17/08/2026 Bertus Preller Alimony, Arrear Maintenance, Child Maintenance, Children, Contempt of Court, Divorce, Maintenance Court, Procedural Law, Rule 43 Contempt, Rule 43 orders, Spousal Maintenance ad factum praestandum, attorney and own client costs, Bannatyne v Bannatyne, committal, contempt of court, Divorce, Divorce Attorney Cape Town, dolus eventualis, emoluments attachment, Fakie v CCII Systems, family law South Africa, Firestone v Genticuro, HG v AG, interim maintenance, M.D.V v F.M.D.V, maintenance enforcement, Maintenance Order, mala fides, medical aid, Pheko v Ekurhuleni, purging contempt, reimbursement of expenses, Rule 43, spousal maintenance, Suspended Sentence, Western Cape High Court, wilfulness, Writ of Execution, ZAWCHC 411 Pay Now, Argue Never: Husband’s Selective Compliance with Rule 43 Maintenance Order Lands Him a Suspended Prison Sentence — M.D.V v F.M.D.V (2025/091265) [2026] ZAWCHC 411 (14 August 2026). The Western Cape Division has once again demonstrated that it will not tolerate maintenance debtors who treat interim maintenance orders as optional, negotiable or subject to their own private assessment… READ MORE
16/03/2026 Bertus Preller Alimony, Appeal, Arrear Maintenace, Arrear Maintenance, Arrear maintenance claims, Best Interests of the Child, Child Maintenance, Children, Divorce, Duty to maintain, Interim Maintenance, Interlocutory applications, Irregular proceedings, Leave to appeal Superior Courts Act, Maintenance, Maintenance Court, Parental Rights, Pendente Lite, Procedural Law, Punitive costs orders, Rule 43, Rule 43 Appeal, Rule 43 Applications, Rule 43 orders, Rule 58, Spousal Maintenance, Stepparents, Variation Rule 43(6) accrual system, appealability, blended families, common law development, Divorce, divorce proceedings, duty of support, Family Law, Govindjee AJA, interests of justice, interim maintenance, interim relief, jurisdictional threshold, maintenance pendente lite, non-appealability, out of community of property, piecemeal appeals, Rule 43, Rule 43(6), SCA, section 16(3), section 173 Constitution, South African divorce law, statutory bar, stepchildren, stepparent maintenance, Superior Courts Act, Supreme Court of Appeal, Western Cape High Court Blended Families, Bitter Disputes and a Blocked Appeal: The SCA Draws the Line on Rule 43 Appealability in B.E v N.T and Others (505/2025) [2026] ZASCA 25 (11 March 2026). The Facts: A Blended Family, a Breakdown, and a Battle Over Stepchildren's Maintenance BE and NT married on 27 April 2018, out of community of property subject to the accrual… 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
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
24/08/2024 Bertus Preller Accrual Calculation, Adversarial Legal System, Antenuptial Contracts, Commencement Values, Divorce, Trusts accrual system, Antenuptial Contract, asset dissipation, asset valuation, binding declarations, business entities, classic car valuation, commencement value, constitutional challenge, contractual interpretation, Divorce, expert evidence, expert testimony, financial disclosure, forensic accounting, High Court, High-net-worth divorce, legal precedent, matrimonial property, Matrimonial Property Act, Property Valuation, related-party transactions, South African Law, Trust assets Conclusive Commencement: Manelis v Manelis (32624/2015) [2022] ZAGPJHC 880 – Reshapes Antenuptial Contract Interpretation. Background: The High-Stakes Divorce Battle The Manelis case, heard in the Gauteng Local Division of the High Court of South Africa, revolves around a contentious divorce action where the parties… READ MORE
