October 2015 - Ivan Zartz Attorneys

28 Oct

Choosing a Good Child Custody Attorney in Johannesburg

Don’t be fooled. Johannesburg is a developed city, and with a large middle-high income class there is an overabundance of end user services. And in any developed society people follow the usual Westernized trend of getting married, having children, then getting divorced. And when there are divorces, there are almost certainly child custody cases. With an excess of attorneys, how do you go about finding the perfect child custody attorney in Johannesburg?

The old saying goes ‘where there’s smoke, there’s fire’. Where there’s a rumour, there is usually some truth to it, so take referrals seriously. Always take into consideration the advice of friends and family as well as strangers. So many people go through the process of acquiring the help of a child custody attorney in Johannesburg, and their experiences go a long way in determining who is good at their job, and who is not.
When going for a consultation with a child custody attorney in Johannesburg, ensure that the child custody attorney has experience in the matter at hand. No use going to a labour attorney for help regarding a child custody case. Make sure your attorney knows exactly what he/she is doing, and has had plenty of success in their field. It’s not rude to ask this question of an attorney during the consultation.
Make sure that you can afford to pay your child custody attorney in Johannesburg. Many South Africans are experiencing the worst debt during the current economic climate, so make sure you have the ability to pay for the service you receive. It is no use looking for the best child custody attorney in Johannesburg if you’re never able to afford him/her.
Do not be scared to fire your attorney. There is many a child custody attorney in Johannesburg that does not fulfill their clients needs. Many attorneys are guilty of procrastination and lacking commitment. If you have an attorney that is not interested in finding the best solution regarding your child custody case, within the interests of your children, then cancel their services immediately.

If you require an experienced, professional and expert child custody attorney in Johannesburg, then make sure you contact Ivan Zartz Attorneys today!

26 Oct

Child Custody For Unmarried Couples

Nothing much changes regarding the custody of children who were conceived by an unmarried couple. In present day situations there are many children whose parents were never married, or whose parents were never even in a committed relationship with each other. But, where children are concerned, unmarried couples have to work together to ensure that their children’s futures are promising. Here’s a few tips regarding child custody for unmarried couples.

Even though couples are unmarried, it is still necessary that both parents take equal responsibility in ensuring that children are well looked after.
Most custody agreements are made out-of-court when it comes to children conceived by unmarried couples. Both parties must ensure that agreements are well-respected and that decisions are made in the best interests of the children. It is essential that unmarried couples construct a maintenance agreement with the help of a child custody attorney.
Both parents concerning child custody for unmarried couples should have joint custody of the child/children. Where this is impossible, or parents agree otherwise, parents should agree on who has primary custody or care of the child/children.
Visitation is every parent’s right, however if visitation creates problems for one of the parents, then unmarried couples may need to go to court in order to settle the visitation rights.
The same is true of maintenance and support. Unmarried couples should determine how much money is required in order for parents to care for the child and fulfill his/her needs. If an unmarried couple is unable to do this by agreement, then they should both resolve such obstacles in court.
It is important that unmarried couples realize the importance of having both parents involve themselves in all aspects of the child’s life. Both parents must support each other and respect each other’s concerns in order to ensure that the child is well looked after and has a fruitful relationship with both parents.

Child custody for unmarried couples need not be a difficult agreement, and the unmarried couple have the ability to support and love their child if they agree to work together for the welfare of that child. If you require a child custody attorney to assist you at any point with regards to child custody for unmarried couples, then contact Ivan Zartz Attorneys today.

21 Oct

Why Credit Assessment Is Necessary By Credit Providers

In a day and age where thousands of consumers are inundated with bad credit in South Africa, it is important that credit providers take the necessary steps to ensure that they do not offer credit to anyone unless they perform a credit assessment on that person’s ability to repay his debt.

A simple measure that credit providers can use to ensure that debtors have the ability to repay debit is to analyse the consumer’s three month bank statements and three month payslip statements. It is the creditors responsibility to work out whether or not the debtor will be able to pay the debt in the required time frame. The credit assessment is also necessary as many debtors find themselves paying a monthly figure that is not even able to satisfy the monthly interest attached to the debt. A credit assessment is often able to provide the creditor with the information required to bypass such a situation.

A credit assessment is important because it allows the creditor to work out the allocatable income of the debtor. It will also highlight any maintenance that the debtor is required to pay, making those particular funds unattainable. A creditor is also able to view and analyse any of the debtors current debts, debt orders and obligations.

