09/10/2026 Bertus Preller Absence of a party, Contempt of Court, Divorce, Ex parte application, Fraud, non-disclosure, Maintenance, Maintenance Act 99 of 1998, Maintenance Court, Procedural Law, Reconsideration application, Rescission, common law rescission, Rule 42(1)(a), Schlesinger v Schlesinger, Self-created urgency, Urgency, Urgent applications, Urgent divorce applications, Zuma v Secretary Judicial Commission absence of a party, common law rescission, contempt of court, divorce consent paper, East Rock Trading, ex parte application, finality of judgments, fraud, Greig AJ, Luna Meubel, Madavanhu, Maintenance Act 99 of 1998, maintenance arrears, non-disclosure, periodical imprisonment, Rainbow Farms, reconsideration application, rescission, Rule 41A mediation, Rule 42(1)(a), Rule 6(12)(c), Schlesinger v Schlesinger, section 10 enquiry, Self-Created Urgency, spousal maintenance, Urgent Application, Western Cape High Court, writ of commitment, Zuma v Secretary Judicial Commission When Both Sides Lose: “Absence”, Self-Created Urgency and a Decade of Maintenance Litigation: E.H v J.C.J.V.D (19849/2022) [2026] ZAWCHC 576 (2 October 2026). A Decade of Enforcement and a Friday Evening Hearing The judgment in E.H v J.C.J.V.D (19849/2022) ZAWCHC 576 (2 October 2026), delivered by Greig AJ in the Western Cape Division,… READ MORE
03/10/2026 Bertus Preller Alimony, Best Interests of the Child, Care and Contact, Child Maintenance, Childcare Expert, Children, Children's matters South Africa, Civil contempt South Africa, Contact Rights, Contempt of Court, Costs, Curator Ad Litem, Divorce, Forensic psychologist mandate, Hired Gun Expert, Maintenance, Parental rights and responsibilities, Pendente Lite, Primary Residence, Primary residence dispute, Rule 43, Rule 43 Applications, Rule 43 Contempt, Rule 43 orders, Unlawful retention of a child, Urgency, Urgent applications, Variation Rule 43(6) best interests of the child, breach of court order, child abuse allegations, Children’s Act 38 of 2005, Contact rights, court-appointed expert, curator ad litem, divorce litigation, DTL v GB, expert bias, family advocate report, family law South Africa, forensic psychologist mandate, Gauteng High Court Johannesburg, hired gun expert, interim care and contact, parental alienation, parental rights and responsibilities, pendente lite order, primary care, primary residence, Rule 43 variation, Rule 43(6), Rule 67A(3), scale C costs, self-help, sheriff enforcement, unlawful retention of a child, Urgent Application Self-Help Never Pays: Unlawful Retention of a Child and the Limits of Rule 43(6) — L.C.E v C.E (2026/226362) [2026] ZAGPJHC 1070 (29 September 2026). Neutral Citation: E v E (2026-226362) ZAGPJHC --- (29 September 2026) The Facts: A Four-Year-Old Caught in the Crossfire of a Brutal Divorce The parties in L.C.E v C.E (2026/226362)… READ MORE
29/06/2025 Bertus Preller Cohabitation, Customary Marriages, Inheritance rights, Interdict, Intestate Succession, Procedure, South African succession law Administration of Estates Act, African customary law, attorney and client scale, cohabitation, customary law marriage, customary marriage, estate administration, estate dispute, estate litigation, estate preservation, executor appointment, High Court Pretoria, inheritance dispute, interim interdict, intestate succession, joint estate, Legal Costs, legal remedy, lobola, matrimonial property, patrimonial rights, Peteke v Khumalo, recognition of marriage, Rule 6(12), section 13, South African Family Law, testamentary rights, Urgent Application, urgent interdict, ZAGPPHC 447 Customary Marriage Dispute Halts Estate Administration: Peteke v Khumalo and Others (2025-009348) [2025] ZAGPPHC 447 (6 May 2025). The Factual Matrix: Disputed Customary Marriage and Control Over the Deceased’s Estate In Peteke v Khumalo and Others (2025-009348) ZAGPPHC 447 (6 May 2025), the applicant approached the High Court… READ MORE
