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Top tips from a Senior Family Law Advocate on how to deal with your Child Custody matter in the Benoni Children’s Court

 

Family law legal matters can be very stressful. This is so whether you live in Benoni or any other city in South Africa. Especially so if you have no idea how the legal processes work. It is one thing to know that you are entitled to child support, but it is a totally different matter to know the law and procedure on how to claim child support. Luckily in child maintenance matters, the maintenance court is there to assist you in completing the application form. However, many times that is not enough. Especially so if the other parent has a lawyer and knows how to present the case for his or her client.

This article, however, deals with some top tips in care and contact or custody matters in the Children’s Court in Benoni. It would explain the processes involved and advise on how to be best prepared for your matter. This advice is applicable whether you live in Benoni or any other city in South Africa.

What to do before visiting the Benoni Children’s Court

Before you approach the Children’s Court in Benoni, first try to resolve the issues with the other parent. Therefore, if you want more contact with your child and the other parent is refusing, try to resolve the matter first with that parent. If that does not work, try mediation. The mediator can be anyone, from a trusted mutual friend, priest, or other religious leaders, or a professional like an attorney, psychologist, or the office of the Family Advocate. Benoni has many professionals that can assist you in this regard. If resolving the matter by yourselves is not possible, or mediation fails, then we suggest you approach the Benoni Children’s Court for assistance.

TIP: Focus on getting someone neutral to assist in mediating your matter. Organisations like FAMSA and FAMAC can be of assistance. Google them.

Approaching the Benoni Children’s Court

The Benoni Children’s Court should be approached if it is the closest Children’s Court to you. You need to verify with the Benoni Children’s Court that you fall under their area of jurisdiction. If not, they would direct you to which Children’s Court is applicable to you.

Once you arrive at the Benoni Children’s Court, they will provide you with a form headed “Bringing Matter to Court in Terms of Section 53 Children’s Act, 2005 (Act no. 38 of 2005) Regulation Relating to Children’s Court and International Child Abduction, 2008 [Regulation 6]. This form is also called Form 2.

In this form, you will provide all your particulars and that of the child or children and the other parent. The sections in the form are as follows:

  • PART A: PARTICULARS OF CHILD(REN)
  • PART B: PARTICULARS OF *CHILD WHO IS AFFECTED BY OR INVOLVED IN THE MATTER/PERSON *ACTING IN THE INTEREST OF THE CHILD/*ON BEHALF OF THE CHILD WHO CANNOT ACT IN HIS/HER OWN NAME/ *MEMBER OF A GROUP OF CLASS OF CHILDREN/*IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST (SECTION 53(2)
  • PART C: PARTICULARS OF PERSONS HAVING AN INTEREST IN THE MATTER
  • PART D: PARTICULARS OF MATTER

In part D, the following is stated which you need to provide in the form:

  • Nature of matter brought to Court: (Please give full details of the matter e.g., registration/amendment of parenting plans, removal of child to safe care, children in need of care and protection, placement in youth care centers, adoption etc.
  • Documents: Are there any documents relating to the matter? (If so please attach)

Once you have completed the form and attached the relevant documents to it, you must take it to a commissioner of Oaths to have it commissioned. It does not have to be in Benoni.

TIP: Draft a separate affidavit explaining your case. Outline some background information and reasons why the Court should give you what you request. Attach it to Form 2.

Processing your Application at the Benoni Children’s Court

Once you complete the Form A and submit it to the Clerk of the Benoni Children’s Court, they will process it and allocate it a case number or reference number. The Clerk of the Court would then allocate a date to the matter and advise the parties accordingly when the court date is. Please note that some courts follow a different process for processing the application and informing the parties of the court date. Please enquire from the Court when making the application what process they follow.

TIP: Obtain the contact details of the Court for you to contact them to obtain the Court date or other information. Ask for their contact number and email address.

Appearing in the Benoni Children’s Court

When notified of the Court date, both you and the other parent should attend. If you are making use of a lawyer (Advocate or Attorney), inform them timeously of the date. Depending on the Court, you may first see the Clerk or go directly to the Magistrate. The Children’s Court would do its best to try to resolve the matter. If the parents cannot come to an agreement, the Children’s Court may postpone the matter for either of the following:

  • Get a social worker involved in the matter;
  • Appoint a legal representative for the minor child;
  • Implement interim care and contact arrangements;
  • Having the parties attempt to agree on a parenting plan;
  •  

In serious matters, the Court may remove the minor child from both parents and place the child in foster care. The powers of the Children’s Court are extensive. It will, however, focus on what is in the child’s best interests.

