Guardian

Both husband and wife are guardians of a child born from the marriage; the mother of a child born out of wedlock is the guardian, unless the father acquires guardianship, for example, by living in a permanent life-partnership with the mother; or the court may appoint a guardian. Guardianship includes safeguarding the child’s property or property interests; representing the child in legal matters; and consenting to marriage, adoption, removal from South Africa, or an application for a passport.

Maintenance

Maintenance is an amount of money that a person has to pay towards another person based on a legal duty to support that person. A legal duty to support a person is based on the relationship between the persons, the need to be supported and the ability to support.

Age, Domicile and Status

A person’s capacity is limited by his/her domicile, age, or mental and physical ability. Read this QuickLaw guide to learn about the effects of a person's status, domicile and age.

Adoption

Adoption is the process where a person applies in court to be considered as the parent of a child. Find more information on adoption and the law here.

Subscribe to Guardian