Van Wyk Van Heerden Attorneys

Introduction

The adoption process is regulated in South Africa by the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 (“the Act”). Adoption is one of the ways to help give abandoned minors a permanent or stable family life, which they would otherwise not have had. The Act provides that a child is adopted if the child has been placed in the permanent care of a person in terms of a Court order. Section 28(2) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa provides that every matter concerning a child, is of paramount importance.

Who can adopt?

A child may be adopted jointly by a husband and wife, partners in a permanent domestic life-partnership, or other persons sharing a common household and forming a permanent family unit. The Act goes further to say that a child may be adopted by a widower, widow, divorced or unmarried person, by a married person whose spouse is the parent of the child or by a person whose permanent domestic life-partner is the parent of the child, by the biological father of a child born out of wedlock, or by the foster parent of the child.

In terms of the Act, a prospective adoptive parent must be a fit person to be entrusted with full parental responsibilities and rights in respect of the child, willing and able to undertake, exercise and maintain those responsibilities and rights, over the age of 18 years old, and properly assessed by an adoption social worker.

What does the process entail?

A child may be adopted only if consent for adoption has been given by each parent of the child, regardless of whether they are married or not, or by the guardian of the child, the child – if the child is 10 years or older, or if the child is under the age of 10 years old but at an age to understand the implications of such consent.

If the parent of a child wishes the child to be adopted by a particular person, the parent must state the name of that person in the consent. Before consent for the adoption of the child is granted, the adoption social worker facilitating the adoption of the child must counsel the parents of the child and, where applicable, the child, on the decision to make the child available for adoption. The eligibility of the prospective adoptive parent must be determined by the Children’s Court.

The consent to adopt must be signed by the person consenting in the presence of a presiding officer of the Children’s Court, and signed by the child in the presence of the presiding officer (if consent of the child is required). The consent to adopt must then be verified by the presiding officer and filed by the clerk of the Children’s Court pending an application for the adoption of the child.

In certain circumstances, consent of the parent or guardian of the child to the adoption is not required, for example, where the parent or guardian is incompetent to give consent due to a mental illness, has abandoned the child, or if the whereabouts of the parents cannot be established, or if the identity of the parents are unknown, if the parents abused or neglected the child, failed to fulfil his or her parental responsibilities towards the child during the last 12 months, has been divested by an order of Court of the right to consent to the adoption of the child, and/or has failed to respond to a notice of the proposed adoption within 30 days of service of the notice. The Act lists further exceptions where consent is not required.

In terms of the Act, notice must be given by the presiding officer to each person whose consent to the adoption is required. If such person fails to comply with the request contained in the notice within 30 days, the person will be regarded as having consented to the adoption.

The application

An application for the adoption of a child must be made to the Children’s Court, and accompanied by a report by the social worker. The report must contain information on whether the child is adoptable, whether the adoption is in the best interest of the child, and medical information in relation to the child. The application must also be accompanied by an assessment referred to in Section 231 of the Act and a letter by the provincial head of social development recommending the adoption of the child.

A Court considering the adoption of a child must be satisfied that all the requirements, as set out above, have been met and that the adoption of the child is in the best interest of the child.

Conclusion

In South Africa, all prospective adoptive parents are required to comply with the requirements as set out in the Act to ensure a successful application.

Sources

  • Children’s Act 38 of 2005

This article is a general information sheet and should not be used or relied on as legal or other professional advice. No liability can be accepted for any errors or omissions nor for any loss or damage arising from reliance upon any information herein. Always contact your legal adviser for specific and detailed advice. Errors and omissions excepted (E&OE)

Courtney is an admitted attorney of the High Court of South Africa having achieved admission in 2024. He holds an LLB degree from the University of South Africa, awarded in 2022.

After the completion of his articles of clerkship, he subsequently joined the firm of van Wyk van Heerden attorneys at their Cape Town Office, where he specializes in Civil and Commercial Litigation and Family Law.

Courtney is passionate about service excellence, prioritizes the needs of clients and is driven by delivering impactful, results-orientated outcomes.

Michelle studied at the University of Stellenbosch where she obtained her BCom Law degree in 2015 and her LLB degree in 2017. After finishing her studies, she completed her articles at a law firm situated in Somerset West where she obtained experience in General Litigation and Family Law. She was admitted as an attorney of the High Court in February 2020 and further obtained her Right of High Court Appearance during 2023.

Michelle joined our team during 2024 as an associate attorney in the litigation department.

Bianca obtained her LLB degree from the University of Pretoria in 2013. She was admitted as an Attorney of the High Court in 2016 and subsequent as a Conveyancer in 2018. She specializes in the drafting of contracts, conveyancing and all other property related matters. She is dedicated to excellent service and good client relations.

