09/09/2024 Bertus Preller Arrears, Children, Contempt of Court, Divorce, Maintenance, Procedural Law, Procedure, Punitive Cost Orders, Recission of Divorce Orders, Settlement agreements, Urgency attorney-client costs, best interests of the child, child adoption, consent paper, court order, custody, Divorce, Family Law, High Court, mental capacity, Parental Rights, punitive costs, rescission, settlement agreement, South African Law Mental Capacity and Punitive Costs: The Cautionary Tale of C.H v A.C and Others (13612/2024) [2024] ZAWCHC 245. (4 September 2024) Background: A Tumultuous Divorce and Custody Battle The case of C.H v A.C and Others (13612/2024) ZAWCHC 245 unfolds against a backdrop of protracted legal skirmishes following the breakdown of… READ MORE
25/07/2024 Bertus Preller Accrual Calculation, Antenuptial Contracts, Appeal, Divorce, Pacta sunt servanda, Procedural Law, Procedure, Settlement agreements accrual system, appealable order, civil procedure, client advice, client communication, common mistake, contract law, divorce settlement, Family Law, judicial interpretation, justus error, legal certainty, Legal Practitioners, professional liability, settlement agreement, South African Law, Supreme Court of Appeal, thorough preparation, variation Legal Pitfalls in Divorce Settlements: B v B [2024] ZASCA 116 (24 July 2024). Warns Practitioners. The Dispute: A Settlement Agreement Under Scrutiny The case of B v B (259/2023) ZASCA 116 originated from a divorce settlement that quickly became contentious after its conclusion. The parties,… READ MORE
30/04/2024 Bertus Preller Adversarial Legal System, Children, Divorce, Hostile Family Lawyers, Maintenance, Settlement agreements attorney behavior, attorney-client relationship, case analysis, child maintenance, conflict resolution in family law, courtroom behavior, D v D, effective dispute resolution, emotive language, ethical practice, family court conduct, Family Law, family law attorneys, High Court Johannesburg, impact of decorum, judicial guidance, judicial opinions, legal decorum, Legal Ethics, legal professionalism, legal representatives, non-hostile conduct, professional behavior, settlement agreement, South African Family Law, strategic legal practice, ZAGPJHC 1688 Encouraging Decorum: The Importance of Non-Hostile Conduct Among Family Law Attorneys in D v D (2021/23816) [2024] ZAGPJHC 1688 (26 April 2024). Introduction In the case of D v D (2021/23816) ZAGPJHC 1688 (26 April 2024), the crux of the matter stemmed from the respondent's decision to issue a writ of execution… READ MORE
03/04/2024 Bertus Preller Contempt of Court, Divorce, Settlement agreements, Trusts, Trusts accountability, Asset Division, beneficiary interests, compliance, contempt of court, court judgment, divorce order, divorce settlement, duty, Family Law, fiduciary responsibility, Johannesburg High Court, joint action, legal obligations, Legal proceedings, legal remedy, M.F v V.F case, Property Division, property sale, settlement agreement, South African trust law, trust administration, Trust assets, trust deed, trust law, trust management, trust property, trustee conduct, trustees Duties of Trustees Unveiled: Insights from the M.F v V.F Case Analysis – M.F v V.F and Others (2003/22202) [2024] ZAGPJHC 318 (2 April 2024). The Facts Mr. M F (the applicant) and Mrs. V F (the first respondent) were married until their divorce on 15 July 2005. The divorce order incorporated a settlement agreement,… READ MORE
30/11/2023 Bertus Preller Divorce, Pension Funds, Settlement agreements asset distribution in divorce, attorney diligence, consent paper interpretation, contract integrity in settlements, divorce negotiation strategies, divorce order variation, divorce settlements, Family court rulings, family law case studies mANTAME j, legal precedent in divorce, legal representatives' conduct, Lekhuleni J, M.D vs N.D, maintenance order variation, matrimonial law implications, matrimonial property division, pension interest division, post-divorce financial adjustments, settlement agreement analysis, South African Family Law Legal Precision in Divorce Settlements: Lessons from the M.D v N.D – Appeal (A176/2023) [2023] ZAWCHC 304 (29 November 2023) on Pension Interests and Attorney Conduct. The Facts of the Case: A Detailed Overview This Appeal in the western Cape High Court presented a complex scenario involving the variation of a divorce order, particularly focusing on… READ MORE
