Family Law


The family law attorneys at Morton & Gettys provide skilled legal advice and experienced representation with a high level of compassion, personal attention and support to families facing changes that are emotionally difficult.

These family law situations may involve divorce or separation along with all the legal complications that can arise as a result, from establishing child custody and visitation to setting child support.  Our family law attorneys also have experience helping clients with the financial aspects of divorce or separation, including equitable distribution of marital assets and debts, alimony or spousal support and attorneys’ fees.

Our family law attorneys can draft documents outlining all of these items, whether you’re seeking a separation agreement or filing a divorce petition. We can also assist with prenuptial agreements that let you establish how assets will be handled, and we can help with reconciliation agreements for couples that have turned back from the brink of divorce. We can help with questions about common-law marriages in South Carolina that pre-date a 2019 South Carolina Supreme Court ruling that eliminated them.

Our divorce lawyers have represented clients in no-fault divorces in which couples have been separated for a year as well as in divorces involving grounds such as adultery, habitual drunkenness or physical cruelty. We have represented both plaintiffs and defendants at times.

Our firm also includes a certified family law mediator skilled in helping couples resolve their differences without the exhaustive legal battles that are costly both financially and emotionally. Family law mediation is now required in York County and throughout South Carolina before any court trial can be scheduled. We also offer collaborative divorce services for parties interested in pursuing that option.

The family law attorneys at Morton & Gettys also have experience in a wide range of other matters, from adoptions to parental rights issues and paternity.

Resources

Morton & Gettys provides the following online resources as a convenience to clients and the community. The law firm does not control the content found on these sites, and information or advice provided by these websites should be reviewed carefully with an attorney before making decisions regarding a legal matter.

  • View client manuals on what to expect during divorce and child custody proceedings (Source: American Bar Association, Section of Family Law)
  • Listen to Family Advocate podcasts about navigating family change (Source: American Bar Association, Section of Family Law)
  • Read issues of Family Advocate (Source: American Bar Association, Section of Family Law)
  • Read issues of Family Law eNewsletter (Source: American Bar Association, Section of Family Law)
  • Read Family Law Quarterly, a scholarly journal designed for practitioners (Source: American Bar Association, Section of Family Law)


Elizabeth Smith Owen
Partner
803.366.3388

Michael B. Smith
Partner
803.366.3426

Morton & Gettys
Fountain Park Place
331 E Main St Suite 300
Corner of Elizabeth Lane and East Main Street
Rock Hill, SC 29730
P 803.366.3388
© 2021 Morton & Gettys