Legal Articles and Guides
Woman's bid to claim marriage to billionaire dismissed
There was no marriage between insurance billionaire Douw Steyn and Donne Botha, the KZN High Court (Durban) ruled this week as it dismissed a claim instituted by Botha.
Traditional marriage by MP is valid
A senior MP representing an opposition party in Parliament has been told that his customary marriage to his estranged wife is valid despite his protestations that it was not properly concluded.
Judge confirms customary marriage requirements
Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) Acting Judge EK Tsatsi has again confirmed there does not need to be a specific list of requirements which must be complied with to prove a valid customary marriage exists.
Spousal Maintenance After Divorce and the “Clean Break” Principle
Our courts always prioritise the interests of children in any marital breakup, and child maintenance orders are accordingly tailored to ensure that both parents honour their obligations to support their children financially – to the extent that each spouse is able to do so, and for so long as is necessary.
Can You Change Your Marital Regime After Marriage?
One of the most important decisions you must make before you marry is what “marital regime” (“matrimonial property system”) you want to apply to your marriage.
Wife's demands get short shrift from judge
The financial demands of a mother of two children on her estranged husband, which included R2 600 a month for new clothes, did not sit well with a Mpumalanga High Court judge, according to a Pretoria News report.
Who Gets the House on Divorce?
Historically 44% of South African marriages have ended in divorce, and there has reportedly been a 20% surge in new divorce applications since lockdown.
Parties object to polyandry marriage proposal
Political parties which draw their support from religious voters have slammed a proposed change to marriage laws which could see a woman marrying more than one man, notes a Cape Argus report.
Divorced couple in cat fight
A bitter legal war is brewing between a divorced couple over their beloved Chinchilla Persian cat, called Buffy, who they both consider to be their ‘child’.
Ghosts of ugly past still haunting us
The Constitutional Court has raised concern that some of apartheid’s oppressive and discriminatory laws still impact on black people’s lives, 27 years into democracy.
Judge throws out wife's unrealistic maintenance claim
A mother of five embroiled in divorce proceedings with her husband got far less than she bargained for after claiming she couldn’t make ends meet since he left.
Ex-President Zuma fails again to reduce maintenance
Lawyers acting for a former President Zuma have yet again failed to overturn a court order that he pay his estranged wife R95 000 a month as interim maintenance ahead of their divorce.
I can't afford R95 000 maintenance
Lawyers acting for a former President ordered to pay his estranged wife R95 000 a month as interim maintenance ahead of their divorce were back in court yesterday, claiming he cannot afford to pay her that much.
Gay couple granted divorce on appeal
When two women from Namibia and Russia fell in love, they needed to cement their union in a country that allows gay marriage, and settled on SA.
Ex-President's accounts reveal big money flows
Big money flows of hundreds of thousands of rands in and out of a former President's bank accounts have counted against him in a court battle over maintenance for his estranged wife.