23/11/2023 Bertus Preller Accrual Calculation, anti-dissipatory relief, Divorce, Marital Regimes, Settlement agreements Accrual Calculation, Antenuptial Contract, Asset Disclosure, Asset Division, Court Rulings, Divorce Law, divorce proceedings, divorce settlements, Estate Valuation, Financial Outcomes, Financial Settlements, legal implications, Legal Insights, Liability Consideration, Marital Assets., Marriage Dissolution, matrimonial property, Matrimonial Property Act, Property Valuation, South African Law Timing is Everything: The Crucial Role of Accrual Calculation Date in Divorce Cases. R.D.M v M.T.M (M608/22) [2023] ZANWHC 216 (21 November 2023). The facts of the case, as presented in the judgment, revolve around an application for the provisional sequestration of the respondent's estate, following the dissolution of a marriage under South… READ MORE
19/11/2023 Bertus Preller Arrears, Contempt of Court, Divorce, Interim Maintenance, Maintenance, Rule 43, Settlement agreements Binding agreements, Consent Papers, court order, Court order superseding, Court Rulings, Divorce Law, divorce proceedings, divorce settlements, Enforceable agreements, Family Court, Legal advice on divorce, Legal binding, Legal dispute resolution., Legal enforceability, legal implications, Legal precedence, Marital settlements, matrimonial law, new family law cases, Non-court order settlements, Relationship contracts, settlement agreement Divorce Dilemma: Settlement vs. Court Order: Navigating the Binding Complexities in Divorce Cases. – L C v L C (2023004515) 2023 ZAGPJHC 1365 (15 November 2023). SUMMARY OF JUDGMENT A. INTRODUCTION The applicant sought to rescind a contempt of court order that had been granted by Acting Justice Moorcraft on 11 October 2022 under case number… READ MORE
22/09/2023 Bertus Preller Abuse, Alimony, Children, Divorce, Financial Disclosure, Forfeiture of Benefits, Maintenance, Marriage, Parental Rights, Pension Funds, Settlement agreements, Spousal Maintenance Asset Division, Bertus Preller, Children's Welfare, court order, Divorce, Divorce Attorney Cape Town, Divorce News, Family Law, Legal Costs, maintenance, Marriage Dissolution, Parental Responsibilities, Pension Forfeiture, Property Valuation, Questionable Conduct, Settlement, South African Law, spousal support When Love Goes Sour and Assets Get Tangled: How One Husband’s Questionable Conduct, Refusal to Settle, and Legal Maneuvering Shaped a Divorce Ruling. N.S v M.F.S (20/27078) ZAGPJHC 1044 (19 September 2023) Litigation History The Defendant represented himself, while the Plaintiff had legal representation. The Defendant filed 12 applications against the Plaintiff, most… READ MORE
18/07/2023 Bertus Preller Alimony, Financial Disclosure, Maintenance, Settlement agreements, Spousal Maintenance Bertus Preller, court appeal, court decision, court errors, court judgement, court order, Divorce, Divorce Attorney Cape Town, divorce settlement, Family Law, financial arrangements, financial disclosure, financial investigation, High Court appeal, JSB vs LDB, legal appeal, legal case, legal dispute, legal duty, legal obligations, legal precedent, Legal proceedings, Magistrate's errors, Maintenance Act, maintenance agreement, maintenance investigator, maintenance obligations, maintenance officer, settlement agreement, spousal maintenance, spousal support Correcting Course: How the High Court Rectified the Magistrate’s Errors in the JSB vs LDB Spousal Maintenance Case. L.D.B v J.S.B (A3079/2021) ZAGPJHC 786 (13 July 2023) BACKGROUND On the 31st of January 2014, the respondent, JSB, had divorced the appellant, LDB. The terms of the divorce had… READ MORE