10/09/2025 Bertus Preller Abuse of Process, Costs, Divorce, Divorce summons prerequisite, Maintenance, Procedural Law, Procedure, Rule 43, Rule 43 Cost Contributions, Rule 58 2018 Rule 43 amendment, child custody applications, Court Jurisdiction, divorce attorneys, divorce law procedure, divorce practice, divorce summons prerequisite, divorce summons timing, family court procedures, family law practitioners, High Court Gauteng, in limine objections, interim applications, interim maintenance, interim relief requirements, legal costs contribution, legal procedural requirements, litigation prerequisites, matrimonial action pending, matrimonial disputes, matrimonial interim relief, matrimonial law compliance, matrimonial proceedings, pendente lite applications, pending divorce requirement, Procedural Compliance, procedural defects, Rule 43 applications, South African Family Law, Uniform Rules of Court No Divorce Summons, No Rule 43 Relief: A.C v H.C (2024/148225) [2025] ZAGPJHC 741 (28 July 2025) Confirms Procedural Prerequisites for Matrimonial Interim Applications. Factual Background and Procedural History The case A.C v H.C (2024/148225), decided on 28 July 2025 in the Gauteng Local Division, Johannesburg, addressed a Rule 43 application for interim relief… READ MORE
03/09/2025 Bertus Preller Litigation misconduct, Rule 47, matrimonial disputes, divorce proceedings, Security for costs, Vexatious Litigant, Vexatious Proceedings Act abuse of process, access to courts, appellate litigation, attorney threats, Constitutional Court, Constitutional Rights, corporate veil piercing, costs orders, court orders enforcement, divorce proceedings, domestic violence court, frivolous litigation, incola litigant, judicial restraint, legal harassment, Legal Practice Council, litigation misconduct, maintenance court jurisdiction, matrimonial disputes, persistent litigation, procedural defects, procedural fairness, Rule 47, section 34 Constitution, section 36 Constitution, security for costs, trust litigation, vexatious litigant, vexatious Proceedings Act When Persistence Becomes Vexatious: Ten Failed Applications and a Constitutional Reckoning in L.M.W v C.R.W (12866/2014) [2025] ZAWCHC 395 (1 September 2025). A Decade of Persistent Litigation: The Factual Matrix The factual landscape of this matter presents a striking example of how matrimonial disputes can spiral into prolonged abuse of court processes.… READ MORE
02/07/2025 Bertus Preller Appeal, Divorce, Procedural Law, Procedure, Rule 42 variation application accrual system, appellate procedures, collateral attack judgments, common mistake divorce, costs follow the cause, divorce decree variation, ex tempore judgment, final judgment finality, fraudulent misrepresentation, High Court North West Division, joint estate division, judicial officers function, legal certainty principles, legal representation errors, litigation finality, marriage out of community of property, matrimonial disputes, Matrimonial Property Act 88 of 1984, Matrimonial Property Regime, pleadings integrity, pre-nuptial contract, procedural missteps, property division claims, Rule 42 variation application, South African Family Law, Uniform Rules of Court, Zweni case finality When Variation Applications Fail: The Limits of Rule 42 Common Mistake in K.P.M v O.L.M and Another (Reasons) (1751/2008) [2025] ZANWHC 103 (17 June 2025). The Genesis of the Dispute: A Marriage Out of Community of Property Revisited The roots of this protracted legal dispute stretch back to 7 February 1991, when the applicant and… READ MORE
06/05/2025 Bertus Preller Divorce, Interim Maintenance, Maintenance, Procedure, Rule 43, Separation Applications case analysis, convenience requirement, convenience test, court judgment, Divorce Decree, divorce litigation, divorce proceedings, divorce strategy, financial prejudice, irretrievable breakdown, Judicial Discretion, judicial economy, KwaZulu-Natal High Court, Legal Framework, legal implications, marital status, Marriage Dissolution, matrimonial disputes, matrimonial property, matrimonial rights, Mossop J, piecemeal litigation, prejudice assessment, proprietary consequences, Rule 43 Application, separation of issues, South African Family Law, spousal maintenance, Uniform Rule 33(4) “Shackled or Separated? High Court Dismisses Rule 33(4) Application in A.K v R.N (D6036/2023) [2025] ZAKZDHC 15 (30 April 2025)”. Introduction to A.K v R.N: A Case of Separation of Issues in Divorce Proceedings In the recent case of A.K v R.N (D6036/2023) ZAKZDHC 15 (30 April 2025), the KwaZulu-Natal… READ MORE
17/04/2025 Bertus Preller ab initio, Divorce, Marriage, marriage registration, Nullity of marriage, Procedural Law, void marriage ab initio, accrual system, civil marriage, cohabitation, common law presumption, declaratory order, High Court Judgment, Identification Act, Judge Nxumalo, legal certainty, legal formalities, Marriage Act, marriage ceremony, marriage certificate, marriage officer, marriage register, marriage registration, marriage validity, matrimonial disputes, matrimonial property, Northern Cape Division, nullity of marriage, prima facie evidence, rebuttable presumption, South African marriage law, South African matrimonial law, stated case, subsequent marriage, void ab initio, void marriage Marriage Not Registered, Marriage Not Valid: High Court Rules in M.W v C.W (2462/2019) [2025] ZANCHC 34 (11 April 2025). Background of the M.W v C.W Case: A Marriage Validity Dispute The case of M.W v C.W (2462/2019) ZANCHC 34 (11 April 2025) centers around a complex matrimonial dispute that… READ MORE
25/02/2025 Bertus Preller Customary Law, Customary Marriages, Divorce, Islamic Law, Maintenance, Muslim Marriages, Rule 43, Rule 58, Spousal Maintenance AM v RM case, constitutional family law, custody disputes, Divorce Amendment Act 1 of 2024, divorce case law, divorce legislation, divorce maintenance, divorce proceedings, Essop v Haffejee case, interim relief, Islamic divorce, Islamic law in South Africa, judicial oversight, Legal Jurisdiction, legal precedent, Legal Protections, matrimonial disputes, matrimonial law, Muslim Marriage, Muslim spouses, Muslim women rights, religious divorce, Rule 43, SJ v SE case, South African divorce law, South African Family Law, South African High Court, spousal maintenance, Talaaq, Zaphiriou case South African Court Rules on Talaaq and Rule 43 Interim Relief in Divorce – H.A v N.A (144907/2024) [2025] ZAGPPHC 121 (13 February 2025). Introduction: A Landmark Case on Muslim Marriages and Rule 43 The case of H.A v N.A (144907/2024) ZAGPPHC 121 (13 February 2025) addresses a significant legal question concerning the application… READ MORE
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
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
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
13/06/2024 Bertus Preller Accrual Calculation, Anti-Dissipation Interdicts, anti-dissipatory relief, Appeal, Divorce, Procedural Law accrual system, anti-dissipation interdict, appealability, asset dissipation, constitutional values, constitutionalization, Divorce, evidentiary threshold, exceptional circumstances, fair outcomes, Family Law, intentions, interests of justice, interim orders, judicial accountability, KSL v AL, legal developments, legal principles, marital property, matrimonial disputes, precedents, rule 34 offers, settlement negotiations, South African Law, strategic litigation, Supreme Court of Appeal The SCA Unraveling the Intricacies of Anti-Dissipation Interdicts in Matrimonial Disputes: Lessons from KSL v AL (356/2023) [2024] ZASCA 96 (13 June 2024). The Lowdown: Facts and Background of KSL v AL (356/2023) ZASCA 96 (13 June 2024) The saga of KSL v AL began when KSL (the husband) tied the knot with… READ MORE