08/08/2024 Bertus Preller Abuse, Adversarial Legal System, Best Interests of the Child, Children, Domestic Violence, Holiday Travel, International Travel, Relocation, Views of the Child best interests of child, child welfare, children's act, co-parenting, court order, custody rights, Divorce, Family Advocate, Family Court, Immigration Act, international travel, judicial interpretation, Legal Guardianship, minor's travel, parental consent, Parental Rights, parenting plan, South African Law, travel regulations Navigating Parental Consent for International Travel: Insights from J.S v R.S (4146/24) [2024] ZAWCHC 199 (2 August 2024) Background: A Battle Over Holiday Travel with a Minor Child In the recent Western Cape High Court case of J.S v R.S (4146/24) ZAWCHC 199 (2 August 2024), Acting Justice… READ MORE
06/08/2024 Bertus Preller Divorce, Procedural Law, Procedure, Recission of Divorce Orders attorney negligence, bona fide defence, civil litigation, contradictory evidence, costs order, court appearance, default judgment, Divorce, forfeiture, High Court Judgment, Legal Representation, matrimonial benefits, procedural missteps, rescission application, Rule 31(2), Rule 42(1)(a), Saloojee principle, South African Law, unopposed divorce Divorce, Dismissal, and Dueling Affidavits: How Attorneys’ Missteps Doomed a Rescission Bid in S.P.M v L.M (Born M) (56859/2021) [2024] ZAGPPHC 729 (2 August 2024). Background: The Divorce Proceedings and Rule 27 Application The case of S.P.M v L.M (Born M) (56859/2021) ZAGPPHC 729 stems from a divorce action initiated in November 2021. The parties… READ MORE
05/08/2024 Bertus Preller Abuse, Adultery, Adversarial Legal System, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Children, Costs, Divorce, Domestic Violence, Forfeiture of Benefits, Infidelity, Pension Funds, Reasons for Dicorce court discretion, Divorce, Divorce Act, evidence, financial transparency, forfeiture, Gauteng High Court, joint estate, Judge Wanless, legal precedent, litigation, marriage, matrimonial property, pension interest, pleadings, Property Division, South Africa, spousal contribution, substantial misconduct Forfeiture of Benefits in Divorce: Lessons from T.N v S.N (14166/2019) [2024] ZAGPJHC 703 (24 July 2024). Background of the T.N v S.N Divorce Case The case of T.N v S.N (14166/2019) ZAGPJHC 703 (22 July 2024) involves a divorce action heard in the Gauteng High Court,… READ MORE
27/07/2024 Bertus Preller Alimony, Divorce, Financial Disclosure, Interim Maintenance, Maintenance, Rule 43, Rule 43 Cost Contributions, Spousal Maintenance court judgments, Divorce, divorce litigation, Family Law, financial assessment, financial disclosure, full disclosure, interim maintenance, interim relief, legal precedent, Legal proceedings, marital property, matrimonial assets, matrimonial disputes, Mediation, Rule 43, South Africa, spousal support, Uniform Rules of Court Full Disclosure and Reasonableness: Key Lessons from M.Y v J.Y (2024/013982) [2024] ZAGPJHC 684 in Rule 43 Applications (26 July 2024). Background: A Short-Lived Marriage Leads to Rule 43 Application The case of M.Y v J.Y (2024/013982) ZAGPJHC 684 (26 July 2024) revolves around a Rule 43 application filed by the… READ MORE
29/06/2024 Bertus Preller Adversarial Legal System, Emotional Intelligence, Hostile Family Lawyers active listening, attorney well-being, Child Custody, client advocacy, Client Relationships, client satisfaction, communication skills, Conflict Resolution, courtroom performance, Divorce, emotional awareness, emotional intelligence, empathy, family disputes, Family Law, high-conflict cases, lawyer effectiveness, lawyer-client trust, Legal Education, Legal Ethics, legal outcomes, legal practice management, legal professionalism, Legal Strategy, Mediation, negotiation, professional development, self-regulation, stress management Mastering Emotional Intelligence: The Game-Changer for Family Lawyers. Emotional Intelligence: A Key Skill for Family Lawyers Family law practitioners, despite their best intentions and legal expertise, often fall prey to common pitfalls that can significantly impact their effectiveness… READ MORE