Cape Town - Divorce can be financially and emotionally crippling on all involved and it is important to make decisions based on sound financial advice, according to Sore Cloete, senior legal manager at Old Mutual.
While the divorce process in SA is relatively straightforward, civil marriages can only be dissolved by the courts and the financial consequences can be profound, says Cloete.
The costs associated with a divorce hinge on the type of divorce filed and the lawyer hired. An uncontested divorce - where both parties agree on the division of their assets and all arrangements regarding children - can cost anything between R800 and R20 000, depending on the complexity. A contested divorce can end up costing hundreds of thousands of rand in fees and pay-outs.