Can there be a different approach to divorce? There are many divorce lawyers in the family court that will tell you they always try to work out an amicable divorce settlement. And many do. There are many family lawyers in the family court that will tell you they fight tooth and nail with the sole goal of getting the maximum result for their clients. And many do. Which approach is better? Which is better for you?
According to the Centers for Disease Control, the divorce rate in the United States is 2.9 per 1,000 people. That figure includes 45 reporting States and the District of Columbia. The marriage rate is 6.5 per 1,000. That puts the divorce rate at 44.6%, less that the “more than half” figure that is generally used to describe the divorce rate. Nevertheless, there were 782,038 divorces in the reporting States and DC in 2018. That is still a large number. The divorce rate for South Carolina was 2.5 per 1000 in 2018 and 3.8 per 1000 in 2000. In percentage terms, the divorce rate in 2000 was 35.8% while the current rate (2018) is 37.8%.
What goes beyond these statistics; however, is the indisputable fact that divorce is a tremendous upheaval for wives, husbands and children. Lives are affected from the smallest details (“I’m under a court order to not use profanity in front of my kids?”) to the largest (“I have to give my spouse half the retirement that I have spent a lifetime working to build? ”) There are tremendous challenges and very few rewards, other than perhaps getting out of an unhappy relationship.
The Charleston Cooperative Family Law Association is made up of experienced family law attorneys committed to helping you find a path through the maze of decisions you will have to face as you navigate your divorce. We are committed to principles of cooperation. That is not to say your divorce will suddenly become easy, or simple. What it means is that relevant information such as bank account statements will be shared without the need for court involvement. Children’s needs will be put first. Lawyers will pick up the phone and talk to one another rather than file motions. And you will use your best efforts to reach a mutually agreeable settlement, using the courts as a last resort or in a genuine emergency.
There are no statistics on how many of the married people who divorced in South Carolina in 2018 wish they had tried harder to settle their case. There are no statistics regarding how many wish they could get the lawyer’s fees, Guardian ad litem fees and other costs back into their bank account. There are no statistics on how many would turn back the clock, go back to the negotiating table and get the job done at the very first opportunity. However, that chance is yours now and the Charleston Cooperative Family Law Association is committed to helping you.
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