“A family name holds the music of generations – it’s the first inheritance we receive.” (Attributed to Irish poet-philosopher John O’Donohue) The Constitutional Court has just confirmed (with some significant adjustments) last year’s High Court ruling that both partners in a marriage have equal rights to choose their surname. Previously, a woman – and only […]
Wedding Bells? You Can Both Choose Your Own Surnames Now Read More »
“Forewarned is forearmed.” (Wise old proverb) Government keeps assuring us that the long-delayed AARTO (Administrative Adjudication of Road Traffic Offences) system will finally begin its full national rollout on 1 December 2025. Is this another false start or the real thing this time? There have been so many false starts to AARTO over the last
As 1 December Looms, Here’s What AARTO Means for Motorists and Employers Read More »
“…data messages or electronic signatures are now recognised in our law as equivalent to a proper basis upon which a written contract can be concluded. Thus, a valid written contract can be concluded electronically.” (Extract from the South African judgment below) ECTA (the Electronic Communications and Transactions Act) means that you can in many cases
Can Your Thumbs-Up Emoji or E-Signature Seal a Deal? Read More »
“A man’s home is his castle.” (Sir Edward Coke, English common law ruling, 1604) Of course, what we all want to hear at the end of our house-selling journey is something like this: “Congratulations! You sold for a good price, the buyer’s taken transfer and you’ve been paid the purchase price. Time to pop the
Who Appoints the Conveyancer? Your House, Your Choice Read More »
“Don’t wait to buy real estate. Buy real estate and wait.” (Will Rogers) Spring is in the air and, as the annual uptick in property sales kicks in, let’s address two questions commonly asked by both sellers and buyers who are unsure about exactly what happens after they sign their sale agreement: Let’s begin with
If youre flogging a dead horse, make sure youre not riding it. (Josh Stern) Creditors and company directors alike need to know how best to deal with a company in financial distress. Both should learn to recognise the difference between an enterprise that has failed beyond resuscitation, and one that, given a chance, can be
When Liquidation is Inevitable: A Bad Faith Business Rescue Application Backfires Read More »
This [the Stalingrad Strategy] is a strategy of wearing down the plaintiff by tenaciously fighting anything the plaintiff presents by whatever means possible and appealing every ruling favourable to the plaintiff. Here, the defendant does not present a meritorious case. This tactic or strategy is named for the Russian city besieged by the Germans in
Divorce Lawfare: The Serial Litigant and his Stalingrad Strategy Read More »
“If you suspect deceit, hit delete!” (Online cybersecurity slogan) October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a good time to note that as cybercrime continues to grow, more and more businesses and individuals are falling victim to the dreaded “BEC” or “Business Email Compromise” fraud. The million-dollar question: Who takes the hit? Typically in a BEC fraud,
Don’t Let Cybercriminals Haunt You this Halloween — Verify, Verify, Verify! Read More »
“All that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity.” (William Shakespeare, in Hamlet) Master’s Office records suggest that less than a third of us leave behind a will when we die. That’s astonishing, given the fact that death is one of the few absolute certainties in our lives. Why do so many of us
Excuses, Excuses: Why People Don’t Make Wills, And Why You Must Read More »
“You aren’t buying a house, you’re buying a lifestyle.” (Anon) As more and more residential properties are subdivided and developed, an increasing number of homes are effectively cut off from direct access to the nearest public street or road. That’s where the “panhandle” comes into play, a narrow strip of land (looking on diagrams very
Panhandle Access to Properties – The Mistakes to Avoid Read More »
