You should start the process when you are ready. Only you can determine when you are ready. We offer thirty minute consultations for a low cost to give you an overview of your rights and the initial information you need to determine if you are ready to move forward.

No, but should your spouse need legal advice he or she will need to contact an attorney. An attorney can only ethically represent one side because there is a potential that a conflict in interest may occur. It is advisable that both parties obtain an attorney, however, sometimes only one spouse has an attorney.

It depends. The more complex the divorce issues the more expensive the legal action can be. We provide a detailed payment agreement that explains your costs. Our firm offer various payment options to help you through this difficult time.

A no fault divorce in S.C. requires that the parties have lived separately for at least one year before filing for a divorce. A fault based divorce can be heard in as little as 90 days but it will depend on other issues that need to be resolved such as custody and property. Additionally, it depends on the court’s available court time.

Yes. We handle custody, visitation, step parent adoption, custody modification, separations, prenuptial agreements, amending birth certificates, and name changes.

A Guardian ad Litem is appointed by the court with representing a child’s best interests in cases involving contested custody, visitation, adoption, name changes, and termination of parental rights actions. The GAL role is to represent the best interest of the child and report that information to the court.

This state recognizes four grounds for divorce. They include adultery, physical cruelty, habitual drunkenness, and desertion for at least one year. To qualify for these grounds for divorce, you’ll need to present evidence that supports your claim, which your lawyer will help you collect. If none of these grounds apply or you don’t want to spend time in court proving fault, you can opt for a no-fault divorce from your spouse.

If you pursue a no-fault divorce, you must live apart from your spouse for at least one year before you can petition the court. So, after 365 days of living in separate houses, you can begin divorcing your spouse. This can take a few months if you agree on terms, or it could take much longer if you can’t agree. If you choose a fault-based divorce, you can file immediately, but you must wait 90 days for the final hearing. As such, you could be divorced within 90 days if you’re prepared to prove fault.

Adopting a step-child can benefit the whole family. Not only does it help the child feel like part of a family unit, but it also allows you to add them to your insurance policies, collect child support for them, and pass your government benefits to them. If you want to reap these rewards, you must first have the consent of both biological parents. Then you’ll have to go through family court to finalize the adoption, which your lawyer will prepare you for.

If you and your spouse agree on the terms of your divorce, it’s an uncontested case. This means you agree on who gets which marital property and debts, how often you will see your children, and how much financial support is necessary to pay for the lifestyles of the children and one spouse. If you and your spouse disagree on the terms, you can attend mediation until you reach a compromise. If that doesn’t work, you’ll have a contested divorce that may need to go to trial to be finalized.