TIP: Be as vocal as possible. Do not expect the Court to be understanding of your case or be on your side. It is your duty to explain your case and provide the Court with all the relevant information they require for them to make a fair decision.

Finalising the matter in the Benoni Children’s Court

Once the Benoni Children’s Court has enough information to make a final decision, it will do so. Depending on the facts of the matter, that could either be making a Parenting Plan, an Order of the Court or a final care and contact Order. The Court may even make further interim orders, where the parties are to return to Court after a few months, or a year later.

TIP: Do not agree to something just because the social worker, a lawyer, or the Court suggest it. You need to be happy with what is decided.

The above Benoni Children’s Court Application tips 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, Benoni, Constantia, George, Hopefield, Oudtshoorn, Paarl, Simon’s Town, Stellenbosch, Swellendam, Worcester

Posted on by Telelaw

Can technology be used to have me divorced online? I do not want to go to court or see my spouse again. Is an online divorce possible?

When a marriage breaks down, people naturally would want information on the topic of divorces and the legal process. For this, they usually go online to find answers. This information they seek could include, how divorces works, the process and how long it takes. Of course, if there are minor children involved, parents would want to know what the parental rights and responsibilities are as well. This relates to issues of care, contact, child maintenance etc. Then there is the issue of proprietary rights. In other words who gets what assets or money if there is a joint estate. This article, however, deals with the issue regarding whether or not a couple’s divorce can be done online?

Two main aspects of a divorce process

Broadly speaking the divorce process can be divided into two processes. The first aspect relates to that of instituting the divorce proceedings and getting the matter to court. The second aspect relates to the actual divorce proceedings in court. As can be seen, further below, the divorce process is analogue. The only part of it that can be done online is getting the documentation in order, so that your lawyer may prepare the Summons, Particulars of Claim and so on. However, processing a divorce would entail physically issuing documents at court, serving the summons on the other spouse via the sheriff and attending to court on the date of the divorce. Once the documents have been issued and served, some legal processes thereafter can take place via email. However, physical copies of those documents still need to be filed at court. Therefore, a lot of walking still needs to take place.

The online aspect of the divorce

If you are making use of the services of a legal practitioner to attend to your divorce, you can provide him or her with instructions online. These instructions relate to the names and details of the spouses, the matrimonial property regime, reasons for the breakdown, details of the minor children if any and the assets of the parties if applicable and so on. The legal practitioner (advocate or attorney) would then draft the necessary documentation. He or she would then have to physically issue it at court.  Therefore, the only aspect of the divorce that can be done online as stated earlier is instructing your legal practitioner with the relevant information. [caption id="attachment_9218" align="alignleft" width="441"] Online Divorce – South Africa[/caption]

Things that must be done physically in a divorce process

Once you provided your legal practitioner with the relevant information either in person or online, the following needs to take place. Firstly, the legal practitioner after drafting the documentation would have to have them issued at court, obtain a case number, and then have it served on your spouse by the sheriff of the court. This would have to be done physically. It cannot be done online or via email unless the court authorises it via edictal citation or substituted service.

Physically attending to court to give evidence

We will presume for this example that your spouse will not oppose the divorce. If that is the case then your legal practitioner would physically have to draft and serve a notice of set down on the relevant court. After your legal practitioner ensured that the court file is in order, then either you or your spouse would physically have to appear before the judge or magistrates to provide evidence as to the details of the marriage and the reasons for the breakdown. If the court is so satisfied, that the marriage has broken down irretrievably, and the minor children’s best interest are looked after, a decree of divorce would be granted.

Is there such a thing as an online divorce in South Africa?

Considering the above, there is no such thing as an online divorce in South Africa. The only aspect that can be done online is providing your legal practitioner with the necessary details of your marriage, the children, property, and so on. Your legal practitioner would then use that information to prepare the necessary documentation. These documents would have to be issued at court and served on the other spouse. On the divorce day, one of the parties will still have to appear in court to give evidence. As can be seen above, the concept of an online divorce could be confusing. However, if you’re making use of illegal practitioners, who is tech-savvy, the only time you physically need to be available would be on the date of the divorce at court. All other times you can provide the legal practitioners with instructions telephonically, via email, video and so on.            
Posted on by Telelaw

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