Chapter 8
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MONTHLY EXPENSES
HOW TO DRAW UP A LIST OF EXPENSES WHEN YOU APPLY FOR MAINTENANCE
When you are getting ready to go for maintenance from the father of your child or children, you should make a list of what you spend every month. Here is an example of a list as it should be set out for the court enquiry. [The explanation parts in italics are just there so you can see what goes onto the list and why.] This is a maintenance claim by Ruby Brown to get money from Jack Mhlope, the father of her daughter Thandi who is 11 years old. Ruby has 3 other children who are not Jack’s children, and her mother lives with them.
EXAMPLE: APPLICATION FOR MAINTENANCE: CASE NUMBER 276/99
APPLICANT: RUBY BROWN
DEFENDANT: JACK MHLOPE
| EXAMPLE: APPLICATION FOR MAINTENANCE: CASE NUMBER 276/2025 | ||||
| Ruby must show how much she spends on Thandi every month. The Maintenance Court will only make Jack, Thandi’s father, pay half of Thandi’s expenses. So Ruby must exclude the expenses of her other children and her mother in her claim. | ||||
| GENERAL | THANDI | |||
| RENT (R3 600 divided by 6 = R600 per person)6 people live in the house (Ruby, her mother, Thandi, and 3 other brothers and sisters). A share for each of them is R700 | R3 600 | R600 | ||
| ELECTRICITY/WATER Electricity account is usually R480 (R480 divided by 6 = R80 per person for 6 people) | R 480 | R 80 | ||
| SCHOOL Fees: R20 per term x 4 terms x 4 children = R320 per year Stationery and textbooks: R100 per term x 4 terms = R400 per year School dresses: R98 x 6 = R588 per year Shirts: 8 x R66 = R528 per year Trousers: 5 pairs x R84 = R420 per year Shoes: R118 a pair x 8 pairs = R944 per year Jerseys: R90 x 6 = R540 per year Socks etc: R130 per year Total: R3 870 per year Ruby adds up how much she spends on all the children at school for the year. Remember there are 4 children but only Thandi is Jack’s daughter. Then she divides by 12 to make that into a monthly amount. Then she divides that amount by 4 to get the total for each child per month and allocates a portion to Thandi in the expenses. | R 4448 | R 741 | ||
| 6 people live in the house. A share for each of them is R741. | ||||
| SCHOOL Fees: R20 per term x 4 terms x 4 children = R320 per year Stationery and text books: R100 per term x 4 terms = R400 per year School dresses: R98 x 6 = R588 per year Shirts: 8 x R66 = R528 per year Trousers: 5 pairs x R84 = R420 per year Shoes: R118 a pair x 8 pairs = R944 per year Jerseys: R90 x 6 = R540 per year Socks etc: R130 per year Total: R3 870 per year Ruby adds up how much she spends on all the children at school for the year. Remember there are 4 children but only Thandi is Jack’s daughter. Then she divides by 12 to make that into a monthly amount. Then she divides that amount by 4 to get the total for each child per month and allocates a portion to Thandi in the expenses. | R 322.50 | R 80.62 | ||
| CLOTHES Ruby: Truworths account R100 Children: Jet account R240 Children: Edgars account R180 All: Layby General Clothing Store R70 Remember with this one that when Ruby works out what she spends on Thandi’s clothes, she doesn’t put in her own Truworths account. And where she spends only on the children, she must divide the total by the number of children she has (4) and for the lay-bys she divides it by all of them in the house (6). | R 590.00 | R 116.68 | ||
| INTERESTS / HOBBIES Karate: Thandi, Robert, Kholeka R40 per month each | R 120.00 | R 40.00 | ||
| FURNITURE Elle Furniture Store: fridge R130 per month 6 people live in the house. A share for each of them is R21.66. | R 130.00 | R 21.66 | ||
| TRANSPORT Bus fares for school for 2 children: R500 per month Train fares for Thandi + Ruby + one other child monthly tickets R600 per month | R 310.00 | R 170.00 | ||
| TRANSPORT Bus fares for school for 2 children: R500 per rmonth Train fares for Thandi + Ruby + one other child monthly tickets R600 per month | R1 100 | R 600 | ||
| TOTAL EXPENDITURE PER MONTH | R 11 100.50 | R 2 449.96 | ||
| TOTAL EXPENSES FOR THANDI | R 2 449.96 | |||
| TOTAL CLAIMED FROM JACK FOR MAINTENANCE OF THANDI | R1224.98 | |||
| This will depend on what Jack earns and what his monthly expenses are. But Ruby should ask for at least half of what Thandi costs. And if she knows that Jack earns a lot more than she does, Ruby should ask for more from Jack. Don’t forget to put on your list any OTHER ACCOUNTS, EXPENSES or LOANS you might have. Model prepared by Pat Anderson. | ||||
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