17/04/2025 Bertus Preller ab initio, Divorce, Marriage, marriage registration, Nullity of marriage, Procedural Law, void marriage ab initio, accrual system, civil marriage, cohabitation, common law presumption, declaratory order, High Court Judgment, Identification Act, Judge Nxumalo, legal certainty, legal formalities, Marriage Act, marriage ceremony, marriage certificate, marriage officer, marriage register, marriage registration, marriage validity, matrimonial disputes, matrimonial property, Northern Cape Division, nullity of marriage, prima facie evidence, rebuttable presumption, South African marriage law, South African matrimonial law, stated case, subsequent marriage, void ab initio, void marriage Marriage Not Registered, Marriage Not Valid: High Court Rules in M.W v C.W (2462/2019) [2025] ZANCHC 34 (11 April 2025). Background of the M.W v C.W Case: A Marriage Validity Dispute The case of M.W v C.W (2462/2019) ZANCHC 34 (11 April 2025) centers around a complex matrimonial dispute that… 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
31/01/2025 Bertus Preller Alimony, Best Interests of the Child, Child Maintenance, Children, Divorce, Financial Disclosure, Interim Maintenance, Maintenance, Procedural Law, Rule 43, Rule 43 Cost Contributions, Rule 58, Spousal Maintenance, Variation, Variation Rule 43(6) best interests of the child maintenance, burden of proof maintenance, child maintenance law, cohabitation and maintenance, constitutional rights in maintenance, court reasoning in maintenance cases, ex-spouse financial obligations, family law court precedents, financial disclosure in divorce, financial hardship maintenance claims, interim maintenance orders, interim relief family law, KLW v CSW 2025, legal challenges in maintenance reduction, legal precedent in family law, maintenance case law, maintenance disputes South Africa, maintenance law developments, maintenance obligations in divorce, maintenance variation case, Rule 43 South Africa, Rule 43(6) application, Rule 43(6) maintenance, Rule 43(6) precedents, South African divorce maintenance, South African Family Law, spousal maintenance disputes, variation of maintenance orders Legal Uncertainty in KLW v CSW (202035177) [2025] ZAGPJHC 41 (22 January 2025): A Reassessment of Rule 43(6) and Maintenance Variation in South African Law. Introduction The judgment in KLW v CSW (202035177) ZAGPJHC 41 raises important questions regarding the application of Rule 43(6) of the Uniform Rules of Court and the judicial approach to… READ MORE
30/01/2025 Bertus Preller Costs, Divorce, Financial Disclosure, Procedural Law, Section 7 Matrimonial Properties Act accrual system, acting justice friedman, asset declaration, Asset Disclosure, beneficial ownership, catch-me-if-you-can principle, company assets, constitutional powers, corporate structures, disclosure obligations, divorce litigation, divorce procedure, divorce proceedings, divorce tactics, financial disclosure, financial transparency, Gauteng High Court, High Court Judgment, interlocutory applications, Judicial Discretion, legal precedent, matrimonial law, matrimonial property, Matrimonial Property Act, Practice Directive, Rule 33(4), Rule 43, section 7 notice, separation application, South African Law, Trust assets Playing Hide and Seek with Assets? High Court Says ‘Game Over!’ – D.M v D.M (2021 043212) [2025] ZAGPJHC 31 (28 January 2025). The Novel Question: When Must a Spouse Comply with a Section 7 Notice? When it comes to financial disclosure in divorce proceedings, some spouses treat their assets like a magician's… READ MORE
20/01/2025 Bertus Preller Adversarial Legal System, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Anti-Dissipation Interdicts, anti-dissipatory relief, Asset Disclosure, Division of Estate, Divorce, Financial Disclosure, Hiding Assets, Maintenance, Procedural Law, Punitive Cost Orders, Rule 43, Rule 43 Cost Contributions, Rule 58 Alternative Dispute Resolution, asset dissipation, court enforcement, divorce proceedings, early disclosure, equitable outcomes, Family Law, financial asymmetry, financial disclosure, financial disclosure forms, financial fraud, financial information gap, financial transparency, Gauteng Practice Directive, Gender Equality, Maintenance Act, maintenance disputes, Marital Assets, marital estate, matrimonial property, Mediation, POPI compliance, privacy concerns, procedural reform, South Africa, South African Law Reform Commission, spousal maintenance, Trust assets, uberrimae fidei The Financial Information Gap in Family Law: Addressing Inequities and Reforming Disclosure Practices. The Financial Information Gap: Understanding the Core Problem in Family Law Matters The landscape of family law in South Africa faces a critical challenge rooted in the asymmetrical access to… READ MORE
