“Love is grand. Divorce is a hundred grand.” (Anon) That’s a great scenario whilst the marriage prospers, but what happens on divorce? A recent High Court decision addressed one such scenario – Trusts may be formed for a variety of reasons, and the purpose and structure of each trust will inform the choice of trustees. […]
Trusts on Divorce: Are You Stuck with an Ex-Spouse as Trustee? Read More »
Owning your own property comes with a raft of benefits, including a general right to privacy and control over who can access your property and who can’t. But of course there are exceptions. And apart from the obvious ones, a recent High Court judgment highlights one that is particular to sectional title schemes. It involved
Bodies Corporate: Forcing Access to Units, and Round Robin Resolutions Read More »
“The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” (Spaghetti Western, 1966) A common myth – one that can get you into a whole lot of trouble if you aren’t alive to it – is that verbal contracts are not legally enforceable in South Africa. The opposite is true. With very few exceptions, our law will hold
Verbal Agreements – Not Much Good, But Lots of Bad and Ugly Read More »
As pandemic restrictions ease around the world, many businesses forced by lockdown to “go remote” are torn between returning to office and keeping everyone working remotely. An increasing number are opting for one or other hybrid model, which can come with major benefits but also major challenges. One of those challenges is the risk of
Website of the Month: Don’t Let Hybrid Work Break Your Company Culture! Read More »
“Signs of the Great Resignation are rippling across South Africa” (Business Insider report, 22 April 2022) The global pandemic-induced “Great Resignation” trend is upon us, and both employers and employees need to be aware of how our law views the whole question of employee resignation. A recent Labour Court decision gives some valuable guidance –
The “Great Resignation” is Upon Us – Know the Law! Read More »
“…it is a general rule that a contract impliedly prohibited by statute is void and unenforceable…” (extract from judgment below) Here’s yet another warning from our courts of the importance of complying with your local municipal zoning laws, whether you buy property to live in, as a capital investment, or to let out. One risk
Landlords: Zoning Law Contravention Could Invalidate Your Lease Read More »
“…the inequality at hand is caused when, after the conclusion of the marriage, a distortion is caused by the fact that one spouse contributes directly or indirectly to the others maintenance or the increase of the others estate without any quid pro quo.” (Extract from judgment below) You may have read of the recent High
New Ruling on Divorce Assets: How Does it Affect You? Read More »
“Taxpayer: One who doesn’t have to pass a civil service exam to work for the government” (Anonymous) “Tax Freedom Day” is the first day of the year on which we South Africans (we’re talking about the “average” taxpayer here) have finally earned enough to pay off SARS and to start working for ourselves. This year
Tax Freedom Day 2022: The Day We Stopped Working for Government Read More »
We all know how vital it is to use strong passwords online, but for a sobering look at just how quickly the “average” cybercriminal can hack any that aren’t up to scratch, go to Hive Systems’ article “Are your passwords in the Green?” here. Their “Time it takes a hacker to brute force your password in
Website of the Month: Are Your Passwords in the Green? Read More »
“The said penalty … was imposed due to the fact that the property was being used in contradiction to its zoning” (extract from judgment below) Municipalities all have the right (and the duty) to regulate land use in their areas, and amongst other sanctions, properties that are used unlawfully or without authorisation can be subjected
Property Owners: Your Rates Could Quadruple for Unauthorised Land Use Read More »
