23/01/2025 Bertus Preller Best Interests of the Child, Children, Parental Rights, Same Sex Couples best interests of child, blended families, child welfare, children's rights, children's act, Civil Union Act, Constitutional Rights, contact arrangements, Contact rights, court appointed experts, custody arrangements, drug assessment, educational evidence, expert evidence, Family Advocate, Family Court, Family Law, family relationships, joint custody, joint expert minute, Judicial Discretion, legal precedent, Parental Rights, psychiatric evaluation, Same-Sex Marriage, South African Law, surrogacy, teacher testimony, upper guardian, Western Cape High Court Best Interests of Children Triumph Over Expert Recommendations: D.R v N.M and Another (3358/24) [2025] ZAWCHC 12 (23 January 2025). Introduction: A Modern Family's Legal Journey in the Western Cape High Court In a landmark judgment delivered electronically on 23 January 2025, the Western Cape High Court grappled with complex… READ MORE
19/11/2024 Bertus Preller Adversarial Legal System, Appeal, Best Interests of the Child, Children, Coercive Control, Conduct of Childcare Experts, Costs, Divorce, Family Law Court System South Africa, In Community of Property, Marital Regimes, Pacta sunt servanda, Parental Alienation, Parental Rights, Punitive Cost Orders, Relocation, Settlement agreements, Shared Residency best interests of child, breastfeeding rights, Child Custody, children's rights, children's act, Constitutional Rights, costs order, custody agreement, custody battle, divorce proceedings, divorce settlement, Family Advocate, family advocate recommendations, Family Court, Family Law, financial coercion, joint estate, Judicial Discretion, legal precedent, matrimonial property, Medupi Power Station, Parental Rights, parenting plan, Primary Caregiver, primary residence, settlement agreement, South African courts, Supreme Court of Appeal, unilateral relocation, upper guardian When Power Moves Meet Parental Rights: High Court Pulls the Plug on Dad’s Custody Settlement in ZDE v CE (1011/2022) [2024] ZASCA 159. (18 November 2024). Background to the Matter Picture this: the corridors of the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein, where legal dramas unfold with the regularity of load-shedding schedules. But this time, the… READ MORE
30/10/2024 Bertus Preller Best Interests of the Child, Children, Maintenance, Paternity Fraud best interests of child, biological father, child maintenance, child rights, child support, child welfare, children's act, condictio indebiti, Constitutional Rights, court order, DNA evidence, DNA testing, enrichment claims, family bonds, Family Court, family law South Africa, family relationships, fraud claims, Judicial Discretion, legal duty, legal precedent, maintenance claims, maintenance recovery, marriage law, misattributed paternity, Parental Rights, paternity dispute, paternity fraud, paternity testing, Psychological Impact, WhatsApp evidence From Dad to Duped: South Africa’s Legal Dance with Paternity Fraud and the Quest for Truth. Understanding Paternity Fraud in South Africa: What You Need to Know Paternity fraud occurs when a mother, knowing or suspecting the truth, deliberately misidentifies a man as her child's biological… READ MORE
28/10/2024 Bertus Preller Children, Maintenance, Paternity Fraud, Procedure Access to Justice, affidavits via Zoom, birth certificate amendment, children's act, civil litigation, civil procedure, Constitutional Rights, court modernization, court precedent, digital evidence, divorce settlement, DNA results, DNA testing, electronic evidence, Family Law, High Court Judgment, judicial interpretation, legal presumption, legal presumptions, legal reform, legal technology, maintenance obligations, maintenance payments, parental rights termination, parenting plan, paternity fraud, remote legal procedures, South African Law, virtual commissioning, WhatsApp evidence From WhatsApp to Whoops: How Digital Messages and a Virtual Oath Transformed Paternity Law in VJS v SH (19578/2024) [2024] ZAWCHC 333: Can You Zoom Your Way to Justice? Background: A Paternity Dispute Emerges from WhatsApp Messages In a significant judgment from the Western Cape High Court, a project manager working at the US Embassy in Pakistan sought to… READ MORE
18/07/2024 Bertus Preller Best Interests of the Child, Children, Costs, Parental Rights, Procedure, Rule 43 abuse of process, best interests of the child, Child Custody, child welfare, Constitutional Rights, divorce proceedings, Family Law, forum shopping, High Court, interim orders, Judicial Discretion, Legal Procedure, Legal Strategy, matrimonial matters, regional court, Rule 43, Rule 58, South African Law, urgency Navigating the Maze: Forum Shopping and Urgency in Family Law – Insights from D.G.S.F v M.F and Another (347/2024) [2024] ZAFSHC 207. Background: A High-Stakes Rule 43 Application The case of D.G.S.F v M.F and Another (347/2024) ZAFSHC 207 (2 July 2024) centres on a contentious Rule 43 application in the Free… READ MORE
