- Court orders husband to pay R1.5 million in legal costs to support wife during ongoing divorce.
- Judge finds gaps in husband’s financial records and stresses the need for full disclosure.
- Ruling highlights the importance of fairness and the role of legal costs in divorce proceedings.
The High Court in Pretoria has ruled that a husband must pay R1.5 million in legal costs to help his wife cover her legal fees in a divorce case that has lasted since 2020.
The wife said she could not afford to keep fighting the case alone, while the husband, who lives in the United Kingdom, claimed he could not pay more. The court disagreed and stepped in to ensure she gets help with her legal costs.
Judge Nkosi said the wife deserves a fair chance to present her case. “A party who flexes financial muscle as a show of strength with no regard to the expeditious finalisation of a matrimonial matter will lead the Court to come to the aid of the vulnerable party,” the judge stated.
Big money, missing details
The husband, who lives in the UK, claimed his assets were worth over R34 million, but the judge found his financial records incomplete. “There are huge sums of money not being disclosed. His expenditures are also not fully disclosed. I cannot, therefore, conclude that there is a clear picture of his assets and liabilities.”
The wife made some mistakes in her financial forms, but the judge said she was not acting in bad faith. “The inaccuracies do not lead me to believe that she is acting in bad faith,” Judge Nkosi said.
The wife needed money to pay her lawyers and to hire experts to investigate her husband’s finances. The judge agreed, saying, “The applicant is entitled to a contribution towards her costs which will ensure the quality of arms in the divorce action.” Even though the wife asked for R2 million, the judge reduced the amount by 25 percent, saying she could have done more to keep her legal costs down.
Final decision
The husband must pay R1.5 million in legal costs in four instalments. The first payment is due by 11 October 2025 and will go into the trust account of the wife’s lawyers. The husband must also pay the legal costs for the first day of the hearing.
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