' You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour.' (Lord Atkin in the groundbreaking 1932 House of Lords decision that found a soft drink manufacturer liable for a consumer’s shock and illness after she discovered a decomposed snail in the remains of her ginger beer.) A simple burger night turned into an ordeal for a diner who swallowed a 'needle-like object' hidden in her meal. The High Court

'Don’t wait to buy real estate. Buy real estate and wait.' (Will Rogers) Spring is in the air and, as the annual uptick in property sales kicks in, let’s address two questions commonly asked by both sellers and buyers who are unsure about exactly what happens after they sign their sale agreement: How does the transfer process work? How long does it take before the seller gets paid and the buyer becomes the new registered owner? Let’s begin with this simplified 'in a nutshell'

'You can't go back and change the beginning but you can start where you are and change the ending.' (C.S. Lewis) Divorce is traumatic,...

' When cognitive capacities are the focus, the 70s are the new 50s.' (IMF) Fake news articles suggesting that South Africa was...

“In Africa there is a concept known as ‘ubuntu’ – the profound sense that we are human only through the humanity of others.” (Nelson...

'All that lives must die, passing through nature to eternity.' (William Shakespeare, in Hamlet) Master’s Office records suggest that less...

'You aren’t buying a house, you’re buying a lifestyle.' (Anon) As more and more residential properties are subdivided and developed, an...

'Time shall unfold what plighted cunning hides.' (William Shakespeare, in King Lear) A recent High Court judgment confirms, yet again,...

“The legal principles, as I understand them, do not confer on me the powers of Father Christmas. I cannot rescue the un-rescuable.”...

'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of bandages and adhesive tape.' (Groucho Marx) It’s a perennial topic of dispute in our courts....

In today's complex world, legal matters can arise unexpectedly. Whether you're facing a family dispute, need help with a business...

'Grandparents, like heroes, are as necessary to a child’s growth as vitamins.' (Quoted in the judgment below) One of the greatest...

'Look before you leap.' (Wise old proverb) Imagine sealing the deal on your dream property, only to wake up at 3am beset by sudden...

'I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.' (Douglas Adams in The Salmon of Doubt) Contracts often contain...

It’s vital for both employers and employees to understand the practical and legal differences between permanent and fixed term employment...

'My word is my bond.' (Once the motto of 16th-century merchants, adopted by ’90s hip-hop artists and now tossed around by duelling...

'A body corporate’s lot is not an easy one.' (With apologies to Gilbert and Sullivan) One of a body corporate’s core functions is to...

'Trust me, I’m a lawyer.' (Popular T-shirt slogan) South African property buyers and sellers will have been cheered by news that we are...

'All that glisters is not gold ' (William Shakespeare in Merchant of Venice) Buying or selling a home could be one of the most important...

'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.' (Benjamin Franklin’s warning to fire-threatened Philadelphians in 1736) Cases of...