
Talaq no bar to civil divorce rights, High Court confirms
A Full Bench ruling clarifies that religious divorce cannot override access to interim maintenance and civil protections under South African law.

A Full Bench ruling clarifies that religious divorce cannot override access to interim maintenance and civil protections under South African law.

The judgment shows that long relationships and indirect domestic contributions can justify substantial redistribution under the Divorce Act.

The two-pot rules redefine ‘pension interest’ at account level, meaning funds must deduct awarded sums proportionally from the savings, retirement, and vested components.

The General Laws (Family Matters) Amendment Bill will empower the courts to order fair asset transfers in marriages out of community of property without accrual.

There is a legal grey area over the calculation of pension interest in divorce settlements and whether funds may now be permitted to make deductions for future maintenance orders.

Understanding the nuances of ‘pension interest’ and ensuring accurate wording in the divorce order is vital to avoid complications.

The appellant contended that the arbitration clause in the settlement agreement conflicted with section 2(a) of the Arbitration Act.

An application clause will provide for the Pension Funds Act to prevail over the Divorce Act where the Acts’ provisions conflict.

The Association for Savings and Investment SA and the Institute of Retirement Funds Africa also call for amendments not related to the two-pot system to be held over.

A specific order in terms of section 7(8) of the Divorce Act is required if spouses want a retirement fund to make a deduction and payment to the non-member spouse.