Divorce is used in the wide sense of the word. Divorce can also mean separation of cohabitants with or without children and also business dissolutions.
We have in the course of 20 years of working in the Legal Profession pinpointed 5 hotspots that can create messy divorces and contested commercial matters if not noticed and managed. We use these 5 hotspots to create strategies to manage a matter more effectively making our models unique and effective. Through managing the “hotspots” we managed to reduce the amount of contested divorces to only 17% of the total cases we handle in the firm. This means that the costs per divorce has reduced by approximately 70% per divorce. Some couples has also reconciled due to the appropriate handling of hotspots and issues in the relationship.
We put children first and support parties to come to cost effective and sustainable divorce and parenting agreements that will reduce conflict post-divorce or separation. We support parties to move forward as co parents.
In family law matters we make every effort to preserve relationships rather than fuel animosity, even when we have to litigate. We know that a quick transformation from spouses to co-parents is in the child’s best interests, as children cope better with divorce when acrimony is kept to a minimum. Therefore, we do our utmost to reduce conflict, while ensuring that clients’ and children’s interests are protected.
The adversarial and contested court process is our last resort. It is our experience that most matters eventually settles – often, just before trial. Unfortunately, settlement at a later stage means that substantial amounts of money have already been spent on legal costs and relations has been destroyed, giving substance to the accusation that it is only lawyers who benefit in litigation. It is therefore that we offer Divorce Coaching, Collaborative Law or Mediation as first options. If we however have to engage in a contested divorce or commercial matter, we adopt a no-nonsense approach and get the job done speedily, cost effectively and successfully. Majority of our contested matters are completed within a year, compared to the two or three and even five years that it often takes for similar matters to reach resolution elsewhere. With mediation and collaborative law, the clients sets the time lines and we endeavour to complete the matter in that time.
Matters we have handled include, but are not limited to, change of guardianship, primary care and contact orders, protection of children in need of care and protection, issues relating to relocations (including prevention and facilitating relocations), return of children that has been illegally removed from South Africa, maintenance and family violence protection order, appointment of Curator Bonis for people who cannot handle their own affairs and divorces. We have arranged contact for grandparents and extended families; drafted same sex cohabitation agreements, marriages and divorces; and we have successfully assisted parents and children to re-establish contact after years during which children were alienated from one parent by the other parent etc. Our scope of work ranges from high end and complicated to pro bono divorces for local and international clients from the USA, Europe, UK, and Australia, Germany, Italy, Dubai, etc.
Our experience extends to commercial litigation: specifically, insolvency law, restraints of trade agreements (both enforcing and defending these), enforcement of contractual obligations, issues with franchises and drafting of contracts for local and international clients on commercial and labour issues.
Schuld Inc commits to providing efficient, transparent, honest, legal service and representation. We understand the complexity of human relationships and adopt an innovative approach to each case in the quest for an optimal, ethical and efficient conclusion to the dispute. This limits animosity, prevents relationships from deteriorating and reduces the cost to the client. When you use our services, you can count on us to do our very best for you.
Schuld Inc is proud to have initiated and completed the first collaborative divorce in South Africa. We have been featured in the Fairlady, Wellness and Child magazines and SA FM Radio. Manndi is also one of only two attorneys in South Africa who has been trained in America in the Collaborative Process.