North Charleston, SC Divorce Lawyer
Divorce is never a pleasant subject, and you’re usually unprepared to handle it. When you and your spouse decide on a divorce, the first thing you need to do is hire an experienced divorce attorney. Lauren Taylor is a North Charleston, SC divorce lawyer specialist.
She has successfully handled many clients going through a divorce and helped them receive proper divorce settlements. With so many lawyers practicing divorce law, how do you know whom you can trust?
Selecting the right divorce attorney can ensure you get the outcome you desire. If you’re facing divorce, or in the middle of a separation, contact us today. It’s never too early to hire a divorce attorney, and the sooner you contact us the better.
How should I select my divorce attorney?
A quick internet search will show you all of the divorce lawyers that you have in your area, but how do you know whom to pick? There are many things you can do to narrow down your options to the right choice. Initially, we recommend asking around to any of your friends or family that have gone through a divorce.
What better way to choose your North Charleston divorce attorney than by asking people you trust who have been through the process? If you don’t know anyone that has been through a divorce you can look through reviews online. You can’t always believe everything you read, but you can get an idea of the lawyer’s ability through the feedback.
What questions should I ask a potential attorney?
Now that you have narrowed down your search, you probably have a couple of different North Charleston Divorce lawyers to meet. First, you need to call and make an appointment for a consultation. Also, ask the offices whether there is a fee for the initial consultation. Some divorce attorneys will charge you a fee, while other offices offer complimentary consultations. When you go to your meetings, we suggest that you have a list of questions and a notebook, so that you can take notes.
Does the lawyer understand your situation?
Your lawyer is going to be handling intimate details of your life. You need to make sure that you are comfortable with them, and that they are capable of handling your case. Your lawyer is meant to offer you support and relief from this stressful situation.
If you hire someone that doesn’t understand the issues surrounding your divorce, they are not going to be able to effectively represent you. So, if you don’t trust a lawyer during your consultation, you need to move on.
Is the divorce attorney listening to your questions and providing real answers?
When you look at a divorce lawyer’s website, you can tell a lot about their practice. Some lawyers provide information and answers, while others just provide their background and credentials. Is the website dedicated to providing their potential clients with clarity?
Are they describing how they handle cases? If you don’t find answers on a website, you should reconsider meeting with an attorney. You need someone that is going to help you and not hinder you. Communication and answers should be the number one thing in the relationship with your divorce attorney.
Can your divorce lawyer help you with your specific case?
When you meet with your lawyer you should give them details on any legal issues you feel like you’d be facing in your divorce. Are you concerned about dividing certain assets? Do you think you’ll have custody issues? You need to vocalize these concerns, so you know how this lawyer would potentially handle your situation. If you don’t agree with the divorce lawyer’s strategy, you should select someone else.
Will your lawyer help take the stress out of the situation?
Your lawyer is responsible for handling your wellbeing as much as your legal situation. A divorce is mentally and physically exhausting. It’s important that your lawyer has patience and understands all of the stress that you are going through. You need to hire a lawyer that has the life and work experience to be able to relate to you.
How much is it going to cost?
One of the most important parts of hiring your North Charleston divorce attorney will be determining the cost. Everyone has a budget that they would like to stick to, so you need to make sure that you divorce lawyer fits in yours. We want to caution you against hiring the least expensive divorce lawyer that you can find.
You do get what you pay for, so cheaper isn’t always better. You need to find a divorce lawyer that fits your needs and is affordable. Your North Charleston divorce lawyer should be open about the cost of retaining them, and they should defer to you for financial decisions in your divorce. You should always have a say in your settlement.
Pick someone that you feel comfortable with.
Finally, this is the most important part of the entire process. You need to hire someone that you feel comfortable sharing all your information with. Someone that you trust to handle one of the biggest decisions of your life.
If you don’t feel like you can trust your divorce attorney, then you are at a disadvantage. Interview as many divorce attorneys as you need to before you make your decision. Make sure that you pick someone that you feel will care about your case just as much as you do.
How will my assets and property be divided?
One of the first questions that clients ask is how much they are entitled to in their divorce. Most of the divorce cases in South Carolina ended in a divorce settlement. We recommend that all clients try mediation before they end up in court.
Just because the court is required to give you a fair settlement doesn’t mean that your assets will be split 50/50. In fact, there are certain things that you receive during your marriage that cannot be divided between you and your spouse. If you receive an inheritance or gifts outside of your marriage, that is your property. We suggest that you go into negotiations with room for compromise.
So, you should never go into your negotiations with your best offer. You need to be able to have room to actually negotiate! You also need to be open minded. If you think that you’re never going to reach a resolution with your spouse, then you’re going to have a lengthy divorce. Coming from a place of openness can give you the settlement that you want.
How does South Carolina alimony work?
Alimony might be something that you recognize from movies, but it definitely exists. Also known as spousal support, the state of South Carolina does award alimony in many divorce cases. The most common type of alimony is known as permanent periodic alimony.
When awarding this alimony, the recipient can receive alimony for the rest of their lives. However, if the recipient remarries, or lives with someone else for 90 days, they will no longer receive alimony. Finally, according to South Carolina law, you are ineligible for alimony if you have committed adultery in your marriage.
There are other types of alimony that include: a lump sum payment, reimbursement alimony, and rehabilitative alimony. With a lump sum payment, your spouse will pay one lump sum of alimony as they sign their divorce. The reimbursement alimony is used to pay back a spouse that has sacrificed in the marriage.
If you have sacrificed your career or education to support your spouse through their career, then you could be eligible for reimbursement alimony. Lastly, rehabilitative alimony is a short-term arrangement that helps increase the financially weaker spouse’s earning potential. Usually, rehabilitative alimony will be used to help a spouse go back to school or vocational training.
So, there are many different types of alimony that can be awarded in your case. You shouldn’t leave this up to chance, as it will directly affect your financial future. Don’t handle this on your own when you can rely on the help of a trained divorce lawyer. If you have any questions about potentially receiving or paying alimony, contact us today.
What are some common mistakes during a divorce?
Divorce is incredibly emotional, which means that people can get caught thinking with their hearts instead of their heads. They can’t think about divorce in a logical way because they’re hurt. Thinking with your heart can leave you with unrealistic expectations.
Leading with your emotions will make you less constructive in negotiations. Whenever you feel like you are becoming overwhelmed with emotions, you should take a break. Take a deep breath and remember that the divorce is a temporary time in your life. The sooner you agree on a settlement the sooner that you can move forward.
Are you facing a divorce? We’re here to help. We have experience handling many types of divorce cases, so we’re confident that we can guide you through your divorce. Contact Lauren Taylor Law today to set up an appointment to discuss the details of your case. Let’s tackle your divorce together so that you can move on with your life
