Both parents have a legal duty to support their children. Where children are not given reasonable care, then the court may remove the child from the parent’s care in terms of child care provisions.

The duty of parents to support their children ends when the children become independent, for example when they marry, or when they become self-supporting.

If the children are not living with the mother or the father, the person who is looking after them can apply for maintenance from the parents. For example, if a child is living with the grandparents, the grandparents can apply to get maintenance from the father and the mother of the child.
(See: Problem 4: getting Maintenance through the Maintenance Court)