15/05/2025 Bertus Preller Accomodation, Children, Division of Estate, Divorce, Financial Disclosure, Liquidator, Maintenance, Maintenance Court, Rule 43, Rule 43 Cost Contributions, Spousal Maintenance bond payments, bonding therapy, changed circumstances, community of property, divorce proceedings, enforceability of maintenance orders, financial means, High Court Johannesburg, interim maintenance, joint estate, Judge Kumalo, Judicial Discretion, legal costs contribution, matrimonial home, matrimonial property, minor child preferences, pension benefits, reasonable needs, reciprocal duty of support, Rule 43, South African Family Law, spousal support, unemployment, Van Rippen principle When the Well Runs Dry: Court Dismisses Maintenance Claims in H.E.D. v D.D. (2022/14582) [2025] ZAGPJHC 465 (13 May 2025). Background of the Rule 43 Application in H.E.D. v D.D The case of H.E.D. v D.D (2022/14582) ZAGPJHC 465 (13 May 2025) revolves around an application brought under Rule 43… READ MORE
21/04/2025 Bertus Preller Division of Estate, Divorce, Forfeiture of Benefits, Pension Funds, Recission of Divorce Orders community of property, court discretion, divorce act section 9, divorce costs, divorce judgment, divorce proceedings, divorce settlements, extramarital affairs, family law South Africa, financial abuse marriage, financial misconduct, Forfeiture of benefits, Gauteng High Court, High Court Judgment, justice kooverjie, legal precedent, Marital Assets, marriage breakdown, matrimonial property, partial rescission, pension claims, Pension Forfeiture, pension interests divorce, Property Division, South African divorce law, spousal misconduct, substantial misconduct, undue benefit, wijker test Marriage Misconduct Costs Husband Dearly: Court Orders Forfeiture of Property and Pension Benefits in M.J.L v L.O.L (22341/19; A288/2023) [2025] ZAGPPHC 331 (27 March 2025). Background: The Marriage and Subsequent Divorce Proceedings The recent High Court judgment in M.J.L v L.O.L (22341/19; A288/2023) ZAGPPHC 331 (27 March 2025) provides valuable insights into how South African… READ MORE
12/10/2024 Bertus Preller Costs, Divorce, Procedural Law, Separation Applications asset dissipation, Asset Division, attorney-client scale, business interests, community of property, costs order, court ruling, Divorce, evidentiary rules, Gauteng High Court, hearsay evidence, inadmissible evidence, joint estate, Legal Requirements, matrimonial dispute, Matrimonial Property Act, prejudice, prima facie case, Section 20, South Africa, Urgent Application, urgent relief, ZAGPPHC Divorce Drama Derailed: BTTM v NKM (054684 2024) [2024] ZAGPPHC 992 Exposes Pitfalls of Hasty Matrimonial Asset Division – (1 October 2024). Background: A Marriage in Community of Property Heads for Divorce In the bustling corridors of the Gauteng Division of the High Court in Pretoria, a matrimonial dispute unfolded that would… READ MORE
17/09/2024 Bertus Preller Division of Estate, Divorce, Financial Disclosure, In Community of Property, Marriage, Settlement agreements Asset Division, community of property, Divorce Act, divorce proceedings, elderly couples, fairness in divorce, full disclosure, High Court Judgment, judicial responsibility, judicial scrutiny, late-life divorce, legal precedent, long-term marriage, marital estate, settlement agreement, South African Law, uncontested divorce, voluntary agreement Judicial Vigilance in Late-Life Divorce: Unpacking E.T v S.T (2024/066890) [2024] ZAGPJHC 873 (16 September 2024). The Importance of Full Disclosure in Divorce Settlements The recent judgment in E.T v S.T (2024/066890) ZAGPJHC 873 (16 September 2024) highlights a crucial aspect of divorce proceedings in South… READ MORE
13/09/2024 Bertus Preller Asset Disclosure, Division of Estate, Divorce, Hiding Assets, In Community of Property, Recission of Divorce Orders, Settlement agreements Asset Concealment, civil procedure, community of property, contract law, Court Jurisdiction, court order, damages claim, divorce proceedings, divorce settlement, exception, Family Law, financial disclosure, fraud allegations, fraudulent misrepresentation, Judicial Discretion, Legal Ethics, legal precedent, legal remedy, Legal Strategy, Marital Assets, matrimonial property, non-disclosure, professional liability, Public Policy, res judicata, separate action, settlement agreement, South African Law, Western Cape High Court Deception Exposed: L A C v J C [2024] ZAWCHC 143 – (9 September 2024) – Unmasks Fraud in Divorce Settlement Shocker. The Crux of the Case The crux of the case in L A C v J C and Others ZAWCHC 143 was whether the plaintiff could pursue a separate action… READ MORE
