Riva Lange Attorneys specialises in cases of contact and care following breakups in relationships between married or unmarried couples where children are involved. The terms contact and care are used instead of terms custody and access following the advent of The Children’s Act 38 of 2005.
The change in terminology follows the Act’s determination to enforce the principle of always acting in a child’s best interest. In this regard, whilst the Act recognises parents’ ‘rights’ to their children, it also recognises that with this comes responsibilities for the children’s best care. The Act also recognises the importance of hearing the voice of the child in all matters that affect the child. Riva Lange Attorneys works alongside social workers and psychologists to ensure that in all such disputes, the best interests of the children is protected and promoted and to ensure proper compliance with the requirements of the Act.
This area of my practice includes matters relating to:
• The parental responsibilities and rights of unmarried parents
• Contact disputes in respect of unmarried parents who have terminated their relationship;
• Applications for consent to relocate with children internationally;
• Hague Removal of Children to Foreign Jurisdiction Applications (International Child Abductions);
• Guardianship applications; and
• All other aspects of Child Law
Matters involving children are particularly difficult because they are so emotionally charged and they therefore require a highly specialised and individualised approach, of which Riva Lange and her team are specialised in doing.
Whilst ideally the careof and contact with children should be discussed between parents and resolved with the help of mediators and legal representatives, in circumstances where this is not possible, Riva Lange Attorneys assists their clients in achieving the best possible solution on their behalf always being mindful of ensuring that solution is in the best interests of the child.
Riva Lange and her team are passionate advocates for Children’s Rights and they believe that all children deserve a strong and affectionate relationship with both parents, unless there are extreme extenuating details that weigh against this.