South Africa Makes Divorce Easier And Cheaper

Rachel Small — Fri, 08 Feb 2008 15:00:00 -0500

I was surprised to learn that about two out of every three marriages in South Africa end in divorce. That is an even higher rate than in the U.S. Getting a divorce in South Africa is an expensive and slow process, taking up to two years. There is a stalemate going on because divorce cases can currently only be heard by High courts in three divorce court centers for this large country. This makes the costs go up and forces estranged couples to place their lives on hold as they await a court hearing. The city of Johannesburg produces more than one thousand cases per month. The courts are challenged with a heavy work load. It's clear that the system is flawed due to centralization. Legislation has been introduced which will remove divorce cases from the High courts and assign them to regional courts, giving the public greater access. The change will require additional magistrates, many of whom will have to be trained in family law. This legislation will alleviate the backlog and reduce the cost of divorce cases. It's a progressive step for South Africa to make divorce courts more readily available on a local and regional level. I feel confident that the law will be enacted and it will benefit South African families immensely. Click here for more.

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South Africa Makes Divorce Easier And Cheaper