Help When You Need It Most
At Cate & Brough, we know how hard it can be to take that first step towards getting a divorce. That is why we make sure that after you come to us, we can support you through the rest of the process. No two couples are the same, so no two divorces will be either. We can help you assess all the options available to you and what will most efficiently and effectively resolve your issues.
Here are some of the divorce-related services we offer:
- Alimony – We know how important having spousal support is after going through a divorce. Whether your goal is to receive more or provide less, we can help.
- Division of Property – Who keeps the cars? Who keeps the house? Who keeps the business? We can help answer all of these questions and more.
- Prenuptial Agreements – It’s not all bad! If you are looking to start conversations and resolve marital issues before you even get married, we are happy to help.
- High Net Worth Divorce – When there is significant property and assets at stake, we work to make sure you are protected.
- Military Divorce – We have a significant amount of experience with military divorces and understand the complexity of their situation very well.
- QDROs – We know how essential retirement funds are. We will help divide up retirement plans and help sort all of the implications that come from that.
- And Much More!
Alimony
Alimony is necessary in some cases to aid a spouse financially after divorce. There are different types of alimony that a court can award in South Carolina, with some of the most common being:
- Permanent Periodic: This is a permanent award of alimony that is paid on a periodic basis, such as monthly. This type of alimony will terminate upon the death of either the party paying alimony or the party receiving alimony, the remarriage of the spouse receiving alimony, or if the party receiving support cohabitates with a romantic partner for a period of 90 days.
- Lump Sum: This type of alimony is paid all at one time or possibly through a number of installment payments as opposed to periodic payments.
- Rehabilitative: This type of alimony is awarded when a court determines that one spouse needs temporary support to regain their financial footing. This support may be necessary to help a spouse gain education, training, or other skills needed for that spouse to enter the workforce and become self-supporting.
Any alimony award considers a wide variety of factors, such as income, expenses of each party, marital misconduct, standard of living during the marriage, past employment history, and many more. The alimony factors are subjective, and it is important to have an experienced family law attorney on your side to argue these factors appropriately.
Division of Property
South Carolina law requires that all marital property be divided equitably in a divorce. Basically, marital property is that which was acquired during your marriage, except for certain exclusions such as inheritance or gifts to one spouse.
While the law requires marital property to be divided equitably, this does not mean “equally.” The Court will look at the statutory factors when determining an equitable division of property. Such factors include the duration of the marriage, any marital misconduct, the contribution each spouse made to the acquisition and appreciation of the property, the nonmarital property each party has, among many others.
Judges have a lot of discretion when dividing marital property. It is important to have an experienced South Carolina family court lawyer on your side to make sure you receive a fair portion of your marital property.
If any of these apply to you, or you are wondering where you fit in, contact Cate & Brough today. We are honored to get to help you through your difficult time towards a brighter future.