Danie began his law career in Pretoria, Gauteng, where he opened his own law firm in 1994. Through Danie’s knowledge of the world of media and entertainment his clientele extends to music artists, celebrities, television, and film production houses. In 2000 Danie founded the firm West & Rossouw with colleague Sharon West in the Cape Town Southern Suburbs until March 2024 when Danie accepted an appointment to relocate to the fast growing Cape Winelands to join van Wyk van Heerden in their Paarl office. Danie has a strong interest in family law and High Court litigation, with vast experience in several jurisdictions and high-profile cases in the High Court, the Supreme Court of Appeal, and the Constitutional Court. Danie has been actively involved in the organized profession and served on the Cape Law Society and the Law Society of South Africa (LSSA) communication committees and several years as vice-president of the Cape Town Southern Suburbs Attorneys’ Association. During August of 2022, Danie was appointed by the Premier of the Western Cape, Alan Winde as the Western Cape Government’s representative on the Council of the Stellenbosch University.

Alicia obtained her LLB degree cum laude from the North-West University, Potchefstroom, in 2020. She commenced her articles during 2020 at Van Velden-Duffey Inc, situated in Rustenburg, where she acted as a candidate attorney in the civil litigation department.

Alicia was admitted as an Attorney of the High Court during early 2023, and currently practices as such in the litigation department of Van Wyk Van Heerden.

Maryna obtained her LLB Degree at the North West University, Potchefstroom. Originally from Clanwilliam, she went to school in Paarl at Paarl Gymnasium and returned to embark on her professional career at our firm. She joined our team in 2021 as an article clerk and was admitted as an Attorney during 2023. Maryna is currently appointed in our Estates Department in the Wellington Office.

Milton is a well organised Attorney passionate about offering multidisciplinary legal service, focusing on the best interest of his clients. He aims to provide impetus to the vision of creating new momentum in transforming the legal system. He values cost effective solutions on various matters of law, persist on a flexible approach and strive to allocate the necessary resources to satisfy his clients' needs.


Milton obtained his LLB degree in 2020 from the University of the North West. He was admitted as an attorney of the High Court of South Africa on 3 March 2023. He specializes in Civil and Commercial Litigation, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Mediation, Contracts, Sports Law, Construction Disputes and Insolvency.

Anika obtained her LLB in 2020 from the University of Stellenbosch. She completed her articles at Van Wyk Van Heerden in 2022 and was admitted as an Attorney of the High Court at the beginning of 2023.

She currently practices in the Conveyancing Department where she assists estate agencies and developers, as well as marketing of the firm.

Gawie obtained his BComm and LLB Degrees at the University of Stellenbosch during 2009 and 2011 respectively. He completed his Master of Laws during 2017 in the Law of Trusts and completed a Post Graduate Diploma in Financial Planning during 2019.

He joined the team at Becker Bergh & More Inc. for his articles in Upington during 2013 and worked at the firm for 9 years attending to litigation, conveyancing and commercial matters. He was admitted as Attorney and Notary Public during 2015 and as a Conveyancer during 2016.

Gawie was appointed in the Conveyancing and Commercial Departments of Van Wyk Van Heerden during 2022 in the Wellington Office, providing clients with expert advice on the structuring of transactions, the registration of Trusts as well as general Conveyancing.

Liesl graduated from the University of Stellenbosch with an LLB degree in 2005.  During University she developed a special interest in and passion for Family Law.  Due to the fact that Liesl specialised during her articles, she completed the Practical Legal Training Course presented by UNISA, in conjunction with her articles, which she commenced with Miller du Toit Cloete Inc in 2006.  She was admitted as an attorney of the Western Cape High Court, with Right of Appearance in 2007.

Liesl co-presented a paper titled “African Charter on the Rights of Children” at the London Metropolitan University Summer School in 2011 and received her Certificate of Completion in this regard.

Liesl commenced her articles at Miller du Toit Cloete Inc, under the guidance of Zenobia du Toit, in 2006 and went on to practise as a Senior Associate there for nearly 14 years. After moving to Paarl, she practised as a director of Family Law at Clark Cupido Attorneys.

Liesl joined Van Wyk Van Heerden Attorneys in April 2022, as head of their Family Law department.  She has practised exclusively in Family law and ancillary matters for 16 years.

Roeline specialises in Estate Administration. Roeline obtained her B.Com Law, LLB and LLM (Estate Law) degrees at North-West University in 2006, 2008 and 2010, respectively.
After she completed her articles in 2010, she joined a financial institution as an estate administrator.

She joined the team in 2022 and attends to all Estate matters.

Aleisha grew up in Durban and relocated to the Western Cape to attend the University of Stellenbosch where she completed a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Dynamics from 2011-2013. Thereafter she obtained her LLB degree through the University of the Free State with distinction from 2014-2017. She joined Van Wyk Van Heerden in 2018 as candidate attorney and gained experience in various fields of the law, with a special interest in Property Law and the Administration of Deceased Estates. After qualifying as an Attorney and Conveyancer during March 2020 Aleisha joined the team assisting in the Conveyancing and Estates Departments of the firm.

