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Family Law

SC Family Law Blog

Covers topics such as divorce, custody, child support, financial issues, and other family topics.
By Ben Stevens

Post Frequency: 3.5/day

Last Entry: April 01, 2011 at 10:30:41

Your Recipie for a Happy Divorce

Posted on February 08, 2010
Maintaining happiness (or some semblance of it) through your divorce might not be as difficult as you think. According to scientists, the following things make us happy: Virtues: Our sense of wisdom, justice, compassion for others, Gratitude: Appreciating what we have and expressing it to ourselves and others, Savoring: Enjoying the moment and taking time to smell the roses, Engagement: Being in our activities for the experience of it ("being in the zone"), Living a meaningful life: Doing things for others and helping others...

Tips to Help Prepare for Court

Posted on February 04, 2010
When it comes to the Courtroom, you will find this to be a pretty place. Once the divorce proceedings begin, the outcome of your divorce is in the hands of a total stranger – the Judge. You no longer have control. All decisions will now be made by a stranger...

Spartanburg Family Lawyer Interviewed at Greenville Online / Upstate Parent

Posted on February 01, 2010
From Upstate Parent magazine / GreenvilleOnline.com: Ben Stevens is a 39-year-old native of Orangeburg who is a family law attorney in Spartanburg. He's also a legal blogger at www.SCFamilyLaw.com as well as www.TheMacLawyer.com. He lives in Spartanburg with wife Hollinger and children Jay, 9, and Elizabeth, 7...

Have You Googled Your Spouse?

Posted on January 29, 2010
Do you know your spouse? Do you really know him/her? Check out the following article to see what a wife learned about her husband through a simple Google search: Faye Miller was having some marital problems and went to counseling to avoid a divorce...

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How To Find A Good Family Law Attorney When You Need One

Posted on January 27, 2010
Most people do not have a clue how to find a good lawyer when they need one. In fact, statistics show that 68% of consumers spend two hours or fewer gathering information before selecting a lawyer. Determine the type of lawyer you need. In most states, a licensed attorney may practice in any field of law, but most concentrate on very specific areas...

Child Custody Terms :: Legal, Physical, Sole, Joint, Primary, Split and Others

Posted on January 25, 2010
Note: The following post was done by an attorney in Missouri, but it does an excellent job of explaining many of the terms commonly used with regard to child custody. Many of the terms referenced below are used in other states, including South Carolina...

GSA Business Reports Firm Merger

Posted on January 22, 2010
Spartanburg attorneys David Turnipseed, Doug Brannon, Brac Turnipseed and Ben Stevens have combined their practices to create Turnipseed, Brannon & Stevens. 'This new partnership provides a tremendous added value for all our clients,' said David Turnipseed, whose office at 128 Magnolia St...

SC Family Law Blog Named in Top 100 Divorce/Family Law Blogs

Posted on January 08, 2010
The South Carolina Family Law Blog was named one of the Top 100 Divorce/Family Law Blogs. I am very pleased to have received this honor and to have been named along with such other prominent family law blogs. 2009 was a great year for this blog, and I am excited about all the great things that 2010 holds...

Father's Rights in Child Custody Cases

Posted on January 06, 2010
Custody Battle: Dad's Story – A new generation of fathers is fighting for custody – and a fair shake in court: 'Yes, but who's going to cook them dinner?' When Ben Oshman got that question from a judge hearing his request for custody of his three kids, he was furious...

How to Dress for Court

Posted on January 04, 2010
Clients often wonder what they should wear to Court for their hearing. The answer can vary depending on whether your case is contested or non-contested. If your case is not contested, such as a no-fault divorce or approval of an agreement, then the following attire is recommended: For Men: A nice pair of slacks and a dress shirt or golf shirt would be appropriate...

Turnipseed, Brannon & Stevens

Posted on January 01, 2010
Effective today, The Stevens Firm joins forces with Turnipseed & Brannon to form Turnipseed, Brannon & Stevens, located at 128 Magnolia Street, Spartanburg, SC 29306. Our firm handles family law, personal injury, criminal law, workers' compensation, Social Security disability, and general civil litigation cases...

Text Messages Are Digital Lipstick for Cheating Spouses

Posted on December 30, 2009
Tiger Woods, Sen. John Ensign, the Mayor of Detroit -- all men whose adultery was discovered by text messages to their lovers. Family law attorneys have seen a rise in the number of situations where a cheating spouse's own text messages tell his/her spouse about the adultery, and that number is expected to continue to grow in the future...

Do You Overparent Your Children?

Posted on December 28, 2009
A recent article in Time addresses the issue of parents "overparenting" their children. Parents have become obsessed with their child's safety and education, and that's not necessarily a good thing. Consider whether the following is too much: Some parents demanded that a nursery offer to teach Mandarin, claiming it's never to soon to prepare children for the competition of a global economy...

Tips to Follow for Holiday Parenting Time

Posted on December 21, 2009
Separated, divorced, and divorcing parents can use the following tips regarding the 'nuts and bolts' of handling the Christmas holiday season: Examine the parenting schedule in your Court Order to make sure you understand when you are supposed to have the children...

