Dear divorce diary, it all began as a fairytale and ended as a, choose your own adventure:
- nightmare
- freedom
- the best choice I ever made
- disappointment
- satisfaction
- a new start
Whatever the outcome, divorce is a challenging time for the couple and their children, if there are children.
For anyone who is considering to take the leap and get divorced, have you considered what the steps are to make it happen?
The South African Divorce Act shares that there must be a reason to get a divorce.
A divorce can happen if:
- There has been an “irretrievable breakdown” of the relationship, which means that you and your partner can no longer live together for a continuous period of at least one year prior to the divorce application and there’s no chance of you resolving the matter.
- One partner cheated on the other.
- One partner has been declared a habitual criminal and is undergoing imprisonment as a result of a sentence instructed by a court.
- You can get a divorce if your partner has been in a mental health facility for at least two years and doctors don’t think they will ever recover.
- Your partner has been unconscious for at least 6 months and doctors believe they will never recover.
Some of the reasons feel a bit dramatic, but there are many examples on the Kaya 959 website that prove these scenarios are possible:
- Dr Nandipha Magudumana who is reportedly married to convicted criminal and escapee Thabo Bester
- Infidelity is one of the lesser surprising topics because it happens so often. In recent reports Minnie Dlamini and Tumi Morake share intimate details about infidelity in their marriages.
Morake and her partner managed to work through the challenges, but Dlamini and her partner were not able to do so.
Dlamini shared that her marriage was over before it became public knowledge.
She made the best decision for herself and her children.
If you do qualify by law to get a divorce here are the steps to take:
- Get Legal Advise
- Example, you marriage agreement may influence your divorce
- Prepare your documents
- Example, official South African identity document,
- Apply for divorce
- Example, visit the High Court or a Family Court in your area.
Finally, seek professional help to deal with life after divorce.
Family South Africa offers this service: FAMSA
NOW READ: Dr Nandipha’s brother goes into hiding for snitching on Thabo Bester link


