37 years in practice
Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal
320 Smith Street, 10th Floor, Mercury House, Durban
031 307 3982
29 years in practice
Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal
403 Palmview Drive, Palmview, Phoenix, Durban+27 (0)31 505 5209
24 years in practice
Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal
24 Acropolis Street, Strawwod, Phoenix, Durban031 507 8653
Law Firm
Phoenix, KwaZulu-Natal
1 Bluehaven Place, Foresthaven, Phoenix078 246 0073All of the 4 law firms we list in Phoenix take on divorce matters, which shows how central this work is for local practices. The longest established are Pravda and Knowles Attorneys (37 years), Shobhana Devi Dooken & Associates Inc (29 years) and Arif Mohamed Attorneys (24 years). All of them have a full profile on our site, with their people, history and the courts they use.
A divorce in South Africa is granted under the Divorce Act 70 of 1979, by a Regional Court or the High Court. If you and your spouse agree on everything, an uncontested divorce with a signed settlement agreement is usually the quickest and cheapest route. If you disagree about the children, maintenance or how the estate is split, the matter is contested and a lawyer becomes far more important.
Divorces are heard by the Regional Court or the High Court, while maintenance and protection orders are dealt with at the magistrate's court. Phoenix has its own magistrate's court, the Phoenix Magistrate's Court at c/o Phoenix Highway and Pegasus Drive, Phoenix 4068. The nearest Office of the Family Advocate is in Durban, about 18 km away: Office of the Family Advocate, Durban, 15th Floor, Maritime House, 143 Margaret Mncadi Avenue (Salmon Grove), Durban, 4001. The Family Advocate looks after the interests of children in divorce and care disputes. The nearest Legal Aid SA office is in Verulam, about 10 km away: Legal Aid SA Verulam Local Office, Suite 1, 1st Floor, Ayesha Razak Centre, 23 Groom Street, Verulam, 4340. Legal Aid helps people who pass its means test, mainly in criminal, family and eviction matters.
If both spouses sign a settlement agreement and the papers are in order, an uncontested divorce is often finalised in a few weeks to a few months, depending on how busy the court is. Contested divorces can take much longer.
It is possible to use the court's self-help process, but a lawyer helps make sure the settlement agreement properly covers the children, maintenance, pension interests and property, which is hard to fix later.
Ask how many divorces the firm handles, whether they offer mediation, how they charge (a fixed fee for uncontested divorces is common) and which court they will use. Compare two or three firms from the list above before you decide.
Maintenance claims and protection orders for people in Phoenix are dealt with at the Phoenix Magistrate's Court. Divorces can be heard in the Regional Court or in the KwaZulu-Natal Division of the High Court.
The closest office is Office of the Family Advocate, Durban, about 18 km away.
Legal Aid South Africa helps people who qualify under its means test. The closest office to Phoenix is Legal Aid SA Verulam Local Office, about 10 km away.
