“Only in our dreams are we free; the rest of the time we need wages.” (Terry Pratchett) Retrenching employees can be an expensive business. You’ll have to pay each employee a minimum of one week’s pay for each completed year of ongoing service, and that total liability can add up alarmingly. A recent Labour Court […]
Employers: How to Avoid Paying Severance Pay on Retrenchment Read More »
“I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy.” (Ernest Hemingway) Are you a visitor dreaming of waking up with giraffes on your lawn and wondering how to make it happen? Or a local being asked by overseas friends and relatives: “This country’s magic, how can I
How Can I Buy Property in South Africa as a Foreigner? Read More »
“To be prepared is half the victory.” (Miguel de Cervantes, author of Don Quixote) Perhaps you’re a director losing sleep over the risk of losing everything if creditors sue you personally for your company’s debts because you’re asset-rich, and they can’t squeeze anything out of the company. Or maybe you worry about the company itself
Directors: Here’s How to Avoid Being Sued for Company Debts Read More »
“I have never let my schooling interfere with my education.” (Mark Twain) Our Constitution guarantees everyone rights to education, but that doesn’t mean parents can necessarily pick and choose which schools they send their children to. Nor does it mean that they can expect schools to continue educating their children if they don’t pay the
A New School Year Dawns – Can Unpaid Fees Bar Your Child From Enrolling? Read More »
“The scariest thing about digital abuse is how a victim can never know how far it went, how many people it reached, and how much those who saw it bought it.” (Psychology Today) Our laws are always protective of our rights to privacy and dignity, and a recent High Court decision confirms that defamation can
Revenge Porn and a Fake Facebook Profile – Online Defamation Costs a Couple R3.55m Read More »
“The bluntest pencil is better than the sharpest mind” (Unknown) The Festive Season is traditionally a time for giving, and it seems a pity to have to mention the hard realities of the law right now. But, as a recent High Court dispute confirms, things can go horribly wrong if the people involved have different
Gift or Loan? A Cautionary Tale for the Season of Giving Read More »
“When the hurly-burly’s done, when the battle’s lost and won.” (One of the witches in Shakespeare’s Macbeth) Another year draws to a close! If you’re taking a break, now’s a great time to get started on an estate plan – or to update your existing one. Estate planning is one of the most important steps
Estate Planning: Why it Matters, and How To Get Started Read More »
“One of the hallmarks of an enlightened egalitarian society is the right to freedom of religion.” (Extract from judgment below) Our courts do not tolerate unfair discrimination in the workplace, and employers need to tread particularly carefully when it comes to the concept of “automatically unfair discrimination”. Get that one wrong and you could be
“Don’t wait to buy land, buy land and wait.” (Will Rogers) Summer’s a great time to look for property. With the year winding down and the holiday season upon us, many sellers who’ve been holding back are now putting their properties back onto the market, so expect to see some great new buys out there.
Blue Skies Ahead for Property? Be Prepared with this Buyer’s Checklist Read More »
“That which we call a rose, by any other name would smell as sweet.” (Shakespeare, in Romeo and Juliet) Your wedding to-do list will be a long one, and getting all the “boring legal bits” in order before you marry may not seem like a huge priority. But it is. Choices you make now will
