16/03/2026 Bertus Preller Alimony, Appeal, Arrear Maintenace, Arrear Maintenance, Arrear maintenance claims, Best Interests of the Child, Child Maintenance, Children, Divorce, Duty to maintain, Interim Maintenance, Interlocutory applications, Irregular proceedings, Leave to appeal Superior Courts Act, Maintenance, Maintenance Court, Parental Rights, Pendente Lite, Procedural Law, Punitive costs orders, Rule 43, Rule 43 Appeal, Rule 43 Applications, Rule 43 orders, Rule 58, Spousal Maintenance, Stepparents, Variation Rule 43(6) accrual system, appealability, blended families, common law development, Divorce, divorce proceedings, duty of support, Family Law, Govindjee AJA, interests of justice, interim maintenance, interim relief, jurisdictional threshold, maintenance pendente lite, non-appealability, out of community of property, piecemeal appeals, Rule 43, Rule 43(6), SCA, section 16(3), section 173 Constitution, South African divorce law, statutory bar, stepchildren, stepparent maintenance, Superior Courts Act, Supreme Court of Appeal, Western Cape High Court Blended Families, Bitter Disputes and a Blocked Appeal: The SCA Draws the Line on Rule 43 Appealability in B.E v N.T and Others (505/2025) [2026] ZASCA 25 (11 March 2026). The Facts: A Blended Family, a Breakdown, and a Battle Over Stepchildren's Maintenance BE and NT married on 27 April 2018, out of community of property subject to the accrual… READ MORE
01/03/2026 Bertus Preller Appeal, Arrear maintenance claims, Arrear Maintenance Variation, Child Maintenance, Children, Contempt of court maintenance, Duty to maintain, Maintenance, Maintenance Act 99 of 1998, Maintenance Calculator, Maintenance Calculator, Maintenance Court, Maintenance Court, Maintenance order enforcement, Noting a maintenance appeal, Regulation 15 maintenance appeal, Section 15 Maintenance Act, Section 25 maintenance appeal, Technology in Law appellate interference maintenance, calendar days versus court days, Cape Town maintenance court, child maintenance South Africa, CPI escalation maintenance, Douglas v Douglas, duty to maintain children, education price index, household expense apportionment, Interpretation Act 33 of 1957, Magistrates' Court Rules, Maintenance Act 99 of 1998, maintenance appeal, maintenance appeal time limits, maintenance court, maintenance enquiry, maintenance formula, Maintenance Order, medical costs maintenance order, Mentz v Simpson, noting a maintenance appeal, pro rata maintenance calculation, reasonable maintenance expenses, Regulation 15 maintenance appeal, school fees maintenance, section 15 Maintenance Act, section 25 maintenance appeal, unrepresented litigant maintenance, Western Cape High Court Maintenance Appeals Unpacked: Timing, Calculations and the Separation of Costs — T.M-S v I.N (Appeal) (A31/2025) [2026] ZAWCHC 72 (19 February 2026). The Facts: A Maintenance Enquiry Gone Awry The matter of T.M-S v I.N (Appeal) (A31/2025) ZAWCHC 72 (19 February 2026) came before Pangarker J and Davis AJ in the Western… READ MORE
17/01/2026 Bertus Preller Abuse, Appeal, Contempt of Court, Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence, Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998, Interim Protection Order, Interim relief with no final effect, Irreparable harm test, Procedural Law, Qwelane test coercion property sale, contempt of court divorce, contempt proceedings enforcement, divorce decree enforcement, divorce property disputes, Domestic Violence Act 116 of 1998, domestic violence protection orders, domestic violence warrant execution, economic abuse definition, exceptional circumstances appeal, grave injustice test, High Court Gauteng Division, interim interdict appealability, interim interdicts South Africa, interim relief with no final effect, irreparable harm test, leave to appeal interim relief, marital home sale dispute, property sale cooperation, property sale disputes divorce, protection order breach, Qwelane test, section 1 Domestic Violence Act, South African Family Law, Springs Domestic Violence Court, VM v JM 2025, warrant of arrest domestic violence, Wilson J judgment, ZAGPJHC 1269 When Interim Interdicts Cannot Be Appealed: Domestic Violence Warrants and Property Sales in V.M v J.M (2025/203538) [2025] ZAGPJHC 1269 (18 December 2025). Background and Factual Matrix: The Domestic Violence Warrant and Property Sale Dispute The matter before Wilson J arose from an application by JM, the respondent, for leave to appeal against… READ MORE
