J. Michael DeTreville, Author at Charleston SC Divorce Lawyers

Divorce Lawyer Charleston SC | Child Support for High Income Parents

February 6, 2017 By J. Michael DeTreville Leave a Comment

Most people who are in the early stages of searching for a divorce lawyer in Charleston, SC do some internet research before they start actually reaching out to attorneys. If those people are also parents, one of the first topics they are likely to do internet research on is the issue of child support.

Unlike with some other divorce-related topics, there is a fair amount of credible information on the web regarding South Carolina child support (we have discussed the topic on this website on a number of occasions, [Read more…]

Charleston SC Family Lawyers | How to Change Your Name

January 19, 2017 By J. Michael DeTreville Leave a Comment

Charleston SC family lawyers are called upon to assist our clients in having their names changed in three different situations:

1. Having a child’s name changed.

The most common scenario in which a parent may wish to change a child’s name is when the child shares a name with a parent who has been entirely absent from the child’s life. The child may feel that he or she is different or apart from close family members, siblings, and [Read more…]

Charleston Divorce Lawyers | 3 Reasons You Shouldn’t Represent Yourself

December 5, 2016 By J. Michael DeTreville Leave a Comment

The decision to represent one’s own interests in court proceedings is never an easy one. Watching the drama play out in the unfolding Dylan Roof trial is a reminder of this. Mr. Roof, a white supremacist accused of perpetrating the horrifying Mother Emanuel shootings, recently petitioned the federal court to allow him to serve as his own attorney. It seems he recognized the gravity o [Read more…]

Divorce Lawyer Charleston SC | Dividing Retirement Accounts

November 15, 2016 By J. Michael DeTreville Leave a Comment

Dividing Retirement Accounts | Divorce Lawyer Charleston SC

One very common type of asset that people will need to divide when they go through a divorce is their retirement accounts. While this seems, and can be fairly straightforward, you will need the assistance of a divorce lawyer Charleston SC to be sure it is done appropriately.

Do we just split them in half?

Maybe. You will divide any growth that accumulated to the account during the time of your marriage. [Read more…]

Charleston Divorce Attorneys | Guardians ad Litem and Custody Cases

November 7, 2016 By J. Michael DeTreville Leave a Comment

As Charleston divorce attorneys, one common question that we get from our clients regarding the divorce process is:

What is a Guardian ad Litem?

A Guardian ad Litem (commonly referred to as a GAL) is a third party person in your case that investigates facts and circumstances pertaining to the best interests of the minor children. They are most often attorneys, but there is not a requirement that they be. The Guardian can be agreed upon by the parties; if the parties and their attorneys cannot agree upon a GAL the court will appoint one.

Must I have a Guardian ad Litem in my [Read more…]

Charleston Family Court Lawyers | Child Support After Emancipation

September 14, 2014 By J. Michael DeTreville Leave a Comment

Charleston Family Court lawyers are frequently asked about the possibility of extending child support obligations beyond the age of emancipation, which, in South Carolina, is 18 or upon graduation from high school, whichever is latest, but never past age 19.

Frequently, the context of this question concerns the payment of college-related expenses, which is actually a separate issue altogether from the issue of child su [Read more…]

Charleston Divorce Attorney | Custody and Military Deployment

July 6, 2014 By J. Michael DeTreville Leave a Comment

A recent custody case in Michigan highlighted the perils that military parents may face when involved in a custody matter, particularly when on deployment. In that case, Matthew Hindes, active-duty Navy personnel who was deployed on a submarine in the Pacific Ocean, was threatened not just with the loss of his child, but also jail time and fines for failing to appear at a scheduled custody hearing. Ultimately, the local family court [Read more…]

Charleston Family Court Lawyer | Proving Physical Cruelty

July 2, 2014 By J. Michael DeTreville Leave a Comment

South Carolina can be a dangerous place for a married or cohabiting woman. This state has a particularly rotten and well-deserved reputation for being a den of domestic violence. Every year, it seems South Carolina ranks #1 in the country for men killing women. As a Charleston Family Court lawyer, and one who keenly feels the need to help put a stop to this cycle of violence, I regularly me [Read more…]

Charleston Divorce Lawyer | Custody and a Child’s Preference

June 30, 2014 By J. Michael DeTreville Leave a Comment

Custody disputes can be among the most difficult cases for a Charleston divorce lawyer to handle. The difficulty is often compounded by the family tensions that existed long before the client ever walked in the door, tensions that are often multiplied by either a lack of or misunderstanding of South Carolina custody laws. One frequently misunderstood custody law is that regarding a child’s stated preference to live with one parent or the other. Parents want to know — will this make a difference in my case?

The short answer, as it so often it is in Famil [Read more…]

Charleston Family Court Attorney | What Happens at the Final Hearing?

June 6, 2014 By J. Michael DeTreville 2 Comments

Ed. note: This article presupposes a “final hearing” to be one in which the parties are placing an agreement on the record with the Family Court, and are proceeding with a divorce based on one year’s separation. A “final hearing” may also refer to a contested trial, which would be an entirely different article, or more likely, series of articles.

Having braved all of the hazards of divorce, having made the difficult decisions needed to settle your differences with your spouse in a compromised agreement, and having waited out the year-long separation period r [Read more…]

« Previous Page