In alignment with the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign, ProBono.Org is proud to announce the launch of the Maintenance Help Desk at the Cape Town Regional Magistrate’s Court which took place on 5 November 2024. This helpdesk aims to provide much needed legal assistance to individuals navigating maintenance related challenges, ensuring greater access to justice, especially to the most vulnerable members of our society. Moreover, this initiative addresses a critical yet overlooked form of abuse – financial abuse – which is a prevalent aspect of Gender-Based Violence (GBV).
Financial abuse occurs when abusers control or withhold financial resources, leaving victims trapped in cycles of dependence unable to break free from abusive relationships. For many of the help desk clients securing maintenance orders for themselves or their children, maintenance is not just a legal battle but a vital step to reclaiming their dignity and financial independence.
The Maintenance help desk provides the following assistance to those affected by financial abuse:
- Assistance with drafting and filing maintenance applications
- Guidance on enforcing existing maintenance orders on non-compliant parties
- Other legal advice and support to clients navigating the legal system where maintenance and gender-based violence is concerned.
By empowering our clients with the legal tools and knowledge to secure financial support, this help desk plays a pivotal role in breaking the cycle of abuse in Cape Town and surrounds. It also ensures that parents, guardians and dependants have the opportunity to build safer and stable lives.
We commend the legal practitioners who have staffed this help desk by volunteering their time to this cause and the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court for its collaboration in making this service a reality. Together we are working towards a society where legal assistance and justice is easily accessible, and financial abuse is no longer a barrier to freedom for survivors of GBV.
