January 2025

A Complex Issue: Beware Late Building Penalties
, Property

A Complex Issue: Beware Late Building Penalties

“Home wasn’t built in a day.” (Jane Ace, radio comedian) You find the perfect plot on which to build your dream home in a security estate. Your offer is accepted and transfer…

Do You Need a Second Will for Your Overseas Assets?
, Wills and Estate Planning

Do You Need a Second Will for Your Overseas Assets?

“Only put off until tomorrow what you are willing to die having left undone.” (Pablo Picasso) If you own assets outside South Africa, you may have wondered: Is my local will enough?…

Braai Chain Hauled Over the Coals for Hidden Service Charges and Fined R1m
, Consumer law

Braai Chain Hauled Over the Coals for Hidden Service Charges and Fined R1m

“The secret of life is honesty and fair dealing… If you can fake that, you’ve got it made.” (Groucho Marx) We’ve all had this experience – meal over, relaxed and happy, you…

Employers: How to Avoid Paying Severance Pay on Retrenchment
, Employment and Labour Law

Employers: How to Avoid Paying Severance Pay on Retrenchment

“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…

How Can I Buy Property in South Africa as a Foreigner?
, Property

How Can I Buy Property in South Africa as a Foreigner?

“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…

Directors: Here’s How to Avoid Being Sued for Company Debts

Directors: Here’s How to Avoid Being Sued for Company Debts

“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…

A New School Year Dawns – Can Unpaid Fees Bar Your Child From Enrolling?
, Family Law, General Interest

A New School Year Dawns – Can Unpaid Fees Bar Your Child From Enrolling?

“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…

Revenge Porn and a Fake Facebook Profile – Online Defamation Costs a Couple R3.55m
, Delict and Civil Claims

Revenge Porn and a Fake Facebook Profile – Online Defamation Costs a Couple R3.55m

“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…