Child Maintenance and Support

The courts calculate child maintenance amounts – they’ll take the amount of money required per month to raise the child, and divide it in proportion with what each parent earns. If a maintenance order is in place, and is not adhered to, the defaulting parent can be regarded as being in contempt of court. This could lead to criminal prosecution. In South Africa, the issues of child maintenance and access are dealt with separately. A non-custodial parent cannot be denied access to their child if they are unable to make, or have defaulted in making, maintenance payments.