Family Lawyers in Johannesburg
Hugh Raichlin Attorneys assists Johannesburg clients with divorce, parenting arrangements, maintenance, antenuptial contracts and protection matters. From our Norwood office, we help you identify the issue, understand the available next steps and arrange the appropriate legal assistance.
The initial telephone discussion is free and helps us understand whether the firm can assist. A paid consultation is arranged where appropriate. We aim to respond within one working day after receiving your enquiry.
Which issue brings you here?
Considering or responding to divorce
Advice and representation in contested and uncontested divorce matters.
View serviceParenting arrangements or financial support
Parenting arrangements, responsibilities and financial support.
View serviceGetting married and discussing an agreement
Advice on marriage contracts and notarial preparation.
View serviceSeeking information about legal protection
Legal enquiries about protection and appropriate next steps; not a 24-hour emergency service.
View serviceFamily-law services
Divorce Law
Advice and representation in contested and uncontested divorce matters.
Received Divorce Papers
Understand the papers, identify any deadline and discuss the response required.
Child Care, Contact & Maintenance
Parenting arrangements, responsibilities and financial support.
Antenuptial Contracts
Advice on marriage contracts and notarial preparation.
Protection Orders & Domestic Violence
Legal enquiries about protection and appropriate next steps; not a 24-hour emergency service.
Divorce & Business Interests
Where a divorce involves a company, trust interests, several properties or shareholder arrangements, the ownership, evidence and settlement steps may need coordinated family, commercial and property-law attention.
Experienced advice for your family-law matter
A family lawyer helps you understand your legal position and the options that apply to your circumstances, then prepares or represents you through the steps that follow. Divorce is the most common starting point; the firm also assists with parenting, maintenance, antenuptial contracts and protection matters, and can help you decide what to do next.
The firm has handled more than 500 divorce matters. Hugh Raichlin, Jessica El-Hage and Mpho Kutumela bring relevant family-law experience; antenuptial and notarial work can be routed to Abigail Sher.
Where children are involved, our aim is to help you work towards practical arrangements and reduce avoidable conflict, while keeping their needs and safety central.
Depending on the matter, assistance may include advice on the available options, preparing documents, negotiating an agreement, exploring appropriate mediation or representing a client in proceedings. The firm will assess your particular facts rather than assume that every family matter should follow the same route.
Where we work and how a matter proceeds
Consultations are arranged through our Norwood office in Johannesburg. The appropriate forum and procedure depend on the matter: a divorce or parenting dispute, a maintenance enquiry, an antenuptial contract or a protection matter can each follow a different route, and not every Johannesburg resident uses the same court. The Office of the Family Advocate is relevant to some parenting disputes and is a neutral public office, not the firm's department or a judge. We will identify the right starting point for your circumstances. See our Contact page to arrange an initial discussion.
- Office of the Family Advocate (Department of Justice) — The neutral role of the Family Advocate in some parenting disputes.
Two distinct professional roles
Your attorney
Advises and represents your interests within the professional engagement.
An independent mediator
Facilitates an impartial process and does not represent one party.
Mediation suitability and safety must be considered. A neutral appointment is not interchangeable with the firm's role as your attorney. Joint processes are not automatically suitable where there is abuse or coercion.
Prepare a short starting summary
Note the relationship or marriage context, any existing agreement or order, whether proceedings have started and any date requiring attention. For parenting or support issues, describe the practical concern without putting children's identifying details or sensitive documents into the general form.
Common mistakes to avoid
Avoid agreeing significant terms without understanding their effect, relying on informal assumptions about court orders, or expecting an online chat to replace advice. HRA does not generally provide same-day emergency assistance.
Attorney authority
Hugh Raichlin
Principal Attorney & Accredited Mediator
40 years of legal experience, including divorce work, litigation and accredited mediation. Hugh also holds mediator accreditation under Rule 86(2) and is approved for appointment in Rule 41A Court-Annexed matters.
View profileJessica El-Hage
Attorney
Opposed and unopposed divorce, maintenance and parenting arrangements.
View profileMpho Kutumela
Attorney
Family-law proceedings, Rule 43 applications and settlement agreements.
View profileFrequently asked questions
Can I enquire before deciding to divorce?
Is 'custody' the right category for my enquiry?
Can mediation be considered?
Can WhatsApp tell me what I am legally entitled to?
Related practice areas
From the Insights archive
Can your spouse contribute to your divorce legal costs?
Read articleUseful sources
- Office of the Family Advocate (Department of Justice)Explains the Family Advocate’s role in parenting disputes, including work on children’s interests and contact details for this public service.
- Lower-court directory (Department of Justice)Lists lower-court addresses and contact details, useful for locating a court office connected with the family-law matters discussed here.
Start with a confidential conversation about the issue.
A brief enquiry is enough to begin the assessment. A paid consultation can be arranged where appropriate.