Family court cases for Kershaw County residents are heard in Camden and cover divorce, custody, support, alimony, property, and guardianship, under rules that differ sharply from those in civil court. Outcomes turn on preparation and documentation, which is where The Laubshire Law Firm, LLC concentrates its family practice.
How Does Divorce Work in South Carolina?
South Carolina offers a single no-fault ground: one full year of continuous separation. It also establishes fault grounds that include adultery, habitual drunkenness, and physical cruelty. Which one fits depends on what you can actually prove, not on how the marriage felt from the inside.
Fault shortens the wait and reshapes the financial outcome, so the ground you file under works as a strategic decision rather than a formality. Choosing it carelessly costs leverage on alimony and property before the case ever reaches a hearing.
What Decides Child Custody and Parenting Time?
South Carolina courts decide custody based on the child’s best interests, considering each parent’s caregiving history, stability, and willingness to support the child’s relationship with the other parent. Judges in the Fifth Judicial Circuit expect parents to submit a proposed parenting plan, and decisions made at temporary hearings often influence the final custody order.
Parenting time is tailored to school schedules, work obligations, and the distance between the parents’ homes. To reduce the likelihood of future disputes, courts prefer detailed parenting schedules that clearly address exchanges, holidays, school breaks, and summer visitation.
Support, Property, And Guardianship
Money issues in family court are governed by statutory factors and established guidelines, making early financial documentation important. Many Kershaw County cases involve multiple financial issues, including:
- Child support is calculated under the state guidelines from the combined gross income, health insurance, and childcare costs.
- Alimony in periodic, lump-sum, rehabilitative, or reimbursement form, set by statutory factors rather than a formula.
- Equitable apportionment of marital property, meaning fair division based on contributions rather than an automatic 50/50 split.
- Guardianship petitions for relatives caring for children whose parents cannot are handled through a separate but related process.
Retirement accounts, the marital home, and closely held businesses often become the most heavily disputed assets in a divorce. Gathering financial statements, deeds, and account records before filing typically leads to a more accurate property division than waiting until formal discovery begins.
Adultery also carries significant financial consequences. Under S.C. Code § 20-3-130, a spouse who commits adultery before the earlier of a written property or marital settlement agreement or the entry of a permanent order is generally barred from receiving alimony, regardless of financial need, the parties’ incomes, or the length of the marriage.
A Family Law Attorney in Kershaw County Who Tries Cases
Most family cases settle in mediation, and the ones that do not settle are won with evidence prepared long before the final hearing. A family law attorney in Kershaw County from The Laubshire Law Firm, LLC, appears in the Camden family court and prepares every file as if a judge will decide it.
Reach the firm at (803) 708-4755 for a free consultation, or contact us online whenever the moment feels right.