Gaynor obtained her LLB degree in 2012 from the University of Stellenbosch. She then completed her articles at a law firm in the North West Province where she gained experience in General Litigation, Family Law and Debt Collection. In 2016 she moved back to the Western Cape and finally joined the firm in November 2018 where she currently heads up the Debt Recovery Department.

Mariska obtained her Bachelor of Arts and LLB degree from Stellenbosch University in 2018 and 2020 respectively. She completed her Master of Laws, with a special interest in Children’s Rights, in 2021.

She commenced her articles at Van Wyk Van Heerden in 2022 and was admitted as an Attorney of the High Court at the start of 2024.

She currently practices in the Litigation Department where she assists with, inter alia, Magistrate Court litigation; Divorces; and Evictions.

Leonette completed her studies at the University of Pretoria and obtained her LLB degree in 2009. She practised in Rustenburg for 8 years and specialised in debt Recovery, debt review and related matters.

Leonette joined the firm in 2017 and manages all correspondent work.

Carla grew up in the Free State and decided to relocate to the Cape Winelands to study law at Stellenbosch University. She obtained her LLB degree in 2002 and furthered her studies at the University of Cape Town’s School for Legal Practice where she received the Dean’s award for the best student in Business Management and Administration.

She joined the litigation department at Van der Spuy & Partners as a candidate attorney where-after she decided to pursue a career in property and commercial law, specializing in sectional title schemes, security estates and developments, servitudes, subdivisions and consolidations as well as commercial contracting.

Carla heads up the Conveyancing Department of the firm and mainly assists estate agencies and developers and is actively involved in the marketing of the company.

Charl obtained his law degree at the North West University in 2008. And finalised his articles at Van Velden & Duffey Attorneys where after he practised at the same firm and became a director in 2014.

Charl was recruited by Van Wyk Van Heerden in 2017 to strengthen and assist our growing litigation department. He handles a wide range of litigation matters including company, family, insolvency, banking and delictual law.

"Quick, practical and commercial resolution is first priority"

Willem van Heerden is a Director at Van Wyk Van Heerden in the dispute resolution, litigation and mediation department. He specialises in contractual disputes, company law, shareholder issues, evictions, family law, banking law and insolvency law. He provides sound strategic advice and direction on all commercial and company issues.

He is an accredited commercial mediator as well as a business rescue practitioner.

He has encouraged the appropriate use of mediation in the resolution of all disputes.

He has acted for various international and cross border trade, transport, agricultural and construction companies. Willem has acted for major banks, insurance houses, leading retailers, property groups as well as high network of entrepreneurs and individuals. He serves as a trustee on a number of trusts.

Willem has written various articles and is a co-author of a published legal book on farm evictions.

Qualifications

  • BCom (Northwest University)
  • LLB (Northwest University)
  • Postgraduate Diploma (VRIJE University Amstelveen )
  • Admitted as an Attorney of the High Court of South Africa
  • Accredited Business Rescue Practitioner (University of South Africa)
  • Accredited Commercial Mediator

Nazlee Abrahams grew up in Paarl and obtained the degrees B.Sc. and LLB from the University of Stellenbosch in 1992 and 1997 respectively.

She commenced with her articles at Van Wyk Fouchee in 1998 and was admitted as an Attorney with right of appearance in the High Court in 2000 after which she consequently became a Director at the firm.

In October of 2002 she was admitted as Conveyancer and also Notary Public in 2006. She currently manages Bonds registrations in the Conveyancing Department and further specialises in family & marriage law, drafting of wills, administration of estates and all notarial work.

Nazlee makes a valuable contribution in pro-bono work when the opportunity arises and invests a considerable amount of time in community service. She also serves as the current Chairperson of the governing body of William Lloyd Primary.

Anville specialises in Property Law, General Commercial Law, Estate and Tax Planning, Administration of Deceased Estates and Trust Law. Through the years, he contributed to the community life in Paarl. He was a founding member of the Drakenstein Rotary Club in Paarl, founding member of the Paarl Attorneys Association, served as Captain, President and Chairman of the board of the Paarl Golf Club and has played a major role in establishing the Boschenmeer Golf and Country Estate.

Anville obtained his BA LLB degree at the University of Stellenbosch in 1974. He served his articles with Silberbauers Attorneys in Cape Town and joined Solomon Miller, Hymie Maisel and Willem Gaum in Paarl in May 1977.

He is an experienced and seasoned attorney who commenced his career in litigation and migrated into Commercial, Trust and Tax work. He obtained his post graduate diploma in Tax Law at the University of Cape Town, with distinction, in 1993.

Anville celebrated his 40th year in practice in 2017.