Maintenance Complaint (Child Support)

A parent (or a person caring for a child) is not paying what is needed for the child to live.

Forum: Maintenance Court at the Magistrate's Court where the child lives — Maintenance Act 99 of 1998 · Your case file: R199 · preview free

How this works

List the child's real monthly expenses and both parents' incomes.
Download the complaint pack.
Go to the Maintenance Court in the district where the child lives. The Maintenance Officer assists you free of charge.
Both parents are called; the court sets an amount by formula against your expense schedule. Enforcement (emoluments attachment) is available on the same order.

Every child has a right to maintenance from BOTH parents, in proportion to what each can afford. A maintenance order is obtained WITHOUT lawyers and without fees. This pack drafts your complaint (Annexure 'B' style), the means table, and your expense schedule — the three things the Maintenance Officer needs to open the matter.

Your full name (parent/carer)

Contact number

Email (for your receipt) (optional)

Child(ren) full name(s) + date(s) of birth

Where the child lives

Other parent / person liable

Their address (work address helps for serving and attachment)

Their monthly income — what you honestly believe (the court can subpoena payslips)

Your monthly income

The child's monthly costs in R: food, school (uniforms, fees, shoes), transport, medical, clothing, housing share, activities.

Date of the last payment (or the date support stopped)

The arrangement you had and how it broke down; any promises (bank statements help).

What amount do you need ordered monthly, and how should it grow (e.g. CPI yearly)?

Your answers are used only to draft your case file on our own servers. We never sell or share them (POPIA-compliant — and we can draft your POPIA complaint too).

No lawyers. No jargon. Citations included.