Children’s Status and Their Right to Inherit

Within the framework of South Africa’s law of succession, constitutional values such as equality and non-discrimination have elevated children’s rights to inherit significantly. Our legal position currently has impacted both the status and inheritance rights of extramarital children, children conceived through artificial insemination, children born of surrogacy, and adopted children. The Children’s Act 38 of […]

Who is responsible for a child’s wellbeing?

By operation of law, the liability to maintain someone is based on three factors: firstly, the claimant’s inability to support himself or herself; secondly, his or her relationship to the person from whom he or she claims support; and thirdly, the latter’s ability to provide support. The common law and the Children’s Act recognise that parents are […]

CAN SURROGATE PARENTS GET MATERNITY LEAVE?

Alex and Ben are in love and decide to enter into a civil union on 31 October 2010 in terms of the Civil Union Act[1]. Everything is going great and a year later they decide as a couple to enter into a surrogacy agreement with a surrogate mother in terms of which they shall have […]