For those of us who work in South Carolina Family Courts, we know that no divorce or custody case is ever the same as the last. The same holds true for how family court attorneys work with their clients and the strategies they employ while handling their cases. Understanding this will help you in deciding which family court lawyer is the "right" one for your case. Read more here:

There are a lot of scary things in this world, but hearing a person you don't know ask your name just before handing you a sealed envelope thick with documents ranks pretty high on the list, especially if you never expected to be served with divorce or custody papers. Many of our clients have been in this exact situation and this article is meant to explore options you have to protect yourself.

It used to be that divorce cases only involved issues of money, children, and property, but in the modern family courts, judges are finding themselves having to decide "custody" of the pets more and more often. Find out how this emotional issue is handled in South Carolina family courts.

When a divorce is imminent, both spouses typically expect there to be a division of the physical and financial assets which have been collected during the course of the marriage. However, one new area which also must be examined for division is the digital assets of the spouses. Read more about what this means for your case here.

Divorce is hard and emotions run high during such an event. If you take the proper steps to prepare yourself before a case is filed, it can help to relieve some of the stress involved. Read about four important steps to take before your divorce is filed in South Carolina.

When dividing marital property during a divorce, what happens to collections acquired by the couple during the marriage, such as art collections? Read more about this unique situation in our blog.

Divorce is a tough transition in life, even if you're the one who wanted the divorce in the first place. We've been handling divorce cases in South Carolina for over two decades and have helped all types of people through their divorces in order to build healthy foundations for their new futures. Here are a few of the tips our clients have found most helpful for reducing both their pain and the expenses of divorces.

When a couple decides to separate and proceed with a divorce, it's not uncommon for one or both sides to try to use intimidation techniques against the other to try to "win" the upper hand in the case - or at least to try "win" the emotional battle. Read more about what might be said to you and how to respond.

Mistakes are a part of life. Divorce is one of those areas of life where your mistakes can be very costly. Read more about three common divorce mistakes and how you can avoid them.

One of the most common questions I am faced with in both our litigation cases and my private Guardian ad Litem work is, “When is it okay for me to relocate and not endanger my custody arrangements or rights?” Read more about this tricky topic here.

When parties divorce later in life, it's sometimes referred to as a "grey divorce". Whatever, the reason, these divorces usually come after a couple has spent a couple of decades or more building a life together. When a couple separates after such a long time, they both may think they know where all of there marital assets are, but that's not always the case. Read more to find which assets may be hidden and must be uncovered to protect your new future.

Our family law practice has developed a focus in handling cases which are considered "high conflict custody cases" over the years. These cases often include allegations of "parental alienation" by one or both parents on either side of the case. But, what exactly is parental alienation and how will you know if your child is being affected by this detrimental behavior by the other parent in his or her life?

Sometimes, divorcing parents can get stuck on the number of days, nights, minutes, in any given month that each will spend with the children. Many parents will assume a 50/50 schedule will be the best idea, or maybe even as a starting expectation. But what does 50/50 really mean and is it really good for the children? Read our blog to find out more.

What is the “magic age” in South Carolina when children are able to make a decision in custody cases? Read our blog to find out more.

Read the first edition of our Spartanburg family law firm newsletter here.

Holiday Office Hours

We have collected a list of worthy Upstate organizations who are in need of #GivingTuesday donations today and hope that you will join us in making donations to them. For every person who comments below with the name of a charity they have given to today, we will donate an extra $10 to each of these charities. *Comments must be posted before midnight on November 28, 2017, so feel free to share this blog post with your friends and family and let's #MultiplyTheGood!*

Happy Thanksgiving!

We are proud to announce that our Senior Partner, Ben Stevens, has been elected and sworn-in at this year's meeting to a three-year term as a Vice-President.

Can my spouse empty our joint bank account and leave me with nothing? We talk with people every day who are considering separation or who believe their spouse might be considering it, and this is a fear at the top of every list. Given that it could leave you with no money to pay your household expenses, buy food, provide for your children, or pay your attorney, it's certainly not an unreasonable fear.

South Carolina family courts are courts of equity, which means that the parties are asking for remedies, not damages. Money and other property are certainly an issue in domestic litigation, but the final decisions are made by judges, not juries. While most of our cases eventually settle, trials can and often do, happen in Family Court. Find out more by reading our blog on what happens at trial in a South Carolina Family Court.

Some of the most frequent questions we get are “Why does the other side need to know how much money I have in my bank account?” or “What difference does it make how much I have in my retirement account?” These questions are often a byproduct of confusion about the financial disclosure process in general, and the requirement of the Financial Declaration in Family Court, in particular. So, what is a financial declaration, and why do you have to complete one when going through a case in a South Carolina Family Court?

When a couple with a high net-worth begins the divorce process, the monetary value of their assets will automatically add another layer of complexity to already immensely difficult time for their family. While you may often read that the wealthiest couples also hire the most high-powered attorneys in their areas, you will rarely hear about those same couples hashing out their differences in a public trial in Family Court.

Our team of family law attorneys is used to hearing the words “equitable division” or “equitable apportionment,” but they can be confusing to our clients. Too often, a misunderstanding of the law can lead one or both spouses to agree to a division of marital assets that will not be in their best interests or the best interests of their children later down the road. You don't have to go through this alone or put up with threatening emails from your spouse anymore.

If you are facing a South Carolina divorce as a business owner, you may have already encountered the painful reality of equitable division. What some people may not realize is that small businesses (and large ones, too) are also subject to equitable division, and dividing a business in a divorce requires special attention and an experienced legal team of professionals to make sure your interests are protected. These are some of the questions that may be running through your mind.