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Divorce Lawyer

Fort Mill Divorce Lawyers

Helping You Handle All of Your Divorce Matters in Fort Mill, SC

Do you want to file for divorce but don’t know where to start? Or were you handed divorce papers and don’t know how to react? If you live in Fort Mill, South Carolina, get pointed in the right direction with the legal counsel of Blood Law, PLLC.

Our Fort Mill divorce attorneys are here to guide you through your divorce process from start to finish. Whether you were the spouse who initiated the divorce or not, we know the ins and outs of South Carolina divorce and family law to protect your best interests and those of your children. With us by your side, you can feel confident that your future will be fine, even after divorce changes things.

Speak with our experienced Fort Mill team today. Dial (803) 866-6030 to schedule an initial consultation.

Filing for Divorce in Fort Mill, SC

The process of filing for divorce in South Carolina can be more intricate than you first expect. Rather than getting lost in the legal terminology and requirements yourself, depend on our law firm to be your guide. We take pride in translating even the heaviest legalese into something manageable for our clients. We won’t leave you feeling confused or overlooked at any point while your divorce progresses.

A few things you should know about filing for divorce in South Carolina are:

  • Residency requirements: You or your spouse must have lived in South Carolina for at least one year before your file for divorce, or you both must have lived in the state for at least three months before your file.
  • No-fault divorce: South Carolina allows no-fault divorces, which means you can file for divorce without claiming that your spouse did something specifically wrong to trigger it. If you do, you may be required to first live separately for at least one year.
  • Fault-based divorce: South Carolina recognized fault-based divorce that lets you say specifically what your spouse did that convinced you that you need to divorce them, including adultery, desertion for at least one year, physical abuse or domestic violence, and substance addiction. If you file for a fault-based divorce, you may be able to initiate the divorce process sooner than you would with a no-fault divorce filing.
  • Filing fees: Filing for divorce requires you to find the right Clerk of Court for your county—if you are in Fort Mill, it would likely be the York County Clerk of Courts—and pay a filing fee. This amount may vary due to legal changes, but typically costs a few hundred dollars.
  • Service: Your divorce papers must be officially served to your spouse. You can send the papers through certified mail, ask the local sheriff’s office to serve them, hire a professional process server, or get the help of any legal adult who doesn’t have a “personal gain” in your divorce. Please feel free to ask us what the most effective way for you would be to serve your divorce papers to your soon-to-be ex-spouse.
  • Response: Your spouse has 30 days to respond to your divorce complaint after it is officially filed and served. If no response is given, we can argue that the court should rule in your favor by default. If a response is given and your spouse disagrees with one or more stipulations in your divorce complaint, we can help you prepare for the legal contest that will lie ahead.
  • Mediation: A family law judge can order you and your spouse to enter mediation before finalizing your divorce. Mediation allows you to talk about the divorce complaint and its stipulations in a non-adversarial setting that encourages cooperation and compromise. Blood Law, PLLC has trained divorce mediators who can act as neutral mediators during this process.
  • Property considerations: South Carolina uses equitable distribution rules for divorce. The family law judge will assume that all marital property should be divided fairly, which might not be an exact 50-50 split. Also at this time, you will have to consider if financial arrangements will need to be made between you and your ex-spouse, such as alimony or child support.

Is an Annulment an Option in Fort Mills, SC?

An annulment is not technically a type of divorce in South Carolina, but it is an alternative to divorce that might work for you. If you can use the annulment process, it will allow you to declare to the court that your marriage was not legally valid, so it should not be considered to have existed at all.

Your marriage could be invalid and eligible for annulment if it involved:

  • Duress
  • Fraud
  • Bigamy
  • Underage spouse
  • Incest
  • Failure to cohabitate

Our Fort Mill divorce attorneys can determine if your marriage is eligible for annulment and if this process would be the right choice rather than a divorce. Call (803) 866-6030 today for any questions about divorce or annulment.

What Happens to Your Children in Divorce?

If you have children when you file for divorce, we will want to discuss:

  • Child custody: South Carolina usually recognizes joint custody or sole custody. In a joint custody agreement, both parents have equal rights and responsibilities for major decisions about the child’s life. Sole custody places the full rights and responsibilities in the hands of one parent.
  • Parenting plans: A parenting plan will outline how much time the child will spend with each parent and why. Parenting plans can also discuss the responsibilities of each parent, such as deciding where the child will go to school or what religious upbringing they will have.
  • Child support: Typically, the noncustodial parent pays child support to the custodial parent (the parent who spends more time or lives with the child) to help ensure the child’s household has the financial stability they need to be happy and healthy.

Importantly, a family law court will always rule in favor of a child’s best interests. No matter how either parent will be affected by a decision or order, the court is required to do whatever will be best for the child’s health, happiness, and development. When discussing child custody, parenting plans, and child support, it is important to remember that the decision will come down to what your child needs, which could be different from what you want.

Our Clients Tell Their Stories

These Stories Are What Keep Us Going
  • "She cares about you as a friend, not just as a client. I highly recommend Anna Blood and her legal team as they are INCREDIBLE and a winning team of pros!"
    Debra K.
  • "Anna is an extremely trustworthy and understanding individual, which is very beneficial to any sticky family law situation you may find yourself dealing with. She is very attentive and focused on ..."
    Sean F.
  • "Anna and her team is such a joy to work with! Not only is she extremely talented, she is down to earth and understanding which is a really important quality when communicating with clients. She will ..."
    Jennifer W.

What Information and Documents Will My Divorce Lawyers Need?

A divorce will touch all aspects of your private and professional life. To prepare for the impacts of divorce, we advise you to hire our Fort Mill divorce attorneys to guide and represent you. Early on in your case, we will want to see a variety of documentation and evidence related to your assets and financial situation.

Different documentation we may ask that you bring to our divorce lawyers includes:

  • Joint income tax returns
  • Record for bank accounts, loans, credit cards, etc.
  • Retirement or pension account information
  • Investment account portfolios
  • Real estate property or mortgage information
  • Summary of valuables (art, jewelry, vehicles, etc.)
  • Documents that prove joint business ownership
  • And more

With such documentation in hand, we can get a full picture of what your life looked like when you were married, at least regarding your financial situation. This information is crucial when planning and arguing matters like alimony, child support, and property division.

Furthermore, please bring us any information related to any domestic violence cases or charges against your spouse if any exists. Certain decisions of the court could be influenced by knowledge of a spouse’s history of aggression, so it is worth bringing to the attention of our legal team. We will keep your case under the strictest client confidentiality requirements.

Get Our Experienced Help for Your Divorce

No matter why you want to get a divorce or how you want to react to divorce papers that were served to you, Blood Law, PLLC can help you make sense of everything. We will be happy to lend our many years of legal experience to your case. Divorce is certainly a difficult process, but we are sure that it can be less stressful when you have our trusted and friendly Fort Mill lawyers leading the way.

For any questions about divorce and related processes in Fort Mills, call (803) 866-6030 now.

Our Promise to Our Clients

  • Convenient Locations

    With offices in Charlotte, Waxhaw, Lake Norman & Fort Mill, we make it easier for families across North Carolina & South Carolina to find quality counsel.

  • Children Come First
    With the complexities of family law, we put the well-being and safety of your children at the forefront of your case.
  • Team-Driven Environment
    When you work with Blood Law, PLLC, you work with our entire team. Everyone is here to support you through each step.
  • Honest Guidance
    We create personalized plans for each client while setting realistic expectations on the possible outcomes of the case.

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