Self-help information through various links, documents, publications, etc. Check the Community Directory Channel for more resources.
There are 15 resources
Children and the Law
(Separate Website)
No relationship is more important than the one between a parent and a child. Many laws affect this relationship, including laws about the duties of parents to their children, how fatherhood is proven, and many more. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Children's Law: List of Online Publications
(Separate Website)
Long list of online resources offered by various organizations for topics within Children's Law, directed at the layperson as well as attorneys and judicial officials. Most resources are in PDF format and may load slowly.
By: USC Children's Law Office
Children's Law: List of Written Resources
(Separate Website)
South Carolina residents may order publications on line (excluding manuals). Out of state practitioners may call 803.777.1646 for price information. A link to the online order form appears at the end of the resource list.
By: USC Children's Law Office
Community Education Workshops Free Workshops
By: South Carolina Legal Services - Lexington
Custody of Minor Children Resulting from Divorce or Separation
(Separate Website)
Lawline FAQ: When divorcing or separating parents cannot agree on which parent should have custody of their children, the Family Court must decide. Neither parent automatically has a superior legal right to custody. One parent does not have to show the other unfit in order to obtain custody. The Court will consider the children's best interests in deciding custody and the judge will consider several factors including: the children's relationship with each other and with their parents; the children's adjustment to home, school, and community; the mental and physical health of all children and their parents; and, in certain circumstances, the wishes of the child or children.
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Divorce
(Separate Website)
Lawline FAQ: In South Carolina there are 5 grounds of legal reasons for divorce. They are 1) separation of spouses for at least 1 year (the so-called "no fault" divorce); 2) adultery; 3) physical cruelty; 4) habitual drunkenness (including habitual use of narcotic drugs and 5) desertion for a period of one year. Mental cruelty and incompatibility are not grounds for divorce in South Carolina.
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Divorce and the Law
(Separate Website)
Brochure discussing grounds for divorce, family courts, separation, agreements, equitable division, custody and visitation, support, and more. PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Bar Association
HIV and Family Law
(Separate Website)
The most exhaustive survey available of family law issues associated with the HIV epidemic.
By: LAMBDA Legal Defense & Education Fund
Legal Separation
(Separate Website)
Lawline FAQ: In South Carolina we do not have legal separations. We have orders of separate maintenance and support. This is an order which sets forth a formal arrangement made in a judgment issued by a judge. The judgment rules under which a husband and wife legally live apart and details the responsibilities of each. A husband and wife may choose to live apart without such a formal arrangement, but they are not legally living apart.
By: South Carolina Bar Association
Marriage and Divorce Brochure
(Separate Website)
PDF document (may load slowly).
By: South Carolina Appleseed Legal Justice Center
Pro Se Clinics Columbia
By: South Carolina Legal Services- Columbia
Questions to Ask Before You Hire An Attorney for a Domestic Violence or Family Law matter
(Separate Website)
Questions and answers about hiring an attorney, fees and costs associated with taking legal action, and more.
By: National Coalition Against Domestic Violence
Standards for Child Custody in Same-sex Relationships
(Separate Website)
These Standards for Child Custody in Same-sex Relationships are intended as a tool to help families who are at risk. Families whose ties are not defined by biology, adoption or marriage are put at risk by a legal system that does not provide a mechanism for protecting their relationships at times of crisis. Respecting our own families requires us to play this role for ourselves, our children, and each other.
By: LAMBDA Legal Defense & Education Fund
The Rights of Lesbian and Gay Parents and Their Children
(Separate Website)
This document reviews legal trends and law affecting the security of parent-child relationships between lesbian and gay parents and their children. It focuses on custody and visitation after divorce, adoption, other protections for parent-child relationships and intended families, and related constitutional issues. The document is available in PDF format only.
By: LAMBDA Legal Defense & Education Fund
Visitation Rights after Divorce or Separation
(Separate Website)
Lawline FAQ: Most parents agree on when and where a non-custodial parent will visit their children. Many parents choose to characterize the non-custodial parent's time with the child as "reasonable visitation" and to work out flexible visitation schedules among themselves.
By: South Carolina Bar Association
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(Separate Website)
