Compassionate & Strategic Family Law Counsel Across South Africa, the United Kingdom & Malta
At Thapelo & Sullivan Partners, our Family Law practice is founded on the understanding that family law matters are among the most emotionally sensitive and personally consequential legal issues a person can ever face. Divorce, child custody disputes, adoption proceedings, and matrimonial property divisions all carry profound personal implications that extend far beyond the courtroom. Our family law team combines deep legal expertise with genuine compassion, ensuring that every client receives not only the strongest possible legal representation but also the guidance, clarity, and support they need during what is often one of the most difficult periods of their lives.
With offices in Johannesburg, London, and Malta, our family law team is uniquely positioned to handle both domestic family matters and complex cross-border disputes involving multiple jurisdictions, international child abduction, and multi-million rand or pound matrimonial asset divisions. Whatever your family law matter, Thapelo & Sullivan Partners is here to protect your interests and those of your loved ones every step of the way.
What We Offer
Divorce & Separation
Our family law team represents clients in all aspects of divorce and separation proceedings, from uncontested divorces to highly complex contested matters involving substantial assets, business interests, and cross-border financial arrangements. We advise clients on their rights and obligations under South African family law, English family law, and Maltese matrimonial law, and work tirelessly to achieve outcomes that are fair, legally sound, and in the best interests of our clients and their families. Where appropriate, we encourage and facilitate mediated settlements to minimise conflict and reduce the emotional and financial cost of divorce proceedings.
Child Custody & Parental Rights
Child custody and parental rights disputes are among the most sensitive and emotionally charged matters in family law. Our team approaches every custody matter with the child’s best interests as the paramount consideration, working to achieve arrangements that provide stability, security, and continuity for the children involved while fully protecting our clients’ parental rights. We handle both domestic custody matters and complex international child custody disputes, including cases involving the unlawful removal or retention of children across international borders under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction.
Matrimonial Property & Asset Division
The division of matrimonial property upon divorce can be one of the most complex and contentious aspects of family law, particularly where the parties have significant assets, business interests, or property holdings across multiple jurisdictions. Our family law team has extensive experience advising clients on matrimonial property regimes under South African, English, and Maltese law, conducting thorough asset investigations, and negotiating or litigating property settlements that fairly reflect our clients’ legal entitlements. We work with leading financial experts and forensic accountants where necessary to ensure that all assets are properly identified, valued, and accounted for in the settlement process.
Adoption & Surrogacy
Adoption and surrogacy proceedings are deeply personal and legally complex matters that require careful and experienced legal guidance. Our family law team advises prospective adoptive parents and surrogates on the legal requirements and procedures for adoption and surrogacy arrangements under South African, English, and Maltese law. We handle all aspects of the legal process, from the initial application through to the finalisation of the adoption or surrogacy agreement, ensuring that our clients’ rights and the best interests of the child are protected at every stage.
Maintenance & Financial Support
Every child has the right to financial support from both parents, and every spouse may be entitled to maintenance following the breakdown of a marriage. Our family law team advises clients on their rights and obligations regarding child maintenance and spousal support under the applicable law in each jurisdiction, and represents clients in maintenance applications, variations, and enforcement proceedings before the relevant courts. We ensure that maintenance orders are fair, properly calculated, and fully enforceable across all relevant jurisdictions.
Domestic Violence & Protection Orders
The safety and wellbeing of our clients and their children is our absolute priority. Our family law team assists victims of domestic violence in obtaining urgent protection orders and interdict applications before the relevant courts in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Malta. We handle these matters with the utmost sensitivity, urgency, and discretion, ensuring that our clients and their children are protected from harm as swiftly as possible. We also advise clients who have had protection orders taken against them and ensure that their rights are properly observed throughout the process.
Why Choose Thapelo & Sullivan Partners for Family Law
Family law matters require a legal team that combines technical excellence with genuine human understanding. At Thapelo & Sullivan Partners, our family law attorneys bring both qualities to every case they handle. With over five decades of experience, a presence across three jurisdictions, and a deep commitment to achieving the best possible outcomes for our clients and their families, we are the trusted choice for individuals navigating the most personal and consequential legal challenges of their lives.
FAQ's
Yes. Our family law team is specifically experienced in handling cross-border divorce proceedings involving South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Malta. Where spouses are resident in different jurisdictions, important questions arise regarding which country's courts have jurisdiction over the divorce and which country's law applies to the division of assets and maintenance. Our team advises clients on these jurisdictional questions from the outset and manages the proceedings across all relevant jurisdictions simultaneously to protect our clients' interests fully.
In all three jurisdictions in which we operate, the paramount consideration in any child custody matter is the best interests of the child. Courts will consider a wide range of factors including the child's age, emotional and physical needs, the existing relationship between the child and each parent, each parent's ability to provide a stable and nurturing environment, the child's own wishes where appropriate, and the potential impact of any proposed arrangements on the child's overall wellbeing. Our family law team will guide you through these considerations and build the strongest possible case in support of your desired custody arrangement.
If your former partner has taken your children to another country without your consent, you should contact a family law attorney immediately as time is critical in these matters. Where both countries are signatories to the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, you may be entitled to apply for the prompt return of your children to their country of habitual residence. Our family law team has direct experience handling Hague Convention proceedings across South Africa, the United Kingdom, and Malta and will act swiftly to protect your parental rights and secure the return of your children.
The division of matrimonial property upon divorce in South Africa depends on the matrimonial property regime that governed the marriage. Marriages in community of property result in an equal division of the joint estate upon divorce. Marriages out of community of property with the accrual system entitle each spouse to share in the growth of the other's estate during the marriage. Marriages out of community of property without the accrual system result in each spouse retaining their own assets. Our family law team will advise you on the property regime that applies to your marriage and ensure that your financial interests are fully protected throughout the divorce process.
Yes. Many divorces can be resolved through negotiation or mediation without the need for contested court proceedings. At Thapelo & Sullivan Partners, we always explore the possibility of reaching a negotiated settlement before proceeding to litigation, as this approach is generally faster, less costly, and less emotionally taxing for all parties involved, particularly where children are concerned. However, where an amicable resolution is not possible, our family law team is fully prepared to represent our clients vigorously in contested court proceedings to ensure that their rights and interests are fully protected.