Mother must return child to Denmark-based SA father

A mother, who clandestinely took her six-year-old child from where she and her now estranged husband lived in Denmark, has now been ordered to return the child to her husband in Denmark, reports IoL.

Landmark ruling ends parental leave bias

In a far-reaching judgment, the Constitutional Court on Friday effectively granted all parents – regardless of gender, sex, colour or circumstances – equal parental leave rights.

Ramaphosa’s office rebuffs Mabuza pension saga

The office of President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the R44m dispute over late former Deputy President David Mabuza’s pension money as a family matter ‘that has nothing to do with the Pesident nor the Presidency’.

Warning for unmarried couples living together

Standard Bank has warned unmarried couples living together that they risk great uncertainty or lengthy legal battles if they don’t have their affairs in order.

'Sperm donor' must pay child support, says judge

A Johannesburg man’s attempt to avoid paying maintenance for his twin children by claiming he was merely a sperm donor has been dismissed by the Gauteng High Court (Johannesburg).

Customary and civil marriages cannot co-exist

It is not legally possible for both a customary marriage and a civil marriage to co-exist. Parties are either married by customary law or by civil law, Limpopo High Court (Polokwane) Acting Judge M Mangena said to a couple.

Father gets jail term over child support non-payment

A father who was errant in paying his court-ordered maintenance has been ordered to serve jail time if he does not pay his arrears owed to the mother of his two minor children.

Widow wins landmark sperm case

A widow has won a landmark legal case confirming she is entitled to use the frozen sperm of her dead husband to have another child.

Grandmother awarded rights for grandchildren

Facing an appeal by a father against a lower court order that his two sons’ grandmother may have contact with them, Eastern Cape High Court (Makanda) Judge JW Eksteen remarked that ‘grandparents, like heroes, are as necessary to a child’s growth as vitamins.’

Hidden marriage sparks dispute after husband’s death

A husband who was married to two wives and took this secret to his grave resulted in a legal tussle between the wives as to who is the legal spouse and stands to benefit from his estate.

Father wins fight to keep children in SA

A Johannesburg father has won a battle to keep his two children in the country after relatives of his late estranged wife sought to take them to Scotland.

Widow seeks rights to deceased husband’s frozen sperm

A widow is pinning her hopes on the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) to grant her ownership of reproductive material kept at a fertility clinic after her husband died.

Court orders mother to return child to Australia

A South African woman who married an Australian military man, came to SA to visit her parents with their one-year-old baby and decided not to return home, has been ordered to immediately take the boy back to his father, reports TimesLIVE.

Father faces imprisonment for defying interdict

A father who sent threatening messages to his estranged wife, despite her obtaining an interdict against him, must go to jail, a KZN High Court (Durban) judge has ruled.

Fight over children, despite will

In an application concerning two small children whose parents have died, a tug-o-war has erupted between their elderly grandparents and their uncle as to who should take care of the children.

Parents ordered to pay private school fees

Parents of a private school pupil will have to cough up more than R400 000 after running up the debt over a number of years, having dishonoured their agreement to pay the school fees.

Limpopo father loses custody battle

A father who took his child from her mother without her consent, only for his parents to look after the child in another province, lost a leave to appeal bid at the SCA, where he tried to challenge a Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) ruling that refused to endorse that he has full custody of the child.

Agreement to blacklist child maintenance defaulters

With 70% of parents defaulting on child maintenance in the first two years of a court order, the Department of Justice and the Social Justice Foundation are going ahead with a plan to blacklist defaulters with credit bureaus.

Maintenance defaulter threatened with imprisonment

A Cape Town businessman who has been defaulting on maintenance for his three children could face 30 days in prison. The order was made by the Western Cape High Court after he moved out of the home he shared with the mother of his children in April 2022.

Judge denies HIV claim for foreiture of benefits

A husband asked the court to order that his wife forfeit all patrimonial benefits acquired during their 15-year marriage. He claimed her HIV-positive status indicated she had cheated on him and been promiscuous during their marriage, says a Saturday Star report.