This is all done before providing the debtor with the relevant credit information, disclosing the interest payable on the credit, a proposed repayment scheme, the proposed initiation fee as well as recommendations towards credit insurance. This will allow the debtor to understand the great responsibility that they are undertaking . If a debtor feels that he is at all aggrieved he may contact the creditor to resolve the situation or contact the National Credit Regulator.

All creditors must ensure that they fulfill the assessment requirements. This will not only protect the consumer, but it will also in turn protect the creditor’s interests too. If you require a debt collection attorney then contact Ivan Zartz Attorneys today. With years of experience as a debt collection attorney in South Africa, Ivan Zartz and his team of professionals are able to assist you as either a creditor or debtor.

19 Oct

Telling Your Children You’re Getting Divorced

Breaking the news of a divorce to your children is no easy task. The news will no doubt cause the children emotional trauma and anxiety, a situation that every parent would rather avoid, but unfortunately this is not news that parents can simply leave untold. A lot of children thankfully understand what divorce is from a very early age, but most lessons they will have learnt are from school. It is the parent’s duty to break the news to them so that they understand both the dimensions of divorce, as well as the part that they play in the future.

Make sure that your child is explained the divorce simply and in a way that is easy to understand. Ultimately you’ll want to tell them that you’re getting a divorce, and tell them the simple reason without going into detail. The most important part of the explanation is the details regarding their role in the matter. Children want to know where they will be staying, how often they will get to see their parents, and any other arrangements.
Ensure that while explaining the divorce you never, under any circumstance, blame the other parent for what has happened. Even in circumstances that involve infidelity, this should play no part in the relationship between parent and child. When parents blame each other for the divorce it creates grounds for the children to express animosity toward the other parent, and may cause Parental Alienation Syndrome.
It is important that the child/children understand that the divorce decision is not their fault, and rather it is a decision that the parents made based on problems in their own relationship. Many children end up blaming themselves for their parents situation, yet this can be avoided if parents reinforce the fact that the children are not to blame.
It is important for both parents to tell their children about the divorce. It’s no use one parent telling the child/children as this will lead to confusion. If two parents discuss the divorce with the children, they will understand that there is mutual agreement among the parents. Also ensure that you tell children about a divorce at a point which allows them time to come to terms with the information. This makes a weekend the perfect time as the news can have little impact on the children’s delicate routines.

If you require a child custody attorney with many years of experience in child custody in South Africa, then make sure you contact Ivan Zartz Attorneys today. Our skilled, dedicated and professional team can help you achieve the best outcome for both parents and children in any child custody case.

14 Oct

Debt Collection Process Before Contacting A Debt Collection Attorney

Before contacting a debt collection attorney like Ivan Zartz Attorneys, ensure that your business follows a regulated schedule with regards to dealing with customers and expecting payments for good or services rendered.

If you are running a small to medium sized business, make sure you adhere to the following steps when it comes to collecting monies due, BEFORE contacting a debt collection attorney.

Make sure that the debtor is immediately aware of of the time frame in which you expect payment. Make sure that invoices clearly state “payment upon receipt of invoice” or something to the same effect, as well as the expected period before remittal.
Set up a billing schedule with which to issue bills.
Ensure that you have personal details of those within the business who are responsible for payments. Keep their information in a ledger, where you can log both their names and work-numbers.
If a debtor has not made the expected payment within the time allocated, then this is the moment to take proactive action. Call the debtor in a civil way, with a tone that imbues the sense that you want to continue having a good business relationship, and tell them that they have not paid within the period. Then ask them when you can expect payment.
If you still do not receive payment within the allocated number of days, call the debtor again. If the debtor is having financial problems try to arrange a payment agreement. Again, this must be done in a civil way, and all records of phone-calls and email communication must be kept.
After at least two failed attempts at receiving payment, and within a time frame explicitly detailed to the debtor, you may notify the debtor that you will discontinue service. This is also a perfect time for negotiating a final settlement.
If this last attempt does not work, and with records of all communication with the debtor, the creditor may approach a debt collection attorney.

If you require the services of a debt collection attorney in Johannesburg, then make sure you contact Ivan Zartz Attorneys today. As a talented debt collection attorney with many years of experience, Ivan Zartz may be the difference between getting your monies due or walking away empty handed.