November 6, 2019
In the November 6, 2019, case of Cooper v. SCDSS, 428 S.C. 402, 835 S.E.2d 516 (2019), the South Carolina Supreme Court found that the
Ambiguity in the rules on requests for admissions
September 12, 2019
There is a clear ambiguity in the South Carolina Rule of Civil Procedure regarding requests for admissions–SCRCP 36. I suspect that many denied requests to
Without an itemized statement of time, your attorney fee affidavit is incomplete
August 19, 2019
Probably once a month I attend a contested family court hearing in which the opposing counsel attempts to submit a fee affidavit without including an
The surprising breadth of res judicata
June 26, 2019
At this point in my career, it’s rare I learn anything significant about legal doctrines from opposing counsels. However, earlier this week, I was completely
Not pleading for a guardian (or discovery)
June 20, 2019
Last week I prosecuted a motion to appoint a guardian ad litem for the child at issue in a custody case (along with requests for
What are the potential remedies for notice-based contempt pleadings?
February 14, 2019
Late last month the family court issued a contempt petition against a client of mine in which the petition was a “notice” pleading, not a
Sealing records when private custody cases reference past child protective services involvement
May 24, 2018
While the general principal is that court records are open to the public, information from child protective services cases are not. Thus conflicts develop between
Getting arbitration awards turned into court orders (or preventing it from happening)
October 5, 2017
Many of my colleagues are turning to arbitration to resolve family law disputes. Few seem aware that an arbitrator’s award does not automatically become a
