01/03/2025 Bertus Preller Best Interests of the Child, Children, Guardianship, Maintenance, Maintenance Court, Parental Rights, Procedure best interests of the child, Case Law, child support, children's rights, Children’s Court, children's act, common law, Constitutional Court, Constitutional Rights, duty of support, Family Law, forum non conveniens, forum shopping, Judicial Discretion, jurisdiction, legal nullity, Maintenance Act, maintenance court, maintenance obligations, Mediation, parental authority, Parental Duties, parental responsibility, right to support, South African Law, statutory interpretation, UNCRC, unmarried fathers FCP v STC: Western Cape High Court Rules Parental Maintenance Duty Cannot Be Terminated (A 46/2024; 29 January 2025). The Constitutional Right to Child Maintenance Cannot Be Terminated: Understanding the Landmark Judgment In the groundbreaking case of FCP v STC and Another (A 46/2024; 1762021/000227) ZAWCHC 68 (29 January… READ MORE
12/07/2024 Bertus Preller Best Interests of the Child, Children, Grandparents Rights, Guardianship, Parental Rights appellate interference, best interests of child, Children’s Court, children's act, Contact rights, court order, Family Advocate, Family Law, fraud, grandparental rights, High Court Judgment, K.R.S v C.L, legal principles, mistake, Parental Rights, rescission application, Section 23 application, settlement agreement, South Africa, void ab initio Grandparent Rights Upheld: High Court Rejects Father’s Bid to Rescind Contact Order in K.R.S v C.L (A186/2023) [2024] ZAGPPHC 627(21 June 2024). Background: The Children's Court Order and Family Dynamics The case of K.R.S v C.L (A186/2023) ZAGPPHC 627 stems from a complex family dispute involving a father, his children's maternal grandmother,… READ MORE
30/04/2024 Bertus Preller Children, Conduct of Childcare Experts abuse of process, child care cases, Children’s Court, conflicts of interest, counselling psychologist, Dickinson v Fisher's Executors 1914 AD 424, disciplinary inquiries, disciplinary proceedings, disciplinary sanctions, Els v Health Professions Council of South Africa and Others (965/2023) [2024] ZAWCHC 112, ethical violations, exploitation, facilitator, HPCSA, interlocutory appeal, mental health professionals, multiple relationships, piecemeal appeals, power imbalance, professional boundaries, professional ethics, professional misconduct, Regulation 11, Stalingrad tactics, therapeutic relationship, therapeutic services, unprofessional conduct, vulnerable clients, Wahlhaus principle, Zuma v Downer 2024 (2) SA 356 (SCA) Crossing Boundaries: The Perils of Multiple Relationships in Child Care Cases – Els v Health Professions Council of South Africa and Others (965/2023) [2024] ZAWCHC 112 (25 April 2024) Introduction The Western Cape High Court recently delivered a significant judgment in the case of Els v Health Professions Council of South Africa and Others (965/2023) ZAWCHC 112 (25 April… READ MORE
19/10/2023 Bertus Preller Children, Parental Rights, Relocation Alston Primary School, Alternative Redress, best interests of the child, Children’s Court, Judicial Discretion, Legal Costs, Legal Framework, MM vs NM, Parental Rights, Primary Caregiver, protection order, School Enrollment, Section 28(2) of the Constitution, Section 31 of the Children's Act, Self-Created Urgency, South African Family Law, St. Charles College, Uniform Rule 6, Urgent Application Urgency or Delay? A Deep Dive into a South African Family Law Case Involving Schooling and Parental Rights. MM v NM and Others (15133/23P) ZAKZPHC 117 (18 October 2023) Introduction In a recent case presided over by Davis AJ, MM (the applicant) filed an urgent application against NM… READ MORE
01/07/2023 Bertus Preller Children, Cohabitation, Life Partnerships, Living Together, Parental Rights, Same Sex Couples artificial fertilisation, Bertus Preller, best interests of the child, Children’s Act 38 of 2005, Children’s Court, Constitutional Court, constitutional defects, constitutional invalidity, discrimination, Divorce Attorney Cape Town, Divorce News, Family Law, family life, marital status, parental rights and responsibilities, Parliament, permanent life partners, remedy, right to dignity, sexual orientation Landmark Ruling: South Africa’s Constitutional Court Declares Section 40 of the Children’s Act Unconstitutional, Affirming Parental Rights for Same-Sex Couples. VJV AND ANOTHER v MINISTER OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT AND ANOTHER ZACC 21 - 29 JUNE 2023 The Constitutional Court ruled on an application for validation of a constitutional invalidity that… READ MORE