01/11/2025 Bertus Preller Abuse, Best Interests of the Child, Children, Conduct of Childcare Experts, Interlocutory applications, Motion proceedings, Parental Alienation, Parental Rights, Plascon Evans Rule, Procedural Law, Procedure, Referral to trial, Rule 6(5)(g), Sexual Abuse, Sexual Abuse Allegations abuse of process, child contact disputes, Children's Best Interests, Children’s Act 38 of 2005, coaching of child, court as upper guardian, credibility assessment, custody and access, Dispute of Fact, expert evidence family law, expert witness requirements, family advocate report, forensic psychologist report, interlocutory applications, judicial investigation children, motion proceedings, onus of proof family law, Parental Rights, Plascon-Evans rule, referral to trial, room hire principle, Rule 6(5)(g), section 28 best interests, sexual abuse allegations, shared parenting arrangements, South African Family Law, supervised contact, suspension of contact rights, unsubstantiated allegations Unproven Abuse Allegations and Expert Evidence: When Courts Reject Referral to Trial in Child Contact Disputes – C.N v I.G.R (D6383/2024) [2025] ZAKZDHC 68 (28 October 2025). The Factual Matrix: Allegations of Sexual Abuse and Protracted Litigation The case of C.N v I.G.R (D6383/2024) ZAKZDHC 68 (28 October 2025) presents a troubling factual scenario that will resonate… READ MORE
02/07/2025 Bertus Preller Abuse of Process, Adversarial Legal System, Costs, Divorce, Family Law Court System South Africa, Procedural Law, Procedure, Punitive Cost Orders, Rule 30A, Uniform Form Rules of Court Afrocentrics case, attorney costs orders, Bloem case, civil procedure, condonation applications, court deadlines, court rules compliance, de bonis propriis costs, Family Court, family law proceedings, Helen Suzman Foundation case, High Court Johannesburg, late filing affidavits, legal practitioner conduct, litigation management, motion proceedings, Multi-Links case, Parental Responsibilities, Procedural irregularities, procedural non-compliance, professional conduct, Rule 27, Rule 28, Rule 30A, Rule 6, South African Law, supplementary affidavits, Uniform Rules of Court When Procedure Trumps Substance: Dissecting Rule 30A Non-Compliance in N.S v A.D (2022/257) [2025] ZAGPJHC 632 (20 June 2025). Factual Background: A Tale of Procedural Non-Compliance in Family Law Proceedings The factual matrix in N.S v A.D presents a striking illustration of how procedural non-compliance can derail even the… READ MORE
29/06/2025 Bertus Preller Costs, Customary Law, Customary Marriages, Motion Proceedings, Plascon Evans Rule, Punitive Cost Orders, Recognition of Customary Marriages Act affidavit conflict, ancestral law, Black Administration Act, civil marriage, customary marriage, customary rites, Deane AJ, estate administration, executor appointment, family law litigation, Germiston, High Court Free State, inheritance law, KwaZulu Natal, legal burden of proof, legal recognition, lobolo, Marital Disputes, marital status dispute, marriage registration, Master of the High Court, matrimonial property, Moloi v Nkosi, motion proceedings, Plascon-Evans rule, QwaQwa, RCMA 120 of 1998, South African Family Law, Zulu marriage customs Moloi v Nkosi and Others (1713/2025) [2025] ZAFSHC 153 (15 May 2025): Customary Marriage Claims Undone by Motion Proceedings and the Plascon-Evans Rule. The Factual Matrix: Competing Marital Claims and the Legacy of Customary Law At the heart of Moloi v Nkosi and Others (1713/2025) ZAFSHC 153 (15 May 2025) lies a bitter… READ MORE
29/06/2025 Bertus Preller Motion Proceedings, Plascon Evans Rule, Procedure, Viva Voce Evidence Motion Proceedings binding agreement dispute, Business Partners case, case law oral contracts, civil procedure South Africa, company credit card misuse, company director dispute, director resignation, divorce and business, Durban High Court 2025, family-owned business, High Court oral evidence referral, legal disputes in marriage, legal interpretation emails, Litigation Strategy, misleading correspondence, motion proceedings, oral agreement, oral contract litigation, Plascon-Evans, shareholder dispute, Shelley Beach legal dispute, smoking gun emails, South African company law, South Coast Mall businesses, Uniform Rule 6(5)(g), W.M.T v M.T case, WhatsApp evidence, World Focus 754 CC, ZAKZDHC 19 2025 Oral Agreement or Illusion? W.M.T v M[…].T[…] .9… Ltd and Others (D6021/2023) [2025] ZAKZDHC 19 (7 May 2025): A Lesson in Motion Proceedings Gone Awry. The Factual Matrix: A Collapsing Marriage, Business Tensions, and Alleged Oral Agreements At the heart of the dispute in W.M.T v M.T .9 (Pty) Ltd and Others (D6021/2023) ZAKZDHC 19… 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
19/08/2024 Bertus Preller Costs, Divorce, Domicile, International Divorce adverse inferences, affidavits, attachment orders, Burden of Proof, costs, credibility, domicile, ex parte orders, full disclosure, incola, international litigation, jurisdiction, Legal Fees, motion proceedings, peregrinus, Plascon-Evans rule, reconsideration applications, residence, South African Law, Uniform Rules of Court Domicile Dilemma: Unraveling Jurisdictional Complexities in J.M v N.C (2023/00100) [2024] ZAGPJHC 762 (16 August 2024). Background: The Legal Dispute Between J.M and N.C The case of J.M v N.C (2023/00100) ZAGPJHC 762 (16 August 2024) originated from a dispute over legal fees between J. Mahomed,… READ MORE
31/01/2024 Bertus Preller Children, Divorce, Parental Rights, Schooling, Views of the Child acrimonious divorce, best interests of the child, Child Custody, child custody case, child-focused litigation, child's best interest, child's schooling, Children's Welfare, Children’s Act 38 of 2005, co-parenting, conciliation in family law, Court Proceedings, Divorce, educational stability, expert reports, Family Law, judicial decision, legal dispute, legal principles, motion proceedings, parental consent, Parental Rights, psychological well-being, Redhill School, School Enrollment, South African Constitution, South African High Court, St Stithians College, upper guardian Deciphering the Best Interests: A Legal Analysis of a Child’s Schooling in Divorce – U.R v S.B and Others (2024-001357) [2024] ZAGPJHC 55 (25 January 2024) Introduction: Urgent School Enrollment Dispute In this urgent legal matter brought before the court on 11 January 2024, the core issue revolved around the schooling of a minor child amidst… READ MORE