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
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
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
17/06/2024 Bertus Preller Appeal, Best Interests of the Child, Children, Parental Rights, Procedure appealable order, best interests of children, care assessment, Case No: 3358/2024, children's act, contact assessment, DR v NM and RL, Family Advocate, Girdwood v Girdwood, interlocutory order, Kotze v Kotze, leave to appeal, Minor Children, parenting plan, S v Notshokovu, Superior Courts Act, Supreme Court ActDR v NM and Another (3358/2024) [2024] ZAWCHC 69 - (7 June 2024), Tshwane City v Afriforum, upper guardian, Western Cape High Court DR v NM and RL: Western Cape High Court Upholds Best Interests of Children in Dismissing Leave to Appeal of DR v NM and Another (3358/2024) [2024] ZAWCHC 69 – (7 June 2024). Introduction In a recent judgment, the Western Cape High Court dismissed an application for leave to appeal brought by the first respondent against an order directing the Office of the… READ MORE
01/06/2024 Bertus Preller Best Interests of the Child, Children, Conduct of Childcare Experts, Guardianship, Parental Rights, Relocation, Views of the Child best interests of the child, child development, Child Relocation, child's views, Children’s Act 38 of 2005, clinical psychologist, co-parenting, competing interests, counselling psychologist, emotional well-being, expert evidence, Family Law, landmark decision, meaningful relationship, non-relocating parent, Parental Rights, parenting plan, reasonableness of relocation, relocating parent, relocation application, relocation assessment, relocation dispute, relocation factors, relocation hearing, relocation judgment, relocation order, section 28(2) Constitution, shared parenting, urgent relief V.L v F.N (4760/2024) [2024] ZAWCHC 146 (30 May 2024) – A Court Decision in Family Law on Child Relocation. Introduction In the recent case of V.L v F.N (4760/2024) ZAWCHC 146, delivered on 30 May 2024, the Western Cape High Court was faced with a complex and emotionally charged… READ MORE
19/04/2024 Bertus Preller Best Interests of the Child, Children, Parental Rights 14667/2022, best interests of the child, Child Custody, child development, child protection, child well-being, co-parenting, Court Directives, court-appointed expert, Divorce, domestic violence, drug testing, emotional instability, Family Court, family dispute resolution, Family Law, high-conflict custody, individual therapy, parental accountability, parental alienation, parental progress, Parental Rights, parenting coordinator, parenting deficiencies, parenting plan, phased approach, shared care arrangement, substance abuse, TH v CH, ZAWCHC Balancing Parental Rights and the Best Interests of the Child in High-Conflict Care and Contact Cases. – TH v CH (14667/2022) [2024] ZAWCHC 100 (9 April 2024). Introduction In TH v CH (14667/2022) ZAWCHC 100 (9 April 2024), the Western Cape High Court heard a case between divorced parents, TH (the father and applicant) and CH (the… READ MORE
06/03/2024 Bertus Preller Children, Divorce, Parental Rights, Same Sex Couples best interests of the child, Case Law, child care, Child Custody, child welfare, child-centric approach, children's act, constitutional principles, contact arrangements, court decision, expert assessment, Family Advocate, Family Court, family disputes, family dynamics, Family Law, judicial scrutiny, Legal Analysis, legal challenges, Legal Framework, Legal precedents, Legal proceedings, Mediation, mental health, Parental Rights, parenting plan, same-sex couples, South Africa, surrogate motherhood Navigating Complex Family Dynamics: Care and Contact and Expert Assessments in Same-Sex Families Section 23 of the Children’s Act. – DR v NM and Another (3358/2024) [2024] ZAWCHC 69 (5 March 2024). Lekhuleni J. Introduction Section 23 of the Children's Act 38 of 2005 emerged as a critical pillar in the court's analysis, offering a legal avenue for individuals seeking contact or care of… READ MORE
20/01/2024 Bertus Preller Children, Divorce, Parental Rights, Relocation A.D.B v B.A.K, best interests of the child, Child Relocation, child welfare, court decision, custodial parent, custody disputes, custody rights, emotional impact, emotional wellbeing, family courts, family dynamics, Family Law, family law principles, International Relocation, Judge Mossop J, judicial decision-making, legal challenges, legal considerations, Legal precedents, non-custodial parent, parent-child relationship, parental consent, Parental Responsibilities, Parental Rights, parenting plan, relocation disputes, South Africa, welfare of the child Navigating the Complexities of Child Relocation Cases in South African Family Law. – A.D.B v B.A.K (15944/22P) [2023] ZAKZPHC 1. – (9 January 2023). The case of A.D.B v B.A.K, presided over by Judge Mossop J, involved intricate family law matters pertaining to the relocation of a minor child. The core issue was the… READ MORE
19/01/2024 Bertus Preller Alimony, Divorce, Financial Disclosure, Maintenance, Rule 43, Spousal Maintenance adventure hobbies, biokineticist mother, Child Custody, Constitutional Rights, divorce financial equity new case, Divorce Law, engineer father, equitable support, fair legal costs, Family court rulings, family law insights, family law precedent, financial disclosures, financial disparity, gender-neutral support, interim maintenance, K.A.E v W.N.E, legal advocacy, Legal Costs, legal expense allocation, Legal Representation, MAHOMED AJ ruling, matrimonial home, mother living with parents, new case analysis, new Rule 43 judgement, parenting plan, Rule 43, South African Family Law, spousal maintenance, spousal support Redefining Fairness: New Case Analysis on Spousal Support Where Mother Lived with Parents, Rule 43. – K.A.E v W.N.E (58415/2021) [2023] ZAGPJHC 1488 (18 December 2023). Facts of the Case Background and Parties Marriage and Separation: The parties, K.A.E (applicant) and W.N.E (respondent), were married in 2010 and separated in 2017, a year after the birth… READ MORE
27/11/2023 Bertus Preller Children, Parental Rights, Views of the Child Child Custody, child development post-divorce, child welfare, child-focused custody, Child's Best Interests, co-parenting challenges, co-parenting dynamics, divorce and children, divorce order amendment, Family court rulings, Family Law, family law litigation, Judicial Discretion, new family law cases, parental guidance in divorce, Parental Responsibilities, parenting plan, parenting stability, post-divorce parenting, routine in child development, South African Family Law Insights from the Bench: Navigating Post-Divorce Parenting and Child’s Best Interests. – L.B v LAE (8551/2022) [2023] ZAGPPHC 1265 (21 November 2023). Erasmus AJ Background This case revolved around the amendment of a parenting plan and a divorce order concerning the contact between the applicant (father) and the minor child, AMB. The… READ MORE