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
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
17/09/2024 Bertus Preller Accrual Calculation, Actio communi dividundo, Divorce, Marital Regimes accrual system, actio communi dividundo, Antenuptial Contract, bound co-ownership, divorce proceedings, equitable distribution, Judicial Discretion, marital home, Marriage Dissolution, matrimonial property, Property Division, property rights, South African Law, spousal maintenance Bound by Marriage: The Complex Co-ownership Conundrum in P.N v A.E (20081/2023) [2024] ZAWCHC 266 – (16 September 2024). Background: Marriage, Property Acquisition, and Divorce Proceedings In the case of P.N v A.E (20081/2023) ZAWCHC 266 (16 September 2024), we encounter a dispute between married partners over the termination… 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
04/09/2024 Bertus Preller Divorce, Spoliation business continuity, business premises, civil procedure, counter-spoliation, divorce proceedings, High Court ruling, joint ownership, legal precedent, mandament van spolie, marital dispute, matrimonial property, Mediation, office access, peaceful possession, property developers, property rights, South African Law, spoliation, Urgent Application Office Access Showdown: High Court Settles Spousal Spat in H.J.C v M.C.C (2041/2024) [2024] ZANCHC 79 – (30 August 2024). Background: A Marital Dispute Turned Property Access Saga In the heart of Kimberley, a seemingly routine marital dispute escalated into a complex legal battle over property access, as seen in… READ MORE
29/08/2024 Bertus Preller Adversarial Legal System, Appeal, Children, Costs, Divorce, Procedural Law, Rule 43, Rule 58 appealability, civil procedure, divorce proceedings, Family Advocate, Family Law, High Court, interests of justice, interlocutory orders, irreparable harm, judicial economy, magistrates court, Rule 58, Rule 60A, South Africa Family Law Feud: High Court Strikes Down Appeal in M.K v M.K (A2023/123739) [2024] ZAGPJHC 829 – (28 August 2024) Background: A Divorce Case and an Irregular Step Application The case of M.K v M.K (A2023/123739) ZAGPJHC 829 (28 August 2024) revolves around a divorce proceeding and an application made… READ MORE
29/08/2024 Bertus Preller Adversarial Legal System, Costs, Maintenance, Procedural Law, Procedure, Rule 43 attorney fees, brevity, case management, court efficiency, divorce proceedings, Family Law, interim relief, Judicial Discretion, judicial rebuke, KwaZulu-Natal High Court, Legal Education, Legal Ethics, Legal Practitioners, matrimonial disputes, Mossop J, procedural abuse, prolixity, Rule 43, South Africa Judicial Crackdown on Verbose Rule 43 Applications: S.M v N.M (D6667/2024) [2024] ZAKZDHC 54 – (28 August 2024) The Essence of Rule 43: Brevity and Expediency in Matrimonial Proceedings In the recent High Court judgment of S.M v N.M (D6667/2024) ZAKZDHC 54 (28 August 2024), Judge Mossop delivered… READ MORE
24/08/2024 Bertus Preller Accrual Calculation, Antenuptial Contracts, Antenuptial Contracts, Commencement Values, Division of Estate, Divorce, Pacta sunt servanda, Prenuptial Afreement accrual claims, accrual system, antenuptial agreements, Antenuptial Contracts, asset valuation, commencement values, conclusive proof, court judgments, divorce litigation, divorce proceedings, Family Law, financial disclosure, financial transparency, forensic accountants, Legal Framework, legal interpretation, Manelis case, matrimonial assets, Matrimonial Property Act, matrimonial property law, Maxted v Maxted, Olivier v Olivier, prima facie proof, property settlements, Section 6, South African Law, spousal maintenance, Thomas v Thomas, TN v NN Accurate Commencement Values in Antenuptial Contracts: Legal Interpretations and Implications Explored in TN v NN and Others 2018 (4) SA 316 (WCC). The Purpose and Role of Commencement Values in Antenuptial Contracts Commencement values play a crucial role in the implementation of the accrual system in South African matrimonial property law. As… READ MORE
31/07/2024 Bertus Preller Actio communi dividundo, Adversarial Legal System, Best Interests of the Child, Children, Costs, Divorce, Hostile Family Lawyers, Marital Regimes, Rule 43 actio communi dividundo, best interests of the child, children's interests, costs order, divorce proceedings, equity, family disputes, Family Law, Gauteng Division, High Court, joint ownership, legal precedent, litigation conduct, matrimonial home, Property Division, property rights, punitive costs, Robson v Theron, Rule 43, scale B costs, South African Law, transfer of property, valuation Dividing the Family Home and Awarding Costs: N M v M M and Another (2023/008561) [2024] ZAGPJHC 1818 Balances Property Rights, Children’s Interests, and Litigation Conduct. The Actio Communi Dividundo: Terminating Joint Ownership During Divorce Proceedings In the recent case of N M v M M and Another (2023/008561) ZAGPJHC 1818 (24 July 2024), the Gauteng… READ MORE