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Adoption

Legal process creating a permanent parent-child relationship.

Annulment

Court process treating a marriage as invalid rather than merely ended.

Attachment of debts for maintenance

Order attaching money owed to a maintenance defaulter.

Attachment of emoluments for maintenance

Order requiring salary deductions for maintenance.

Best interests of the child

Main standard courts use when deciding child-related matters.

Breach of protection order

Failure to comply with a protection order.

Care of a child

Day-to-day responsibility for a childs wellbeing and upbringing.

Child

Person under 18 years old.

Child abduction

Wrongful removal or retention of a child.

Child and youth care centre

Registered residential care facility for children needing placement.

Child exposed to domestic violence

Child seeing, hearing, or being affected by domestic violence.

Child in need of care and protection

Child whose safety or wellbeing may require statutory protection.

Child Maintenance

Financial support for a child.

Childrens Court

Court dealing with care, protection, and other child-related matters.

Coercive behaviour

Pressure or threats used to force or restrict choices.

Complainant in domestic violence

Person applying for protection or reporting domestic violence.

Contact with a child

Maintaining a personal relationship and communication with a child.

Contested Divorce

Divorce where spouses do not agree on one or more issues.

Controlling behaviour

Conduct that controls movement, choices, contact, money, or daily life.

Decree Of Divorce

Court order formally ending a marriage.

Discharge of maintenance order

Ending an existing maintenance order where legally justified.

Divorce

Legal ending of a marriage by court order.

Divorce Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to family law work.

Divorce Settlement Agreement

Agreement recording divorce settlement terms.

Domestic relationship

Relationship covered by domestic violence law.

Domestic violence

Abusive conduct in a domestic relationship causing harm or fear.

Domestic violence safety monitoring notice

Notice used in the domestic violence safety monitoring framework.

Duty of support

Legal duty to maintain another person where the law recognises responsibility.

Economic abuse

Withholding or controlling money, resources, or necessities abusively.

Electronic communications direction

Court direction connected to abusive electronic communication.

Emotional abuse

Non-physical abuse such as degrading, threatening, or harmful conduct.

Family Advocate

Official who assists courts in matters involving children and family disputes.

Family Counsellor

Professional assisting the Family Advocate in child-related enquiries.

Family Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to family law work.

Final protection order

Confirmed protection order after the respondent has had a chance to be heard.

Foster care

Court-supervised alternative care placement for a child.

Guardianship

Authority to make major legal decisions for a child.

Harassment in domestic violence

Repeated unwanted conduct that harms or causes fear.

Interim protection order

Temporary protection order granted before final confirmation.

Irretrievable breakdown

Ground showing the marriage has broken down beyond reasonable restoration.

Laying-in expenses

Birth-related expenses that may arise in maintenance matters.

Legal separation

Living apart while still legally married; not a standalone SA divorce status.

Maintenance Arrears

Unpaid maintenance that is overdue.

Maintenance complaint

Application or complaint lodged to start maintenance proceedings.

Maintenance Court

Court process for maintenance claims and enforcement.

Maintenance enquiry

Court enquiry into whether maintenance should be ordered, changed, or enforced.

Maintenance investigator

Official who gathers information about income, location, or financial position.

Maintenance officer

Court official who handles and investigates maintenance complaints.

Maintenance Order

Court order requiring payment of maintenance.

Maintenance warrant of execution

Court process to attach property for unpaid maintenance.

Parental responsibilities and rights

Bundle of parental duties and rights including care, contact, guardianship, and maintenance.

Parenting Plan

Agreement or plan for parenting arrangements.

Physical abuse

Physical violence or harm in a domestic relationship.

Protection order

Court order restricting abusive conduct.

Relocation with a child

Moving a child in a way that may affect another parents care, contact, or guardianship.

Respondent in domestic violence

Person against whom a protection order is sought.

Sexual abuse in domestic violence

Sexual conduct or coercion covered as domestic violence.

Spousal maintenance

Financial support one spouse may pay to the other after divorce.

