Free Family Law Planner
A free, optional digital organiser for your private preparation before speaking to a South African family lawyer or mediator. Designed by Hugh Raichlin Attorneys in Norwood, Johannesburg, this web tool helps you structure facts, estimate household expenses, and map out mediation agendas before your initial consultation.
Organiser only. Does not provide legal advice, calculate maintenance awards, or transmit entries to our office automatically.
Three Targeted Planning Modules
When preparing for divorce, a maintenance discussion, or family mediation, gathering thoughts beforehand makes consultations more efficient and focused. The planner provides three distinct modules:
Divorce Circumstances & Questions
Record your marriage background, marital property regime (in community, out of community with or without accrual), asset and debt outlines, and key legal questions to ask during a formal consultation.
Monthly Household Expenses
Organise realistic monthly budgets for accommodation, children's education, healthcare, and daily living costs. Automatically converts weekly or annual items into monthly totals. Note: Not a court maintenance-award calculator.
Mediation Agenda & Topics
Map out parenting schedules, asset division, and financial support topics. Classify items by your self-reported agreement status (agreed, unresolved, open) and personal priority. Note: Not a joint settlement agreement.
How to Use the Planner in Your Consultation Preparation
- Select a preparation module: Choose Divorce Circumstances, Maintenance Budget, or Mediation Topics according to your immediate need.
- Enter notes at your own pace: All fields are strictly optional. Leave anything blank that is unknown or uncertain.
- Review and print your summary: Use the "Review & print" module (Pack summary) to generate a clean, readable document to bring to your appointment.
Comparing Preparation Options
Interactive browser tool to input notes, convert expense frequencies to monthly totals, and format a clean multi-page summary pack.
Printable static checklists and PDF financial worksheets available on our site (Legal Resources).
Formal legal advice with a qualified family attorney to analyze your rights, court procedures, accrual claims, and strategy.
Important Legal Boundaries & Urgent Notice
The Family Law Planner is strictly an organizational aid and does not constitute legal advice, legal representation, or a determination of legal entitlement. It does not calculate court deadlines, compute statutory accrual claims, or prescribe maintenance awards.
No Automatic Attorney Review: Completing or saving entries in the planner does not transmit information to Hugh Raichlin Attorneys or establish an attorney-client relationship. Nobody at the firm automatically monitors or reviews planner entries.
Urgent legal situations: If you have received formal court papers with strict filing deadlines, or if there are urgent child protection or domestic violence safety concerns, do not delay action while using an online planning tool. Contact an attorney, court office, or emergency service immediately.
Data Storage & Privacy Choices
You retain control over where your notes reside when using the web planner:
- Guest Mode:By default, entries exist purely in your browser tab's active memory. Closing or refreshing the tab clears unbacked work. No tracking or automatic background syncing occurs.
- Encrypted Backup:You can export a passphrase-encrypted
.hrafile to your device at any time. This file can be restored in any browser without creating an account. - Optional Account:If you choose to create an account, named drafts can be explicitly saved to return to later. Signing in alone never uploads your current open tab automatically.
Do not enter sensitive government ID numbers, bank passwords, or confidential third-party details into online tools. For full technical details, consult the planner's official How to Use Guide and Privacy Policy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Family Law Planner really free to use?
Yes. The Family Law Planner is provided as a free public service by Hugh Raichlin Attorneys. There are no fees, mandatory subscriptions, or hidden charges for using any of the three preparation modules or generating a printable summary pack.
Do I need to create an account or provide personal details?
No account is required. You can use the planner entirely in Guest Mode without entering an email address or personal contact information. An account is strictly optional for users who want to save named drafts across multiple devices.
Does the planner automatically send my entries to an attorney?
No. Information entered in the planner is never automatically transmitted to Hugh Raichlin Attorneys or any third party. If you wish to share your notes with our legal team, you must print or export your summary and provide it directly during your consultation.
Does using the planner replace a legal consultation?
No. The planner helps you organize your thoughts and expenses, but it cannot assess legal merits, interpret statutes, or provide advice tailored to your specific circumstances. An initial consultation with an attorney or mediator remains necessary to obtain legal guidance.
Ready to Prepare or Speak to an Attorney?
Use the planner to organize your facts, or contact Hugh Raichlin Attorneys in Norwood, Johannesburg directly to schedule a legal consultation. Using the planner is optional and never a prerequisite to getting in touch.