An estimated 10.7% of South Carolina’s population is divorced. While divorce is fairly commonplace across the United States, it isn’t necessarily easy to navigate.
Many people assume that they can get through their divorce without a divorce attorney. You and your former partner may seem to see eye to eye or the divorce may be mutually desirable.
The truth is that divorce is a complicated situation with many legal considerations to make along the way. From dividing assets to establishing a child custody plan, it can be helpful to have a divorce attorney on your side.
Are you asking, “Do I need a divorce attorney?” You’re in the right place. Read on to learn more about when to hire a South Carolina divorce attorney.
You Have Children
If you and your former spouse have children together, you will need to determine child custody and a parenting plan according to state laws. This isn’t as simple as deciding which parent will have the children on weekdays and which parent will have the children on weekends. You will also need to consider who gets to make decisions about the child’s welfare, how you will execute the shared custody schedule or visitation hours, and more.
If you cannot come to an agreement regarding child custody, the court will weigh in on your separate parenting plans to determine the best option. It is important to work with a divorce attorney to understand your rights and prepare evidence to show that you are a suitable parent.
You Need to Divide a Significant Amount of Property
During divorce proceedings, you will also need to divide your shared property. This can include real estate, cars, investment funds, and more.
Some divorcing couples have an easy time deciding who gets the house, how to divide money, and who will maintain possession of specific assets. Dividing a significant amount of property, however, can become extremely difficult even when you’re in agreement. Working with a family lawyer who also has experience with estate planning can ensure that you cover all of your bases and review all assets that are legally considered shared.
You Will Be Paying Alimony or Child Support
Alimony is a sum of money paid by one former spouse to another. The purpose is to ensure that neither party experiences a drastic change in quality of life despite getting a divorce. Things like the length of your marriage and your former spouse’s earning potential will impact the amount you may owe in alimony.
Child support, on the other hand, is a sum of money paid by one former spouse to another for the sake of childcare. Child support should help to cover expenses related to health, education, clothing, shelter, and more. You may have to pay child support even if you share custody.
These are two areas that can be hard to navigate no matter how amicable the divorce has been thus far. You may disagree with your former spouse about how much you owe or are owed. A divorce attorney can tell you your rights and requirements to ensure that alimony and child support are handled fairly.
Only One of You Wants the Divorce
Divorces are easiest to navigate when both parties are ready to end the relationship due to simple incompatibility. Things become much more difficult if only one partner wants the divorce while the other would prefer to pursue a different route, like couple’s counseling, that would keep the marriage intact.
When only one party wants a divorce, it complicates things deeply. The party that doesn’t want the divorce is unlikely to negotiate openly and reach an easy settlement. Hiring a divorce attorney can show that you mean business and keep mediation on track in the face of reluctance.
You’re Dealing with a History of Abuse
Unfortunately, many spouses file for divorce because their former partner was physically or mentally abusive. In other cases, they may want a divorce because their former partner abused substances like drugs or alcohol. These situations can be stressful to navigate and, in the worst scenarios, pose a danger for the individual who is trying to escape the abusive situation.
Hiring the best divorce attorney is crucial in these situations. An abusive former partner may use manipulation tactics or try to hide their abuse when fighting for things like child custody. They may also try to withhold money or property to make the divorce more difficult for the person trying to leave.
Having a divorce attorney can help you to build a strong case against a partner who was abusive or abused substances. A divorce attorney can protect you, your family, and your rights.
You’ve Hit a Road Block
As we’ve mentioned already, divorce is tricky even for those who are on the same page. If you notice that you are beginning to struggle to reach agreements with your former spouse, it may be time to consult a divorce attorney.
Divorce attorneys aren’t just helpful for people who harbor anger or resentment for one another. By bringing a divorce attorney into the process, you can introduce objectivity and an expertise of family law into the situation to ensure that things go well for both of you.
Hire a Mount Pleasant Divorce Attorney Today
It’s not uncommon for Mount Pleasant couples to file for divorce. If you’ve started the search for “a divorce attorney near me,” you’re in the right place.
McGrawth Law Firm has years of experience with family and estate law. Our expertise of both state and local laws means that we are well positioned to help you navigate your divorce and all of the agreements that come with it. To get to know more about how we can help, contact us today.