18/10/2024 Bertus Preller Adversarial Legal System, Best Interests of the Child, Child Maintenance, Children, Cohabitation, Costs, Divorce, International Divorce, Procedural Law, Relocation, Separation Applications child maintenance, cross-border family law, Dubai relocation, enforceability, High Court Judgment, international divorce, jurisdiction, minor children's interests, punitive costs, Rule 33(4), Rule 43, separation of issues, South Africa, Urgent Application Dubai Dreams vs. Divorce Duties: GK v KK (2015-96997) [2024] ZAGPPHC 1015 (16 October 2024) – Unravels International Family Law Challenges in Separation Applications. Background: The Complexities of an International Divorce The case of GK v KK (2015-96997) ZAGPPHC 1015 (16 October 2024) highlights the intricate challenges that arise when divorce proceedings intersect with… 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
04/09/2024 Bertus Preller Divorce, Spoliation business continuity, business premises, civil procedure, counter-spoliation, divorce proceedings, High Court ruling, joint ownership, legal precedent, mandament van spolie, marital dispute, matrimonial property, Mediation, office access, peaceful possession, property developers, property rights, South African Law, spoliation, Urgent Application Office Access Showdown: High Court Settles Spousal Spat in H.J.C v M.C.C (2041/2024) [2024] ZANCHC 79 – (30 August 2024). Background: A Marital Dispute Turned Property Access Saga In the heart of Kimberley, a seemingly routine marital dispute escalated into a complex legal battle over property access, as seen in… 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
17/05/2024 Bertus Preller Abuse, Digital Abuse, Divorce, Interdict, Marriage, Privacy Rights answering affidavit, Bernstein and Others v Bester NO and others, closed-circuit television, community's sense of justice, Constitutional Rights, disclosure of private facts, dishonest litigant, expert witness, Financial Mail (Pty) Ltd v Sage Holdings Ltd, iCloud, interdict, iTunes, matrimonial home, O'Keeffe v Argus Printing and Publishing Co Ltd, privacy, punitive costs, S v I, Section 14, sexual encounter, South African Constitution, unlawful intrusion, Urgent Application, video footage, WhatsApp Ex-Husband Pays the Price for Secret Video Scandal. The Right to Privacy Triumphs: CEA v MB (D4460/2023) [2024] ZAKZDHC 26 (17 May 2024) THE FACTS OF THE CASE The case of CEA v MB, heard in the High Court of South Africa, KwaZulu-Natal Local Division, Durban, involved a woman (the applicant) who sought… READ MORE
12/02/2024 Bertus Preller Alimony, Arrears, Children, Divorce, Maintenance, Muslim Marriages, Procedural Law, Rule 43, Spousal Maintenance audi alteram partem, civil marriage, contempt of court, court discretion, COVID-19 impact, divorce proceedings, family law disputes, financial hardship, Gois v Van Zyl, High Court judgement, interim maintenance, legal advice, Legal Costs, legal principles, Legal Representation, maintenance obligations, MEC v Ikamva Architects, procedural missteps, R.A v F.A, rescission application, Rule 43(6) order, Rule 45A, Sharia Law, South African Family Law, Strime v Strime, suspension of maintenance orders, Uniform Rules of Court, Urgent Application, Whitfield v Van Aarde Understanding the Suspension of Maintenance Orders: Insights from – R.A v F.A (14491/2020; 14490/2020; 19594/2021) [2024] ZAWCHC 35 (9 February 2024) – LEKHULENI J. Maintenance Disputes: Navigating Rule 43(6) Orders In the significant legal decision of R.A v F.A, delivered on 9 February 2024 by Lekhuleni J in the Western Cape High Court, the… READ MORE
23/01/2024 Bertus Preller Arrears, Children, Contempt of Court, Divorce, Guardianship, Maintenance, Marriage, Parental Rights Adherence to Court Orders, Attorney and Client Costs, Child's Welfare, Child's Best Interests, Children’s Act 38 of 2005, Constitutional Violation, Contact rights, Contempt of Court Orders, Court Directives, Custodial Sentence, Emotional Strain, Gauteng High Court, Justice Phahlane, Legal Practitioners' Duty, Legal Recourse, Legal System Integrity, maintenance obligations, minor child, Mosopa Order, non-compliance, Parental Responsibilities, Parental Rights, Psychological Impact, Repeated Defiance, Rule of Law, Separation, South African Legal Framework, Urgent Application, Voster Order Justice Prevails: A Landmark Twelve-Month Sentence Upholding the Child’s Best Interests. – B.M.G.S v M.B.S and Others (26675/2022) [2024] ZAGPPHC 24 (8 January 2024). Introduction In this case presided over by Justice Phahlane, the applicant, Mr. S, approached the Gauteng High Court on an urgent basis. The case centred around the contempt of two… READ MORE