Monthly Archives: May 2023

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Property Buyers: The Danger of Not Doing Your Financial Homework

“Look before you leap” (wise old proverb) Don’t let the excitement of buying a property blind you to the necessity of doing your homework before you agree to anything. Look before you leap! It’s not just a matter of buying the right property at the right price – make sure that your finances (and particularly your cash flow situation) won’t stop you from fulfilling the financial obligations your signature on the sale agreement binds you to. Otherwise, you could find yourself in the same unenviable

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Understanding Your Legal Obligations as an Employer of Domestic Workers

South Africans employ an estimated 900,000 domestic workers. They assist us with a range of tasks that keep our homes running smoothly – from cleaning and gardening to cooking and childcare, their contributions are invaluable. However, as an employer, it is vital that you recognise and fulfill your legal obligations in order to establish a fair and lawful working relationship. Compliance with these legal requirements has become increasingly important as law enforcement authorities become more and more vigilant in ensuring adherence,

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Maintenance Claims and Life Partners

More and more couples are opting to live together as permanent life partners rather than enter into a formal marriage. The risk for such couples is that whilst our law is steadily (if slowly and cautiously) extending many of the protections of formal marriage to unmarried life partners, that process is not by any means complete yet. A recent High Court decision, refusing a life partner’s claim for interim maintenance after her relationship broke down, illustrates. A “permanent romantic relationship” and a

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Ponzi Schemes: Another MTI Judgment, Risks and Red Flags

“MTl’s business clearly amounted to an unlawful ponzi-scheme, i.e. a fraudulent investing scam promising high rates of return to investors and generating returns for earlier investors with investments taken from later investors.” (Extract from judgment below) In times of economic turmoil, the promise of “easy money” can be incredibly enticing. Unfortunately, this allure often leads people into the clutches of fraudsters who operate ponzi and pyramid schemes. But why are these scams so successful at fooling even the most astute investors? The

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