Uncontested Divorce

Divorce where spouses agree on the main terms.

Variation of maintenance order

Changing an existing maintenance order because circumstances changed.

Warrant of arrest for protection order

Warrant linked to protection-order enforcement.

Core definitions

Core terms in this track

Divorce

Legal ending of a marriage by court order.

Maintenance Order

Court order requiring payment of maintenance.

Decree Of Divorce

Court order formally ending a marriage.

Contested Divorce

Divorce where spouses do not agree on one or more issues.

Uncontested Divorce

Divorce where spouses agree on the main terms.

Divorce Settlement Agreement

Agreement recording divorce settlement terms.

Child Maintenance

Financial support for a child.

Maintenance Court

Court process for maintenance claims and enforcement.

Maintenance Arrears

Unpaid maintenance that is overdue.

Parenting Plan

Agreement or plan for parenting arrangements.

Family Advocate

Official who assists courts in matters involving children and family disputes.

Family Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to family law work.

Divorce Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to family law work.

Best interests of the child

Main standard courts use when deciding child-related matters.

Breach of protection order

Failure to comply with a protection order.

Care of a child

Day-to-day responsibility for a childs wellbeing and upbringing.

Child

Person under 18 years old.

Child exposed to domestic violence

Child seeing, hearing, or being affected by domestic violence.

Child in need of care and protection

Child whose safety or wellbeing may require statutory protection.

Childrens Court

Court dealing with care, protection, and other child-related matters.

Contact with a child

Maintaining a personal relationship and communication with a child.

Domestic relationship

Relationship covered by domestic violence law.

Domestic violence

Abusive conduct in a domestic relationship causing harm or fear.

Duty of support

Legal duty to maintain another person where the law recognises responsibility.

Economic abuse

Withholding or controlling money, resources, or necessities abusively.

Emotional abuse

Non-physical abuse such as degrading, threatening, or harmful conduct.

Final protection order

Confirmed protection order after the respondent has had a chance to be heard.

Guardianship

Authority to make major legal decisions for a child.

Interim protection order

Temporary protection order granted before final confirmation.

Irretrievable breakdown

Ground showing the marriage has broken down beyond reasonable restoration.

Maintenance complaint

Application or complaint lodged to start maintenance proceedings.

Parental responsibilities and rights

Bundle of parental duties and rights including care, contact, guardianship, and maintenance.

Physical abuse

Physical violence or harm in a domestic relationship.

Protection order

Court order restricting abusive conduct.

Sexual abuse in domestic violence

Sexual conduct or coercion covered as domestic violence.

Spousal maintenance

Financial support one spouse may pay to the other after divorce.

Variation of maintenance order

Changing an existing maintenance order because circumstances changed.

Warrant of arrest for protection order

Warrant linked to protection-order enforcement.

Browse all glossary tracks

All terms

Browse this section

Divorce

Legal ending of a marriage by court order.

Maintenance Order

Court order requiring payment of maintenance.

Decree Of Divorce

Court order formally ending a marriage.

Contested Divorce

Divorce where spouses do not agree on one or more issues.

Uncontested Divorce

Divorce where spouses agree on the main terms.

Divorce Settlement Agreement

Agreement recording divorce settlement terms.

Child Maintenance

Financial support for a child.

Maintenance Court

Court process for maintenance claims and enforcement.

Maintenance Arrears

Unpaid maintenance that is overdue.

Parenting Plan

Agreement or plan for parenting arrangements.

Family Advocate

Official who assists courts in matters involving children and family disputes.

Family Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to family law work.

Divorce Lawyer

A legal professional or search category connected to family law work.

Adoption

Legal process creating a permanent parent-child relationship.

Annulment

Court process treating a marriage as invalid rather than merely ended.

Attachment of debts for maintenance

Order attaching money owed to a maintenance defaulter.

Attachment of emoluments for maintenance

Order requiring salary deductions for maintenance.

Best interests of the child

Main standard courts use when deciding child-related matters.

Breach of protection order

Failure to comply with a protection order.

