PRESENTER: Susan Abro

Susan Abro has a BA and LLB from the University of KZN Pietermaritzburg & Durban. She is an admitted Attorney of the High Court of South Africa. Susan has been practising Law for over 31 years. She is the sole proprietor of her business, which she started in 1995, and specialises in Family Law and Litigation.

She is an expert on family law issues, including applications in terms of the Hague Convention on Abduction of Children - having dealt with Swedish, Australian, USA and UK jurisdictions. She is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers, and I have recently been involved on the committee to launch an African chapter of the IAFL. And chaired a session on the conference held .which was held on zoom where 26 different jurisdictions participated with over 600 delegates attended internationally.

She has been involved with public interest litigation and activities including, the rights of children to legal representation, Honour Based Domestic Violence, Islamic marriages, Common Law Partnerships and Civil Unions. She was the first Woman Vice – President of the Kwa-Zulu Natal Law Society.

She served as the Co – Chairperson of the Law Society of South Africa 2004 to 2005. She served as the Chairperson of the Family Law Committee of the Law Society of South Africa for over 20 years .In this capacity and together with colleagues, she has been instrumental in introducing Arbitration in Family Law to South Africa, and have addressed Parliament about various draft legislation.

She acted as a Judge of the High Court of South Africa, Durban, and was appointed by the Judicial Services Commission as a Judge of the Electoral Court for two consecutive terms, in 2005.

She was appointed by the KZN Finance Department as Chairperson of the Municipal Bid Appeals Tribunal – uMzinyathi District, KZN. She served on the International Bar Association World Women interest group . She is the President of the South African Jewish Board of Deputies Kwa-Zulu Natal Council.

She is dedicated to assisting clients who are experiencing difficult changes in their lives due to family law issues and to do so with professionalism, integrity, and compassion. I approach each case differently and provide every client with personal attention. My goal is for every client to receive the support that they require in matters which are often extremely emotional and involve high conflict situations and personalities, often with a gender inequality and abuse element.

Her aim is to bring a level-headed objective approach and to try to resolve issues and conflicts, and exhaust all avenues of alternative dispute resolution that are available to the parties.

She has been involved with various non-government and Charitable organisations, including the advice desk for abused women, the Open door Crisis Centre, the Robin Hood Foundation, and she believes that everyone has an obligation to contribute towards the greater community. She has presented papers at local and international conferences dealing with, inter alia, Domestic Violence, Family Law, Matrimonial Law, Women and Children`s rights and empowerment.

She has been asked to speak at various conferences in South Africa, and Internationally on issues relating to Family Law, Women and Children`s rights and empowerment. She has received various Family Law awards locally and internationally. She is involved in various charitable associations.

She has been nominated for and is the recipient of various awards, including the Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa, Professional Businesswoman of the year 2017, the Lawyer Monthly, Private Client Award for the Family Lawyer of the year for 2016 and 2017 – and the South African Boutique Law Firm of the Year 2017.