27/02/2025 Bertus Preller Best Interests of the Child, Children, Costs, Parental Alienation, Procedure, Relocation attorney-client costs, best interests of child, Cape Town High Court, Child Relocation, children's act, co-holder rights, co-parenting decisions, dance education, dance talent, Hermanus relocation, Judge Pangarker, maintenance increase, maintenance variation, material non-disclosure, mediation withdrawal, non-disclosure penalties, Parental Rights, parenting plan, professional assessment, punitive costs order, Rule 6(12), school change dispute, Section 31 Children's Act, Self-Created Urgency, South African Family Law, urgent applications Dance Dreams vs Parental Rights: How Self-Created Urgency Cost a Mother in C.H v L.H (32/2025) [2025] ZAWCHC 11 (23 January 2025). The Facts: Dance Dreams and Relocation Dispute In the recent Western Cape High Court case of C.H v L.H (32/2025) ZAWCHC 11 (23 January 2025), Judge Pangarker was tasked with… READ MORE
21/08/2024 Bertus Preller Adversarial Legal System, Alternative Dispute Resolution, Best Interests of the Child, Children, Costs, Family Law Court System South Africa, Joint Decision Making, Parental Coordinator, Schools, Urgency Alternative Dispute Resolution, attorney-client scale, best interests of the child, Child Custody, co-parenting, communication skills, costs order, facilitative mediation, Family Advocate, legal precedent, Mediation, parenting coordinator, Rule 41A, school choice, Self-Created Urgency, South African Family Law, Uniform Rules of Court, urgent court application, Western Cape High Court Urgent Co-Parenting Battles: A Lesson in Patience from D.D v I.L and Another (16939/2024) [2024] ZAWCHC 215 (20 August 2024). Background: A Preschool Predicament In the Western Cape High Court case of D.D v I.L and Another (16939/2024) ZAWCHC 215 (20 August 2024), we encounter a poignant example of how… READ MORE
13/08/2024 Bertus Preller Best Interests of the Child, Children, Family Law Court System South Africa, Grandparents Rights, Mediation, Parental Rights, Procedural Law, Urgency, Views of the Child Alternative Dispute Resolution, bereavement, best interests of the child, child access, Child Custody, child law, child welfare, children's act, Court Procedures, extended family rights, Family Court, family disputes, Family Law, family relationships, grandparents' rights, Judicial Discretion, legal delay, legal precedent, Legal Procedures, legal urgency, Mediation, parental death, procedural requirements, Self-Created Urgency, South African Law, Urgent Application, urgent court roll, Western Cape High Court Urgency Dismissed in Grandparents’ Access Case: E.S and Others v P.S and Another (16138/24) [2024] ZAWCHC 201 (12 August 2024). Background: A Family's Struggle for Contact After Tragedy In the heart-wrenching case of E.S and Others v P.S and Another (16138/24) ZAWCHC 201 (12 August 2024), the Western Cape High… READ MORE
19/10/2023 Bertus Preller Children, Parental Rights, Relocation Alston Primary School, Alternative Redress, best interests of the child, Children’s Court, Judicial Discretion, Legal Costs, Legal Framework, MM vs NM, Parental Rights, Primary Caregiver, protection order, School Enrollment, Section 28(2) of the Constitution, Section 31 of the Children's Act, Self-Created Urgency, South African Family Law, St. Charles College, Uniform Rule 6, Urgent Application Urgency or Delay? A Deep Dive into a South African Family Law Case Involving Schooling and Parental Rights. MM v NM and Others (15133/23P) ZAKZPHC 117 (18 October 2023) Introduction In a recent case presided over by Davis AJ, MM (the applicant) filed an urgent application against NM… READ MORE