Care of a child

Day-to-day responsibility for a childs wellbeing and upbringing.

Child

Person under 18 years old.

Child abduction

Wrongful removal or retention of a child.

Child and youth care centre

Registered residential care facility for children needing placement.

Child exposed to domestic violence

Child seeing, hearing, or being affected by domestic violence.

Child in need of care and protection

Child whose safety or wellbeing may require statutory protection.

Childrens Court

Court dealing with care, protection, and other child-related matters.

Coercive behaviour

Pressure or threats used to force or restrict choices.

Complainant in domestic violence

Person applying for protection or reporting domestic violence.

Contact with a child

Maintaining a personal relationship and communication with a child.

Controlling behaviour

Conduct that controls movement, choices, contact, money, or daily life.

Discharge of maintenance order

Ending an existing maintenance order where legally justified.

Domestic relationship

Relationship covered by domestic violence law.

Domestic violence

Abusive conduct in a domestic relationship causing harm or fear.

Domestic violence safety monitoring notice

Notice used in the domestic violence safety monitoring framework.

Duty of support

Legal duty to maintain another person where the law recognises responsibility.

Economic abuse

Withholding or controlling money, resources, or necessities abusively.

Electronic communications direction

Court direction connected to abusive electronic communication.

Emotional abuse

Non-physical abuse such as degrading, threatening, or harmful conduct.

Family Counsellor

Professional assisting the Family Advocate in child-related enquiries.

Final protection order

Confirmed protection order after the respondent has had a chance to be heard.

Foster care

Court-supervised alternative care placement for a child.

Guardianship

Authority to make major legal decisions for a child.

Harassment in domestic violence

Repeated unwanted conduct that harms or causes fear.

Interim protection order

Temporary protection order granted before final confirmation.

Irretrievable breakdown

Ground showing the marriage has broken down beyond reasonable restoration.

Laying-in expenses

Birth-related expenses that may arise in maintenance matters.

Legal separation

Living apart while still legally married; not a standalone SA divorce status.

Maintenance complaint

Application or complaint lodged to start maintenance proceedings.

Maintenance enquiry

Court enquiry into whether maintenance should be ordered, changed, or enforced.

Maintenance investigator

Official who gathers information about income, location, or financial position.

Maintenance officer

Court official who handles and investigates maintenance complaints.

Maintenance warrant of execution

Court process to attach property for unpaid maintenance.

Parental responsibilities and rights

Bundle of parental duties and rights including care, contact, guardianship, and maintenance.

Physical abuse

Physical violence or harm in a domestic relationship.

Protection order

Court order restricting abusive conduct.

Relocation with a child

Moving a child in a way that may affect another parents care, contact, or guardianship.

Respondent in domestic violence

Person against whom a protection order is sought.

Sexual abuse in domestic violence

Sexual conduct or coercion covered as domestic violence.

Spousal maintenance

Financial support one spouse may pay to the other after divorce.

Variation of maintenance order

Changing an existing maintenance order because circumstances changed.

Warrant of arrest for protection order

Warrant linked to protection-order enforcement.

Related resources

Resources connected to this track

Browse resources

Checklist

Divorce Checklist

Preparation checklist for divorce process, settlement, parenting, and maintenance issues.

Client Document Pack

Maintenance Documents Checklist

Document pack for income, expenses, child costs, payment records, and maintenance court preparation.

Preparation Pack

Parenting Plan Preparation Pack

Preparation pack for care, contact, schooling, holidays, communication, and parenting-plan discussion points.

Lawyer Discovery Resource

Family Lawyer Guide Resource

Resource for comparing family lawyers by issue, documents, parenting or maintenance concerns, and consultation fit.

Lawyer Discovery Resource

Family Lawyer Pretoria Discovery Resource

Resource for comparing family-law help in Pretoria by issue, documents, location, and consultation readiness.

Preparation Pack

Divorce Lawyer Near Me Preparation Checklist

Preparation pack for divorce consultations, settlement questions, parenting concerns, maintenance, and document readiness.