Legal news and commentary from the offices of Simon Dippenaar
This Father’s Day/Youth Day, we reflect on fatherhood and young fathers Father’s Day coincides with Youth Day this year, and this provides an opportunity to reflect on the role…some would say plight…of young fathers, over 90% of whom are unmarried and not living with the mother of their child, as well as on the rights […]
Reprinted from timeslive.co.za, by Rorisang Kgosana – 2024-05-13 A father is in danger of losing custody of his children after pleading guilty to spanking them, saying he was unaware that chastisement was now regarded as a crime. The Centurion father, 36, is awaiting sentencing after admitting to the court that he hit his children, aged […]
High Court ruling spells changes to parental leave provisions in BCEA A landmark judgment was handed down by the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg within the last week, which heralds a significant change to the provisions for parental leave after the birth of a child in the Basic Conditions of Employment Act 75 of […]
Why you need to appoint a legal guardian for your children in your will If you have children, you need a will. If you die without a will, this is known as dying intestate or in a state of intestacy. Nearly 75% of South Africans die without having a valid will. If this happens, your […]
Addicted parents – balancing rights with responsibilities With every right comes a responsibility. In no sphere of life is this more true than when it comes to parenting. Do parents have a right to see their children? Yes, they do. But the rights and best interests of the child take precedence. There are circumstances in […]
What are the rights and responsibilities of unmarried mothers and fathers? We’ve written a lot about the rights…and responsibilities…of parents in the event of divorce. As divorce attorneys, you would expect this of us. But SD Law is not just a firm of divorce lawyers. We are family lawyers. And families come in all shapes […]
It may sound odd, but children can benefit from their parents’ divorce Much has been written about the damage caused to children by divorce, but is there another side to the story? Are there ways in which children benefit from divorce? Experts believe they can and do. Let’s look at some of the ways divorce […]
If you are a parent, here is how the proposed changes to the Children’s Act will affect you South Africa has some of the most progressive children’s legislation in the world. The Amendment Bill before Parliament strengthens protective measures for children even further and aims to close gaps in the child protection system. This article […]
It’s time to free yourself from your manipulative former husband, says Mariella Frostrup Reprinted from the Guardian – 2020-09-06 This reader’s dilemma from the UK’s Guardian newspaper caught our eye. It is not uncommon for divorced co-parents to continue in an emotionally dependent and unhealthy relationship. The constant contact of raising children can make it […]
Two Cape Town parents, who are divorced, have won legal permission in court to travel in the father’s Land Rover to fetch their young children in a different province, to relieve their struggling grandparents. The story involves elderly grandparents, doing their utmost to care for their grandchildren – while both suffering medical difficulties themselves – […]
