa, 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 Phalaborwa.

The maintenance scenario – Phalaborwa South Africa

In this article, we will deal with the following fictitious scenario, in a child maintenance matter:

1. The Child is seven years old and attends school in Phalaborwa
2. The child is cared for by the mother who works in Phalaborwa
3. The mother works and earns a Salary of R 10 000
4. The father sees the child every second weekend. He also lives and works in Phalaborwa
5. The child’s monthly expenses are R 6000 – 00 which includes food, clothing, accommodation, education, travel etc.
6. The father earns a reasonable salary and can afford the R 20 000 – 00 per month
7. 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 Phalaborwa, it would be the maintenance court in Phalaborwa. 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 Phalaborwa, 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 Phalaborwa Maintenance Court?

Once you have been notified of the maintenance court date by the Phalaborwa 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 Phalaborwa?

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 Phalaborwa 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 Phalaborwa 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, Phalaborwa, Constantia, George, Hopefield, Oudtshoorn, Paarl, Simon’s Town, Stellenbosch, Swellendam, Worcester

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Parenting Plans

The prohibition of wearing headscarves for females at work and places of learning despite religious convictions and the Supreme Law of the Republic of South Africa – The Constitution.

Does the Constitution adequately protect one from religious oppression?

What does Advocate Muhammad Abduroaf have to say on religious rights?

• Various population groups were created. You would be classified as white, black, Indian coloured, etc.;
• The use of public services and civic amenities was ethnically based on the distinctive colour of your skin. Hence certain beaches were reserved for fair-skinned people, and you could not sit (or stand) anywhere on a bus if you were of a darker shade;
• Depending on the colour of your skin, you could only work in a certain industry. Unmistakably, certain racial groups would be capable of better empowering themselves;
• If you were classified as being white, you would be lawfully entitled to the best of state provided education;
• Mixed marriages were prohibited as well as extramarital sex between white and black people;
• Your skin colour would instantly determine the private land you may rightfully own and where you may live;
• Pass laws were rigorously enforced; and
• Presidential elections were undoubtedly not free and fair.

The birth of our Democratic Constitution and the right to freedom or religion

1. Human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedoms.

1. Non-racialism and non-sexism.

1. Supremacy of the constitution and the rule of law.

1. Universal adult suffrage, a national common voters roll, regular elections and a multi-party system of democratic government, to ensure accountability, responsiveness and openness.”

1. This Bill of Rights is a cornerstone of democracy in South Africa. It enshrines the rights of all people in our country and affirms the democratic values of human dignity, equality and freedom.”

• Equality
• Human Dignity
• Life
• Freedom and Security of the Person
• Slavery, Servitude and Forced Labour
• Privacy
• Freedom of Religion, Belief and Opinion
• Freedom of Expression
• Assembly, Demonstration, Picket and Petition
• Freedom of Association
• Political Rights
• Citizenship
• Freedom of Movement and Residence
• Freedom of Trade, Occupation and Profession
• Labour Relations
• Environment
• Property
• Housing
• Health Care, Food Water and Social Security
• Children
• Education
• Language and Culture
• Cultural, Religious and Linguistic Communities
• Access to Information

15. Freedom of religion, belief and opinion
16. Everyone has the right to freedom of conscience, religion, thought, belief and opinion.

1. The rights in the Bill of Rights may be limited only in terms of law of general application to the extent that the limitation is reasonable and justifiable in an open and democratic society based on human dignity, equality and freedom, taking into account all relevant factors, including ­

1. the nature of the right;

1. the importance of the purpose of the limitation;

1. the nature and extent of the limitation;

1. the relation between the limitation and its purpose; and

1. less restrictive means to achieve the purpose.

2. Except as provided in subsection (1) or in any other provision of the Constitution, no law may limit any right entrenched in the Bill of Rights.”

Commanding an employee or student not to wear a headscarf due to her religious convictions and beliefs