Family Law

Spouses in South Carolina who divorce or separate have numerous questions about alimony. They want to know the types of alimony there are, the factors that determine whether alimony should be awarded, how much alimony should be awarded, and whether alimony awards can be modified. We discuss these topics on our main alimony page. Some…

Family businesses such as restaurants, technology services, professional services, and daycares are the lifeblood of the economy. Many of these businesses are operated by both spouses. Even when one spouse operates the business, the other spouse often helps the spouse in a myriad of ways such as caring for the children or providing her/his own…

Many people marry because they want to have children. Many spouses stay together, even when they know the marriage is over, for the sake of their children. They think that staying engaged in their children’s lives is more important than the difficulties of being in a loveless marriage. The “empty nest syndrome” refers to the…

When spouses divorce, most of the family issues are resolved either at the time of the divorce or shortly thereafter. The judge issues a divorce decree, which grants the spouses the right to start new relationships and to remarry if they choose. The marital property is divided in accordance with the equitable distribution agreement and…

Whether a parent is in the beginning stages of a divorce, in the middle of a custody dispute, or are thinking about modifying a custody agreement, they almost always have the same question – how can I maximize the amount of time I will get to spend with my children? Of course, every case is…

Parenting classes are often the result of a guardian ad litem recommendation that the court accepts. The course is usually suggested in response to concerns of the other parent that the guardian has been able to validate through an investigation. In other cases, such as an emergency hearing, the court may not have the luxury…

It used to be automatically assumed that, upon a divorce, the children would live with the mother and have visitation with their father. This premise, called the “tender years” doctrine, is no longer the standard, because children fare best when both parents are active participants in their lives and upbringing. Still, child custody can be…

A child’s home should be a safe place, a stable and permanent space for their healthy upbringing. Parents and guardians have a responsibility to provide this for their children’s welfare. However, when their home environment puts a child in immediate danger, South Carolina emergency custody attorneys can step in and help get them to safety.…

Nobody thinks they are going to get a divorce when they first get married. The longer your marriage lasts, the harder it can be to rationalize ending it, but that is exactly what’s happening with a lot of older couples. According to Pew Research Center, the number of couples divorcing over the age of 50…

Child advocates and educators have warned since the start of the coronavirus pandemic that it would be difficult to keep an eye on at-risk children with them no longer reporting to school every day of the week. Not long after those warnings were issued, the overall reports of child abuse plummeted. However, the numbers didn’t…