Court of Appeals highly critical of Charleston County’s Abuse and Neglect proceedings’ procedures
September 3, 2014
The September 3, 2014 Court of Appeals decision in SCDSS v. Hogan, 410 S.C. 120, 763 S.E.2d 219 (Ct. App. 2014), is highly critical of the method
Checklist of questions whose answers can derail a custody or visitation case
August 29, 2014
I tried a custody case last month in which I learned a few weeks prior to trial that my client was using marijuana approximately once
Supreme Court changes Family Court 365 day benchmark administrative order
August 28, 2014
On August 27, 2014 the South Carolina Supreme Court issued an administrative order superseding the May 9, 2006 order that set the 365 day benchmark
Can judges stop attorneys from communicating their rulings to litigants?
August 28, 2014
I occasionally see or hear of family court judges issuing instructions for orders but asking attorneys not to reveal their ruling to their clients until
Courtesy copying clients on emails
August 26, 2014
Fellow attorneys often ask me why I courtesy copy my clients on almost all emails. Evidently it is not a uniform practice. However there are
Certificates of service in South Carolina state courts
August 20, 2014
Many attorneys issue certificates of service (also known as proofs of service) with the motions, orders, pleadings and discovery they issue in filed cases. I
How should the family court handle misbehaving stepparents in custody litigation?
August 12, 2014
I have a fundamental jurisprudential difference with most of my family law colleagues and many of the state family court judges regarding how one should
Court of Appeals affirms strict compliance with adoption consent requirements
August 4, 2014
The August 4, 2014 Court of Appeal opinion in Brown v. Baby Girl Harper, 409 S.C. 470, 761 S.E.2d 779 (Ct. App. 2014), affirmed a
