family court litigation

What circumstances permit an annulment versus a divorce?

Family law lawyers get requests for annulments in generally two cases: a very short term marriage (just a few months) or marriage to a foreign national for a short period of time.  In both of these instances, South Carolina law provides very little flexibility.   The reason someone may want an ann...
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family law

Can a person be “common law married” while legally married to someone else?

An older gentleman met with me recently to discuss his desire to end his marriage. Both he and his wife were on their second marriages. They had no children and only some jointly acquired property.  He told me that they decided to be Common Law married in 2010 so his girlfriend could get on his...
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Family law attorney

Alimony Reform May Impact Charleston Divorce and Family Law cases

The Alimony Reform bill, HB 3122, in the South Carolina General Assembly significantly revises current alimony code.  Everyone impacted by Divorce and Family Law in Charleston should follow it closely. It does not address the existing bar to alimony in cases involving adultery, but if enacted, HB 3...
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Divorce and Family Law

Be Prepared: Divorce is Complicated!

Many people have never had a meaningful interaction with the Court system before a divorce.  Usually this is a stressful time, and depending on what they’ve heard from the media, friends, family and rumors, expectations can be unrealistic. Divorce cases are some of the most complicated case...
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