Webinar 2026

Step-parents and partners: Where affection meets obligation

21 May 2026 | 10:00-13:00

Explore the evolving legal framework governing maintenance obligations of step-parents and cohabiting partners in South African family law.

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About this webinar

This webinar examines the evolving legal framework in South Africa concerning the rights and obligations of partners within the context of matrimonial and child law. Particular focus is given to recent developments relating to the maintenance obligations of step-parents and cohabiting partners.

Drawing on recent jurisprudence from the Supreme Court of Appeal and the High Court, the discussion analyses how factors such as the nature of the relationship, the assumption of familial roles, and the realities of lived domestic arrangements may give rise to legally enforceable financial obligations, notwithstanding the absence of a formal marital relationship.

Topics to be covered

• Rule 43 interim maintenance: An analysis of the provisional nature of such orders, and their immediate and significant impact on the parties pending final determination.
• Step-parents and assumed parental roles: Consideration of the circumstances under which voluntary support may crystallise into a legally enforceable duty of maintenance.
• Life partnerships and reciprocal support: A review of key jurisprudence, including Bwanya and recent High Court decisions, addressing the recognition of reciprocal duties of support in non-marital relationships.
• Best interests of the child: Examination of the constitutional framework underpinning the extension of maintenance obligations, with particular emphasis on the paramountcy of the child’s best interests.
• Practical implications for practitioners: Guidance on drafting, advising clients, and conducting litigation within this evolving legal landscape.

Benefits of attending

• Development of the common law: Gain a clear understanding of how the courts are progressively developing the common law to afford greater protection to children and partners within contemporary familial structures.
• Advisory considerations: Acquire insight into effectively advising clients on the legal risks and potential obligations arising in blended families, long-term partnerships, and cohabitation arrangements.
• Maintenance litigation strategy: Develop practical approaches to the structuring and advancement of maintenance claims and the formulation of appropriate defences.
• Emerging jurisprudential trends: Remain apprised of evolving case law that continues to shape and redefine the landscape of family law practice.

Background to this presentation

• Recent case law has highlighted the tension between voluntary assumption of support and the imposition of legally enforceable obligations. In BE v NT (SCA) (unreported case no 505/2025, 11-3-2026) (Govindjee AJA), the High Court granted interim maintenance against a step-parent who had assumed a parental role in respect of the child, notwithstanding the continued involvement of the biological father. On appeal, the Supreme Court of Appeal struck the matter for lack of jurisdiction, thereby reaffirming the interlocutory and provisional nature of Rule 43 orders, while leaving intact the interim maintenance obligations imposed by the court a quo.
• Similarly, in PAL v RJT (WCC) (unreported case no 1749/2023, 4-3-2026) (Da Silva Salie J), the High Court awarded interim maintenance to a former life partner following a 29-year cohabitation, recognising a prima facie entitlement grounded in reciprocal duties of support and an alleged undertaking to maintain.
• These decisions illustrate a discernible judicial willingness to extend maintenance obligations beyond the confines of formal marriage, informed by constitutional considerations and, in particular, the significance of the best interests of dependent children and the protection of vulnerable partners.

Presenter

Advocate Riani Ferreira is a specialist in family law with extensive experience in complex maintenance litigation. She was directly involved in the landmark matter of BE v NT, from its inception through to proceedings before the Supreme Court of Appeal, as well as in a number of other high-profile cases that have tested and developed the boundaries of support obligations within contemporary legal contexts.

Renowned for her commitment to the advancement of family law, Adv. Ferreira offers a distinctive combination of practical litigation expertise and a nuanced understanding of the constitutional principles underpinning modern family law.

Who should register?

⚖️ Legal practitioners (attorneys, advocates), candidate legal practitioners, and legal advisors practising in:

• Family law
• Matrimonial law
• Child law
• Maintenance matters

Registration fees (including VAT)

How to register

Kindly note that registrations are done online. For certification purposes, participants should register individually, using their own email address. This will enable the system to generate a unique username and password for each person.

Step 1: Make payment

Payment should be made by electronic funds transfer (EFT) only. You are required to upload the proof of payment (PDF) in Step 2 (online registration form). Should an invoice be required to effect payment, replace the proof of payment document with a note (Word) requesting an invoice.

LSSA banking details:
Account name: Law Society of South Africa
Bank: FNB Pretoria
Branch code: 251445
Account no: 6200 9641 079
Reference: Surname, Initials and Cellphone

Step 2: Complete the online registration form

Click the button below to complete your registration:

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

Step 3: Confirmation and webinar access

Once you have registered to participate, you will receive a system-generated confirmation e-mail confirming that we have received your registration documentation.

Twenty-four hours before the webinar starts, you will receive an e-mail with the Microsoft Teams link as well as your course material. Read the instructions carefully. If you do not receive this e-mail, please check your Spam / Junk folder or e-mail Seminars@LSSALEAD.org.za the day before the webinar starts. Attendees must ensure that they have access to MS Teams well in advance and should test the link as soon as it is received.

Contact

For more information about this course, contact the Seminars Department.
E-mail: Seminars@LSSALEAD.org.za

Please take note

• The LSSA will not accept liability if the fees are not paid into the designated LSSA bank account.
• The course is conducted in English only.
• The course will be delivered through MS Teams. Please ensure that you have MS Teams installed on your computer prior to the commencement of the course.
• Please note: In accordance with company policy and copyright protection, no recordings or PowerPoint presentations will be shared. Additionally, unauthorised recording or transcription is not permitted, as it may violate LSSA’s organisational or class policies.
• You will receive the material as well as the link to the course via e-mail approximately 24 hours before commencement of the course. Test your links as soon as you receive them. If you do not receive the said e-mail, look in your junk mail folder. If it is not there, contact Seminars@LSSALEAD.org.za.
• No cancellations will be accepted after the course material and link have been shared. Participants who do not cancel timeously and/or fail to attend the course will forfeit the amount paid towards this course.
• Should you need to cancel your registration, you need to do so in writing before the course link and material are shared. No cancellation will be accepted after it has been made available and failure to comply with this will result in the full fee being charged.
• LSSA/LEAD shall have the right, in its sole discretion, to postpone or cancel tuition in any programme initially advertised and offered based on insufficient demand. Should LSSA/LEAD cancel the proposed training, registered delegates will be given reasonable notice of the cancellation and all fees paid by the delegate will be refunded.