25/08/2025 Bertus Preller Children, High Court exclusive jurisdiction, Interdict, Leave to appeal Superior Courts Act, Lis alibi pendens family law, Procedural Law, Procedure, Relocation, Urgency, Urgent applications appellate review discretion, best interests child principle, child relocation South Africa, Children's Court powers, Children’s Act 38 of 2005, compelling reasons appeal, constitutional children's rights, cross-border child disputes, custody relocation assessment, expert assessment relocation, family law jurisdiction, final interdict requirements, High Court exclusive jurisdiction, international child removal, leave to appeal Superior Courts Act, lis alibi pendens family law, non-joinder expert witness, parental cooperation relocation, reasonable prospects success, section 17 Superior Courts Act, Section 28 Constitution, statutory interpretation children's legislation, upper guardian role, urgency child matters, Western Cape High Court High Court Jurisdiction Over Child Relocation Upheld: N.T.R-F v J.A.L (Leave to Appeal) (2025/076576) [2025] ZAWCHC 377 (18 August 2025) – Expert Assessment Requirements and Appellate Prospects. Factual Matrix: Relocation Assessment and Parental Cooperation in Cross-Border Child Relocation The factual foundation of this Western Cape High Court decision reveals the complex procedural and substantive challenges inherent in… READ MORE
02/07/2025 Bertus Preller Appeal, Divorce, Procedural Law, Procedure, Rule 42 variation application accrual system, appellate procedures, collateral attack judgments, common mistake divorce, costs follow the cause, divorce decree variation, ex tempore judgment, final judgment finality, fraudulent misrepresentation, High Court North West Division, joint estate division, judicial officers function, legal certainty principles, legal representation errors, litigation finality, marriage out of community of property, matrimonial disputes, Matrimonial Property Act 88 of 1984, Matrimonial Property Regime, pleadings integrity, pre-nuptial contract, procedural missteps, property division claims, Rule 42 variation application, South African Family Law, Uniform Rules of Court, Zweni case finality When Variation Applications Fail: The Limits of Rule 42 Common Mistake in K.P.M v O.L.M and Another (Reasons) (1751/2008) [2025] ZANWHC 103 (17 June 2025). The Genesis of the Dispute: A Marriage Out of Community of Property Revisited The roots of this protracted legal dispute stretch back to 7 February 1991, when the applicant and… READ MORE
28/06/2025 Bertus Preller Appeal, Contractual repudiation, Deleted clauses contract interpretation, Divorce, Settlement agreement finality, Settlement agreement interpretation, Settlement agreements breach of settlement agreement, close corporation disputes, commercial dispute resolution, commercial entities matrimonial law, commercial relationship breakdown, contract amendment principles, contract cancellation principles, contract cancellation procedures, contractual breach remedies, contractual interpretation principles, contractual obligations enforcement, contractual repudiation remedies, contractual repudiation South Africa, deleted clauses contract interpretation, handwritten contract amendments, Limpopo High Court, matrimonial commercial entities, matrimonial litigation appeals, matrimonial property settlements, matrimonial settlement disputes, matrimonial settlement law, mora contractual obligations, repudiation contract law, settlement agreement breach, settlement agreement cancellation, settlement agreement enforcement, settlement agreement interpretation, settlement agreement validity High Court Upholds Settlement Cancellation: J.V.S v M.V.S and Others [2025] ZALMPPHC 101 (19 May 2025) – When Deleted Clauses Still Bind. The Factual Matrix: From Matrimonial Breakdown to Settlement Agreement Disputes This complex matrimonial dispute arose from the breakdown of a marriage between the appellant and first respondent, leading to protracted… READ MORE