S.C. Court of Appeals Finds that Incarcerated Parents Entitled to Be Present at Trial

Posted on December 07, 2009
The South Carolina Court of Appeals issued a decision last week in Department of Social Services v. Laura D that it is necessary for incarcerated parents to be present at hearings, particularly when the Family Court has already issued an Order requiring the Department of Corrections to transport that parent to the hearing...

Supreme Court Changes Rule for Appointment of GALs in Abuse/Neglect Cases

Posted on December 04, 2009
The South Carolina Supreme Court issued an Order on November 20, 2009, that eliminates the appointment of attorneys to serve as Guardians ad Litem (GALs) pursuant to Rule 608 in abuse / neglect cases brought by the Department of Social Services in the Family Court, effective July 1, 2010...

Study Discusses Children Watching Television in Day Care

Posted on December 02, 2009
Do you know how much television your kids watch every day? Do you really? If your children are in day care, you probably assume that they are doing things like taking naps and learning to play nicely with others, but you might be surprised to learn that many day care centers allow child to spend as much as two hours a day in front of a television...

What Do Children Think During Family Court Cases?

Posted on November 30, 2009
Family Court cases are difficult for adults, but they can be traumatic for children. After seeing the effect these cases can have on children, Reggie Blackledge, a family law attorney in Collins, Mississippi, wrote the following poem to help adults understand the feelings that children experience when their parents are fighting in court...

Happy Thanksgiving from The South Carolina Family Law Blog

Posted on November 26, 2009
Take a moment today to consider all the things that you should be thankful for, and be sure to let those you love know that you love and appreciate them...

Thanksgiving Advice for the Recently Separated or Divorced

Posted on November 25, 2009
Donna F. Ferber, LPC, LADC, a psychotherapist in Connecticut who works with families in transition, provides the following excellent advice for Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving marks the official beginning of the holiday season. Although usually less fraught with anxiety than Christmas, if it is the first 'big holiday' since your estrangement from your spouse, you may be dreading the day...

Helping Children Deal with Family Changes during the Holiday Season

Posted on November 24, 2009
The following article was published a couple of years ago by Karen Armstrong, a human development extension agent with North Dakota State University, and it contains several great suggestions to help children deal with family changes during the holiday season: The holiday season can be stressful enough on its own...

Announcement: Changes At Our Firm

Posted on November 23, 2009
I am pleased to announce the following changes taking place at our firm: Ben Stevens and Paul MacPhail have agreed to separate their law practices, effective Monday, November 23, 2009. We will make every effort to minimize the impact of this change on our respective clients...

The "Temporary" Nature of Temporary Hearings

Posted on November 20, 2009
This week, I have explained certain aspects of temporary hearings in Family Court cases in South Carolina. One of the things that I explain to all of my clients before these hearings is "No matter what happens, good or bad, this is only temporary...

Tips to Help You Write Persuasively

Posted on November 18, 2009
Earlier this week, I discussed temporary hearings and explained how issues are presented as being "black" or "white". Every document prepared for the temporary hearing (including the pleadings drafted by the attorney and the Affidavits drafted by the client and witnesses with the attorney's guidance) should be written with the goal of persuading the Judge to decide in your favor...

Temporary Hearings -�Black vs. White

Posted on November 16, 2009
In South Carolina, the majority of Family Court cases begin with a "temporary hearing", which is scheduled as a result of one party filing a Motion for Temporary Relief. At this hearing, the Court determines what will happen between then and the final hearing, which is typically held many months in the future...

How to Divide Personal Property in a Divorce Case

Posted on November 13, 2009
Some people choose to spend a lot of time, effort, and money fighting over personal property. However, as experienced family law attorneys know, there is a better way to handle those issues. The following post explains a common sense approach to dividing personal property in a divorce (or separation) case: The division of personal property in a divorce can be one of the most expensive, emotional, and wasteful parts of a case...

Do "Uncontested" Divorces Really Exist?

Posted on November 12, 2009
I read a very interesting blog post that analyzed the term "uncontested divorce" and I wanted to share it with my readers: Divorce attorneys frequently receive telephone calls from potential clients asking, "What do you charge for an uncontested divorce?" Unfortunately, this question is generally impossible to answer right off the bat...

Should Parents of Obese Children Lose Custody?

Posted on November 06, 2009
Childhood obesity can lead to a host of health problems, including Type 2 diabetes, insulin resistance, hypertension, high cholesterol, sleep apnea and orthopedic problems. Experts have begun to debate whether removing morbidly obese children from their parents will boost those children's chances for a healthier life...

Calculating Child Support in South Carolina

Posted on November 04, 2009
One of the questions that we are asked most often is how much child support will be in a particular case. Of course, this question comes in several different varieties, including: My friend only pays $X in child support, so why do I pay more? Why does my friend receive so much more child support than I do? If we have joint custody, will there even be any child support at all? As you can see, there is a great deal of misunderstanding and misinformation when it comes to calculating child support in South Carolina...

What Defines A Man?

Posted on November 02, 2009
Some men were recently discussing what advice fathers should give to their sons in response to the question, "How do I learn to be a man?' From this discussion arose the words of wisdom below from my friend and fellow blogger, Michael Jeffcoat...

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