The Children’s Act Deep Dive

Date: 21 & 22 January 2026

Time: 17:30 – 20:00 each evening

CPD Accreditation: 5 CPD Points (SAAM/NABFAM) | 6.5 CPD Points (SACSSP)

The Children’s Act Deep Dive – A Revamped 2026 Practitioner-Led Exploration of the Children’s Act

The Children’s Act Deep Dive returns in 2026 with a fully revamped programme, updated content, and refined practitioner-focused insights. Designed and presented by family lawyer and mediator Mervyn Vermeulen, this two-day masterclass offers a strengthened, practice-ready understanding of the Children’s Act—how it operates in court, how it is applied in mediation, and how professionals can navigate complex parental rights matters with clarity and confidence.

Rooted in real casework and day-to-day disputes, this updated edition provides an even sharper focus on the issues family law and child-centred practitioners encounter most frequently.

Programme Overview

The Children’s Act Deep Dive Day 1 – Foundational Principles & Practical Application

This session unpacks the statutory architecture and practical meaning of the Children’s Act, covering:

• The Best Interests of the Child Standard – its constitutional grounding, statutory factors, and how courts actually use it in contact, care, relocation, guardianship, and medical disputes.

• Parental Responsibilities and Rights (PRR): Contact, Care, Guardianship, Maintenance – with emphasis on statutory definitions, distinctions between full and specific PRR, and frequent misconceptions in practice.

• Acquisition and Termination of PRR – including mothers, married fathers, unmarried fathers (Section 21), interested persons (Sections 22–24), and the role of wills (Section 27).

• Child Participation – what meaningful participation looks like in real disputes, including S10, S31, views and wishes, and practitioner duties.

• Co-Parenting and Major Decisions – navigating S30–31, when consent is required, when consultation suffices, and common areas of conflict, supported by the decision tree contained in the manual. 

• Parenting Plans – statutory requirements, mandatory mediation, registration or court endorsement, and practical drafting guidance.

This session foregrounds real-world scenarios: obstructive co-parenting, conflicting interpretations of “major decisions,” PRR disputes, and the use of Section 7 in contested matters.

The Children’s Act Deep Dive Day 2 – Litigation Pathways & High-Frequency Disputes

A practitioner-focused walk-through of how children’s matters actually move through various courts:

Litigation Under the Children’s Act

• Children’s Court – jurisdiction, powers, orders, investigations, lay forums, referrals.

• Divorce Courts – PRR determinations, Rule 43/58 practice, safeguarding of minor children.

• Domestic Violence Courts – protection orders affecting children, including interim contact orders and urgent relief.

• Maintenance Courts – enforcement, investigations, contribution orders, and paternity mechanisms.

Frequently Encountered Issues

Drawing directly from recurring disputes in practice:

• Guardianship and Section 18(3)(c) joint-consent issues – passports, relocation, property decisions, and remedies for a recalcitrant co-guardian.

• International Relocation – consent, best-interest analysis, drafting pitfalls, and High Court applications.

• Unmarried Fathers (Section 21) – acquisition, common misinterpretations, mediation requirements, and litigation trends.

• Suspension/Termination of PRR – Section 28 applications, evidentiary expectations, best-interests analysis, and examples of compliant agreements.

• Major Decisions & Medical Treatment – consent rules (Section 129), disputes, and urgent interventions.

• Duty to Report – obligations for professionals under Section 110 and the Domestic Violence Act.

This session is practice-driven, emphasising case strategy, mediation dynamics, court expectations, and pitfalls that frequently lead to unnecessary litigation.

Why Attend?

Practitioner-Centred Learning

Led by a practising family lawyer and mediator, this training offers an honest, experience-based account of how the Children’s Act operates in reality—not just on paper.

Court-Ready and Mediation-Ready Insight

Gain clarity on how judges, magistrates, family advocates, and mediators interpret and apply the Act across different forums.

Strategic Understanding of Disputes

Learn where parental conflict most often arises, how to anticipate litigation risks, and how to craft durable solutions grounded in statutory principles.

Professional Development

Earn CPD points while strengthening your competence in one of the most technical and rapidly developing areas of family law practice.

Whether you are a legal practitioner, mediator, social worker, psychologist, or any professional navigating children’s matters, this training will equip you with practical tools, case-based insights, and a sharper understanding of the statutory and litigation landscape that shapes children’s rights in South Africa.