06/08/2024 Bertus Preller Abuse, Adultery, Division of Estate, Divorce, Forfeiture of Benefits, In Community of Property, Infidelity, Maintenance, Rule 43 Asset Division, child maintenance, community of property, court judgment, credibility assessment, Divorce Act, equitable distribution, Forfeiture of benefits, marital contributions, medical aid post-divorce, misconduct, non-financial contributions, pension interest, South African divorce Equitable Division Triumphs: Insights from M.L.M v T.M.M (10864/15) [2024] ZAGPPHC 743 (2 August 2024). Background of the M.L.M v T.M.M Divorce Case The case of M.L.M v T.M.M (10864/15) ZAGPPHC 743 (2 August 2024) involved a divorce proceeding in the High Court of South… READ MORE
20/07/2024 Bertus Preller Child Maintenance, Divorce, Marital Regimes, Pension Funds accrual system, Arrear Maintenance, Asset Division, Case Law, community of property, Court Rulings, Divorce Act 70 of 1979, divorce settlements, Family Law, financial landscape, fund depletion, future maintenance, housing loans, legal complexities, Legal precedents, maintenance obligations, maintenance orders, marital dissolution, marital property law, Matrimonial Property Act 88 of 1984, Pension Funds, Pension Funds Amendment Bill 2024, pension interests, retirement benefits, retirement savings, South Africa, South African Law, Two-Pot retirement system The Two-Pot Retirement System and Maintenance: Revolutionising Divorce Settlements in South Africa under the Pension Funds Amendment Bill 2024. Introduction South Africa's financial landscape is on the brink of a significant transformation with the imminent implementation of the Two-Pot retirement system on 1 September 2024. This innovative approach to… READ MORE
12/06/2024 Bertus Preller Antenuptial Contracts, Customary Law, Customary Marriages, Marital Regimes 25007/2022, accrual system, Antenuptial Contract, arbitrary deprivation, black women, civil marriage, community of property, constitutional scrutiny, customary marriage, financially weaker spouses, Gender Equality, JRM v VVC and Another, judicial oversight, legislative reform, Matrimonial Property Act, Matrimonial Property Regime, racial equality, Recognition of Customary Marriages Act, unfair discrimination Protecting the Vulnerable: JRM v VVC and Another (25007/2022) Exposes the Need for Judicial Oversight in Customary Marriage Property Regimes. The Conundrum: Validity of an 'Antenuptial Contract' Concluded Post-Customary Marriage In the recent case of JRM v VVC and Another (25007/2022), the Gauteng Division of the High Court, Pretoria, grappled… READ MORE
11/06/2024 Bertus Preller Divorce, Forfeiture of Benefits asset distribution, Beaumont v Beaumont, community of property, court ruling, Divorce, Divorce Act 70 of 1979, divorce settlement, Family Law, financial support, forfeiture, immovable property, irretrievable breakdown, joint estate, Klerck v Klerck, KT v MR, Legal Framework, Legal precedents, legal professionals, M.C.N v G.M.L.N, maintenance, marital breakdown, matrimonial property, misconduct, paternity, patrimonial benefits, pension fund, primary breadwinner, South Africa, substantial misconduct Breaking Down the M.C.N v G.M.L.N (Born M.) (1629/2022) [2024] ZAGPPHC 516 (7 June 2024) Divorce Case: Forfeiture of Patrimonial Benefits in South Africa. Case Summary In the case of M.C.N v G.M.L.N (Born M.) (1629/2022) ZAGPPHC 516 (7 June 2024) the parties were married in community of property in 2000. The marriage lasted… READ MORE
11/06/2024 Bertus Preller Anti-Dissipation Interdicts, anti-dissipatory relief, Cryptocurrencies, Cryptocurrency, Division of Estate, Divorce, Hiding Assets, In Community of Property, Subpoenas accrual system, antenuptial agreements, Asset Concealment, asset distribution, asset tracing, Bitcoin, Bitcoin mining, blockchain analysis, blockchain forensics, community of property, cryptocurrency, cryptocurrency valuation, digital currency, digital forensics, digital wallets, Divorce, divorce settlement, financial infidelity, forensic investigation, forensic techniques, hidden assets, interim orders, Legal Framework, legal remedies, matrimonial property, Matrimonial Property Act, OSINT, out of community of property, pseudonymous transactions, South Africa Cryptocurrency and Divorce in South Africa: Unveiling Hidden Digital Assets. Introduction As cryptocurrencies gain widespread adoption and become increasingly mainstream, their use has extended beyond just investment and trading. Cryptocurrencies, particularly Bitcoin, have found their way into various aspects of… READ MORE