There are numerous recurring issues in South Carolina family law that ultimately will need to be resolved by our appellate courts. One of the more interesting ones–because it is both relatively common and extremely consequential–is the interaction of the De Facto Custodian statute and the Moore factors. The Moore factors were created by the 1989 […]
Posts Tagged ‘Child Custody’
Court of Appeals affirms an unusual and detailed custody arrangement
The May 8, 2019 Court of Appeals opinion in Klein v. Barrett finds the Court of Appeals affirming a very detailed and highly unusual custody arrangement. Kline involved a custody modification brought by (Ex-)Wife. At the time of the parties’ 2010 divorce, (Ex-)Husband had primary custody of the children with Wife having liberal visitation and […]
What are you communicating with your proposed parenting plan?
In 2012, South Carolina revised its child custody statutes and added a provision requiring proposed parenting plans at temporary hearings. This parenting plan asks each party to propose a bi-weekly, holiday, electronic, and summer visitation schedule, address legal custody, describe requested restraints, and note any other custody concerns the family court should be aware of. […]
Whose “morality” dictates what is in the best interests of the child?
South Carolina case law from as recently as May 2018 holds that the morality of a parent is a proper factor for consideration in custody determinations, limited in its force to what relevancy it has, either directly or indirectly, to the welfare of the child. The problem with this case law is that it leaves […]
Don’t let your kids become pinball wizards
I have no desire to mine the legislative history to determine when and why some South Carolina legislator decided he needed to save our state’s youth from the evils of pinball. Whatever fears led to the enactment of S.C. Code § 63-19-2430–a model of simplicity which states, “It is unlawful for a minor under the […]
Mere exposure to domestic violence can be a basis to change custody or limit visitation
Some of the most tragic consults I have are with folks who’ve been bullied and abused by spouses or domestic partners and have simply accepted the abuse as though they deserved it. The dynamic of such abuse, and why the abused often stay with their abusers, is better understood than it was when I started […]
Bojilov highlights importance of a good record and accurate financial declarations
The September 19, 2018 Court of Appeals opinion in Bojilov v. Bojilov, 425 S.C. 161, 819 S.E.2d 791 (Ct. App. 2018), doesn’t establish any novel legal issues but does highlight important recurring issues in South Carolina Family Law. Bojilov stems from a divorce, with the primary issues on appeal being child custody, Husband’s right to […]
Should I stay or should I go?
With Hurricane Florence slowly approaching Charleston and with South Carolina’s northeastern coast under a mandatory evaluation order, I’ve spent the past few days with my office closed fielding a number of questions from current clients regarding evacuation and visitation in the midst of unpredictable weather conditions. Most of these questions address visitation issues and my […]