03/12/2024 Bertus Preller Adult Children, Arrear Maintenance Variation, Arrears, Children, Maintenance, Maintenance Court, Procedural Law Tale of Two Judgments: High Court’s Evolution on Adult Child Maintenance – O V v C M V [2024] ZAGPPHC vs D.W.T v M.T [2022] ZAWCHC 203: Which Path Forward? Introduction: The Maintenance Dilemma for Adult Children The recent High Court judgment in O V v C M V (Case No. 84818/2017) ZAGPPHC delivered by Acting Judge Scheepers grapples with… READ MORE
30/11/2024 Bertus Preller Anti-Dissipation Interdicts, anti-dissipatory relief, Division of Estate, Divorce, In Community of Property, Interdict, Procedural Law, Procedure Attorney Conduct, auction process, civil procedure, conveyancing, court order, divorce agreement, divorce proceedings, divorce settlement, execution debtor, execution sale, High Court Judgment, judicial fairness, judicial interpretation, judicial oversight, Legal Ethics, legal fairness, legal precedent, market value, matrimonial assets, matrimonial property, procedural fairness, property auction, property dispute, property law, property rights, property rights protection, Property Transfer, Property Valuation, sale in execution, Sheriff's sale, South African Law From R1.5 Million to R1000: How a Divorce Property Sale Went Terribly Wrong – M.R.M v M.F.M and Others (M614/2023) [2024] ZANWHC 289 (26 November 2024). In what could be dubbed "The Case of the Thousand Rand Mansion," the North West High Court recently had to grapple with a property sale that would make any estate… READ MORE
12/11/2024 Bertus Preller Antenuptial Contracts, Antenuptial Contracts, Costs, Divorce, Marital Regimes, Procedural Law, Procedure Antenuptial Contract, attorney misconduct, caveat subscriptor, civil procedure, court costs, divorce proceedings, elderly marriage, explanatory affidavits, factual disputes, legal documents, legal presumptions, legal signatures, legal trust, marriage law, matrimonial disputes, matrimonial property, motion application, motion proceedings, notary, oral evidence, personal relationships, Plascon-Evans rule, professional conduct, property regime, Rule 6(5)(g), signing documents, South African Law, wedding gift, wedding MC, Western Cape High Court From Wedding MC to Legal Emergency: How a Rushed Signature Led to a Marriage Property Crisis – B C B v L L B and Others (15788/2024) [2024] ZAWCHC 206 (11 November 2024). The Marriage and the Disputed Antenuptial Contract - A 90-Year-Old Groom and His 60-Year-Old Bride In a remarkable case that recently came before the Western Cape High Court, a marriage… READ MORE
24/10/2024 Bertus Preller Adversarial Legal System, Best Interests of the Child, Child Maintenance, Children, Costs, Divorce, Family Law Court System South Africa, Financial Disclosure, Maintenance, Parental Rights, Procedural Law, Settlement agreements, Shared Residency attorney misconduct, attorney responsibility, Children's Best Interests, children's act, court officers, court protocols, court upper guardian, Divorce Act, Divorce Law, divorce maintenance, divorce proceedings, divorce settlements, family advocate investigations, Family Advocate role, Family Law, High Court judgments, judicial criticism, Legal Ethics, legal fees disallowed, legal practice standards, legal practitioner duties, maintenance obligations, professional boundaries, professional conduct, shared custody, shared residency, unopposed divorce, WhatsApp communication Attorney’s WhatsApp Blunder Costs Fees in Shared Residency Battle – P.V.Z v L.V.Z (047502/2024 ; 36830/2022 ; 064524/2023) [2024] ZAGPPHC 1046. Shared Residency: Not Always the Default Solution for Divorced Parents In a groundbreaking judgment delivered by Acting Judge Haupt in P.V.Z v L.V.Z (047502/2024; 36830/2022; 064524/2023) ZAGPPHC 1046, the Gauteng… READ MORE
18/10/2024 Bertus Preller Adversarial Legal System, Best Interests of the Child, Child Maintenance, Children, Cohabitation, Costs, Divorce, International Divorce, Procedural Law, Relocation, Separation Applications child maintenance, cross-border family law, Dubai relocation, enforceability, High Court Judgment, international divorce, jurisdiction, minor children's interests, punitive costs, Rule 33(4), Rule 43, separation of issues, South Africa, Urgent Application Dubai Dreams vs. Divorce Duties: GK v KK (2015-96997) [2024] ZAGPPHC 1015 (16 October 2024) – Unravels International Family Law Challenges in Separation Applications. Background: The Complexities of an International Divorce The case of GK v KK (2015-96997) ZAGPPHC 1015 (16 October 2024) highlights the intricate challenges that arise when divorce proceedings intersect with… READ MORE