15/06/2024 Bertus Preller Adoption, Best Interests of the Child, Child Maintenance, Children, Maintenance, Parental Rights 3 June 2024, A25/2024, adoption process, best interests of the child, child protection, child welfare, child-centric approach, Children’s Act 38 of 2005, Constitutional Rights, Contemporary Society, de facto adoptions, duty of support, emotional bond, familial arrangements, Family Law, High Court, informal adoptions, Legal Framework, legal obligations, legal recognition, Legal Technicalities, maintenance obligations, parental care, Parental Responsibilities, R S v J S and Others, South African Law, voluntary assumption, ZAWCHC 83 Embracing the Best Interests of the Child: A Legal Analysis of De Facto Adoptions and Maintenance Obligations in R S v J S and Others (A25/2024) [2024] ZAWCHC 83 (3 June 2024). Factual Matrix and Procedural History: A Comprehensive Overview of R S v J S and Others (A25/2024) ZAWCHC 83 (3 June 2024) The judgment of R S v J S… READ MORE
17/05/2024 Bertus Preller Abuse, Digital Abuse, Divorce, Interdict, Marriage, Privacy Rights answering affidavit, Bernstein and Others v Bester NO and others, closed-circuit television, community's sense of justice, Constitutional Rights, disclosure of private facts, dishonest litigant, expert witness, Financial Mail (Pty) Ltd v Sage Holdings Ltd, iCloud, interdict, iTunes, matrimonial home, O'Keeffe v Argus Printing and Publishing Co Ltd, privacy, punitive costs, S v I, Section 14, sexual encounter, South African Constitution, unlawful intrusion, Urgent Application, video footage, WhatsApp Ex-Husband Pays the Price for Secret Video Scandal. The Right to Privacy Triumphs: CEA v MB (D4460/2023) [2024] ZAKZDHC 26 (17 May 2024) THE FACTS OF THE CASE The case of CEA v MB, heard in the High Court of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Local Division, Durban, involved a woman (the applicant) who sought… READ MORE
26/02/2024 Bertus Preller Divorce, Procedure, Recission of Divorce Orders Case Law, clean hands doctrine, Condonation, Constitutional Rights, Court Orders, Deeds Registries Act, Divorce Decree, divorce proceedings, due process, equitable relief, Family Court, Family Law, Legal Analysis, legal challenges, Legal precedents, Legal proceedings, legal remedies, Legal Representation, matrimonial disputes, matrimonial property, procedural fairness, property rights, rescission of judgment, Rule 31(2)(b), Rule 42(1)(a), service of summons, South African Law, Uniform Rules of Court Unraveling Legal Mysteries: The Rescission of Divorce Decrees in South African Law. – E S v J S (2011/19961) [2024] ZAGPJHC 164 (19 February 2024). Introduction to the Case of E S v J S In the intriguing case of E S v J S (2011/19961) ZAGPJHC 164, adjudicated on 19 February 2024, the court… READ MORE
02/02/2024 Bertus Preller Children, Parental Rights, Relocation, Views of the Child child welfare, Children's Best Interests, Children's Welfare, children's act, Constitutional Rights, court decision, cross-border parenting, custody arrangements, emotional stability, family court decisions, family dynamics, Family Law, family relocation, international custody, international move, judicial considerations, Legal Analysis, Legal Framework, legal guidance, Legal precedents, Legal Strategy, minor children relocation, parental consent, Parental Responsibilities, Parental Rights, relocation cases, shared parenting, travel consent, visitation rights Navigating Family Dynamics: Granting Relocation Orders for Minor Children’s Best Interests. – H F v P F ; In Re: E F and Others (2022/028593) [2024] ZAGPJHC 88 (31 January 2024). Introduction to the Interim Removal Application for Minor Children On 21 June 2023, NDLOKOVANE AJ delivered a pivotal order addressing the contested interim removal of three minor children, aged 14,… READ MORE
27/01/2024 Bertus Preller Alimony, Children, Costs, Maintenance, Parental Rights, Rule 43, Rule 43 Cost Contributions, Spousal Maintenance acrimonious divorce, Asset Division, Child Custody, child maintenance, children's act, Constitutional Rights, court judgment, Divorce, divorce litigation, divorce settlement, Family Advocate, Family Court, Family Law, family trust, financial dependence, financial disclosure, interim maintenance, Legal Costs, Legal Fees, Legal Representation, marital property, marital regime, matrimonial disputes, Mediation, Rule 43, Separation, South Africa, spousal support, Uniform Rules of Court Unravelling the Tangles of Divorce: A South African Rule 43 – Case Study on Interim Maintenance and Legal Costs – T.C v B.C (21300/2022) [2024] ZAGPJHC 48 (25 January 2024). Background In this case, presided over by Mahomed AJ, an application was made for interim maintenance and a contribution toward legal costs, in line with Rule 43 of the Uniform… READ MORE