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Child Maintenance in South Africa - A lawyer answers the burning questions

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With so many single-parent households in South Africa, child maintenance is always a hot topic. But who is responsible, and who isn’t? Our Head of Financial Education, John Manyike, sat down with Founder and MD of Mashitisho Attorneys, Kholofelo Mashitisho, to get the legal low-down – and you’ll be surprised to hear what the law says!

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Chapters
  • 00:04 Kholofelo Mashitisho talks about her academic background and experience as a lawyer
  • 00:45 Introduction to our topic: child maintenance in South Africa
  • 02:20 What is the law that governs maintenance in South Africa?
  • 04:32 Why is it that the majority of people summoned by the maintenance courts are men?
  • 05:24 Can a father refuse to pay child maintenance?
  • 05:50 What costs are considered in child maintenance cases?
  • 06:47 What happens if a father claims to have too much debt to pay child maintenance?
  • 08:39 Is the maintenance of a child the responsibility of biological parents only?
  • 12:10 What happens when a father denies paternity?
  • 13:26 Why would some women feel discouraged about going to maintenance court?
  • 17:14 What happens if the biological father of the child is not a South African citizen?
  • 18:03 What should happen in the case when a man pays a maintenance order for a few months and then disappears?
  • 19:42 What are the rights of the father with regard to access to the child?
  • 22:28 What does the law say with regards to the surname of a child when the parents are unmarried?
  • 23:23 Up to what age should a parent pay maintenance?
  • 25:09 What happens when a person receiving maintenance payments abuses the maintenance contribution?
  • 26:19 At what age can a child refuse to see their parents?
  • 27:25 What constitutes an unfit parent?
19 Apr 2024 English South Africa Education

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