Court of Appeals reverses finding of common-law marriage
Posted Thursday, April 20th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Divorce and Marriage, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys, South Carolina Appellate Decisions, South Carolina Specific
In the April 19, 2023, opinion in Sullivan-Carter v. Carter, 439 S.C. 406, 887 S.E.2d 146 (Ct.App. 2023), the Court of Appeals reversed a finding
Court of Appeals rejects textualist interpretation of South Carolina’s domestic abuse statute
Posted Wednesday, April 12th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys, Protection from Domestic Abuse, South Carolina Appellate Decisions, South Carolina Specific
The April 12, 2023, Court of Appeals opinion in Taylor v. Taylor, 439 S.C. 272, 886 S.E.2d 716 (Ct.App. 2023), attempts to fill an obvious
Don’t forget the “why” questions
Posted Tuesday, March 21st, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Litigation Strategy, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys
I’ve recently been preparing for a number of custody trials while also working on a number of appeals I’ve inherited from trial counsel. These experiences
Do you prefer pop quizzes or open book exams?
Posted Saturday, March 18th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Attorney-Client Relations, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys
A sizable minority of my clients still prefer the telephone over email to get their questions answered. I certainly understand the desire of dialogue to
In contested custody litigation, there’s no downside to kindness
Posted Saturday, March 4th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Child Custody, Litigation Strategy, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys
One of the quickest, easiest, and most effective “fixes” I can counsel my clients to do in contested custody litigation is to be kind to
In a dysfunctional parenting relationship, there’s better than even odds that you’re the problem
Posted Saturday, March 4th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Attorney-Client Relations, Child Custody, Litigation Strategy, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys, South Carolina Specific
Most of my contested custody litigation, especially those requiring trial, involve parents in a dysfunctional co-parenting relationship. The inability of these parents to get along
Bluntness with clients is an act of respect
Posted Friday, February 24th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Attorney-Client Relations, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants
If I am blunt with clients (and I often am), it reflects a belief that their goals will be more likely achieved if their behavior
How to better survive cross examination
Posted Saturday, February 18th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Litigation Strategy, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys
Too often witnesses, especially litigants, treat cross examination as a battle of wits with the attorney questioning them. This is a mistake. The easiest way
Many reasons to love Our Family Wizard
Posted Friday, February 17th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Child Custody, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants
When I first started trying custody cases in 1994, there were no text messages or emails and the World Wide Web was in its infancy.
How a family court client can assist counsel during trial
Posted Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Attorney-Client Relations, Litigation Strategy, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys
This is part two of a two-part blog inspired/encouraged by a client whose custody case I tried this week. Whereas part-one focused on what the
