We get asked if we can represent both husband and wife in a Charleston divorce with surprising frequency. Largely, it seems, the question comes from a misunderstanding over what it means for a lawyer to “represent” somebody; what they are really meaning to ask is if one lawyer can handle all of the necessary paperwork to accomplish a divorce. In circumstances where the parties have reached a full agreement on all the terms of a divorce, it is definitely acceptable for a single attorney to handle a divorce, [Read more…]
Charleston Divorce Lawyer: “Aggressive” or Problem Solver?
So, I try to keep up with the legal blogs being written by other divorce attorneys in Charleston, both as a means of not only keeping myself abreast of developments in the local legal community but also as a means of keeping my mind open to new and different ways to think about issues common to the community at large. There are several that are really good, and each has carved out a bit of niche for themselves in the “blogosphere.” I am resolved to sharing the information and updates that are out there; it doesn’t matter that these folks are my competitors, good writing is [Read more…]
Charleston Divorce: Child Visitation with Skype and Facetime
NPR recently did an interesting piece about infants and toddlers and the increasing screen time they receive in our tech-driven world. Suffice to say, doctors, parenting specialists, and others in the know all universally agree: passive screen time (movies, shows, games, etc.) for children two years and younger has a negative impact [Read more…]
Proving Adultery | Charleston Divorce Lawyers
It should come as no surprise to readers of this blog that adultery is a pretty steady driver of clientele into our offices. It’s unfortunate that infidelity seems to be such a pervasive character flaw in the human species, but as they say, it is what it is. Divorce lawyers simply cannot provide the victims of adultery with the emotional support they so often desperately need; it is nature of a divorce lawyer to review the circumstances of an adultery case dispassionately and with a sympathet [Read more…]
The Six Steps to Take When You’ve Been Served With Divorce Papers.
Our firm meets with a great many people who are in various stages of the divorce process. We meet with people who haven’t decided whether they even want a divorce, but who just want to know what to expect if and when they do decide to move forward. We meet with people who know they are ready, and are interviewing attorneys to find the best match for them. We meet with people who have been trying to go the process alone, and who need help reversing the damage he or she has already done to their case (“He who repres [Read more…]
Charleston Divorce Lawyers: Reduction of Alimony in South Carolina
The payment of alimony, particularly permanent alimony, is almost always an unpleasant task for the supporting spouse, so it is no surprise that the reduction of alimony is a hot-button topic.This article examines those circumstances under which a supporting spouse is entitled either to termination of alimony payments or a reduction of alimony payments.
Some alimony can never be terminated or reduced.
If your Divorce Decree requires the payment of “non-modifiable” alimony, usually payable over a specified period of time, the Family Court will not per [Read more…]
Cost of Divorce: An Initial Analysis
Not surprisingly, we field questions about the cost of divorce in our office every day. Frequently, these queries come in the form of cold calls — an unidentified caller, without providing the most basic of information about himself or herself, expects our office support staff to provide an exact price for a divorce, as if he or she were shopping for some tangible commodity, like toothpaste. Perhaps even less surprisingly, none of these “price-shoppers” have ever become a client of the firm.
The process of providing a potential client with detailed information as to the [Read more…]
Charleston Child Support Lawyer | Late Child Support
Charleston Child Support Lawyer: Late Child Support
One of the most common assumptions, heard everywhere and often, is that there is a “5-day grace period” for the payment of child support or alimony. Perhaps this mis-understanding evolves from mortgage payments, where statements for your payments usually do show a “due date” and a “late after” date, with an added late charge if you miss that “late after” date. In Family Court, however, any such assumption is incorrect, and could easily land you in trouble.
If you have any sort of a Family Court Order which [Read more…]
Charleston Divorce Lawyers: The Standard Visitation Generation
Our Charleston divorce lawyers have seen at least one generation of children grow up with the “standard visitation” regimen of living with Mom and spending “every other weekend” with Dad. Children did not like it, still don’t like it, and have suffered under this routine. What do children say when asked about this routine, which includes sharing holidays, travelling distances, splitting summers, and all the rest? Many of them are young adults now and they are not shy about their opinions:
1) They hate travelling on holidays. [Read more…]
Charleston Divorce Attorney: The Fifth Amendment and Family Court
You have probably kept up with the current news that the IRS Commissioner has invoked her rights under the Fifth Amendment in declining to testify before Congress (see full story here). What does the Fifth Amendment mean for you in your custody case, your alimony case, or your division of property case, in the Family Court? [Read more…]