28/06/2025 Bertus Preller Actio communi dividundo, Appeal, Clean Break Principle, Cohabitation, Divorce, Settlement agreement finality, Settlement agreements actio communi dividundo, alternative access arrangements, clean break principle, contractual interpretation family law, contractual occupation rights, court order variation requirements, deed of settlement breach, domestic violence protection orders, Eastern Cape High Court, Endumeni interpretation principles, factual disputes motion proceedings, finality principle settlement agreements, joint property ownership disputes, matrimonial property arrangements, motion court proceedings, occupation rights conditions, Plascon-Evans principle, post-divorce litigation, post-divorce property disputes, property sale compelling orders, Regional Court appeal, romantic partner cohabitation clause, settlement agreement finality, settlement agreement interpretation Settlement Agreement Interpretation Triumph: J.G.C v G.A.C [2025] ZAECMKHC 44 (13 May 2025) – High Court Overturns Property Sale Order. The Factual Matrix: What Led to the Appeal This appeal arose from a bitter post-divorce property dispute between former spouses who had been married for thirty-five years in community of… READ MORE
11/05/2025 Bertus Preller Accrual Calculation, Appeal, Commencement Values, Costs, Division of Estate, Divorce, Financial Disclosure, Procedure accrual claim, accrual system, Antenuptial Contract, binding agreement, commencement values, conclusive proof, contractual terms, declaration of value, divorce proceedings, divorce settlement, estate calculation, Estate Valuation, financial disclosure, inflation adjustment, legal precedent, marriage contracts, Marriage Dissolution, matrimonial agreements, matrimonial property, Matrimonial Property Act, out of community of property, prima facie proof, property declaration, section 6(3), South African divorce law, South African Law, statutory interpretation, Supreme Court of Appeal, wealth division D.C.M v C.C.M (1235/22) [2025] ZASCA 55 (9 May 2025). Understanding the Recent Supreme Court of Appeal Ruling on Antenuptial Contracts On 9 May 2025, the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) delivered a landmark judgment in Manelis v Manelis (Case… READ MORE
17/04/2025 Bertus Preller Appeal, Division of Estate, Divorce, Procedural Law, Recission of Divorce Orders Cape Town High Court, Court Jurisdiction, divorce order, final judgment, Firestone principle, functus officio, gross irregularity, in community of property, joint estate division, judicial authority, Judicial Review, legality review, magistrates court, PAJA, Property Division, Receiver appointment, review application, Superior Courts Act, Trencon substitution, Western Cape When Magistrates Overreach: G.W.X. v Magistrate of Western Cape Blue Downs Mashala N.O & Another (17268/2024) [2025] ZAWCHC 142 (27 March 2025). Background to the Review Application: The Divorce Orders in Question The recent Western Cape High Court judgment in G.W.X. v Magistrate of Regional Division of Western Cape Blue Downs Mashala… READ MORE
23/12/2024 Bertus Preller Abduction, Appeal, Best Interests of the Child, Children, Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction, Holiday Travel, International Travel, Parental Alienation, Parental Rights, Procedure, Relocation Article 13(b), Australian courts, Central Authority, child abduction, child protection, child rights, child welfare, children's act, Constitutional Challenges, cross-border parenting, custody proceedings, domestic violence, Expeditious Proceedings, Family Advocate, grave risk defence, Hague Convention, international child return, international family law, international obligations, Judicial Discretion, judicial separation, legal precedent, Parental Rights, procedural delays, Protective Measures, South Africa, South African jurisdiction, Supreme Court of Appeal, time limits, undertakings, urgent applications When Time is Not on Your Side: Supreme Court Issues Urgent Warning on Hague Convention Delays in N M v Central Authority for Republic of South Africa and Another [2024] ZASCA 178 (19 December 2024). Introduction: A Child's Journey Between Two Continents The Supreme Court of Appeal recently delivered a landmark judgment in N M v Central Authority for Republic of South Africa and Another… READ MORE