In contested custody litigation, there’s no downside to kindness
Posted Saturday, March 4th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Child Custody, Litigation Strategy, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys
One of the quickest, easiest, and most effective “fixes” I can counsel my clients to do in contested custody litigation is to be kind to
In a dysfunctional parenting relationship, there’s better than even odds that you’re the problem
Posted Saturday, March 4th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Attorney-Client Relations, Child Custody, Litigation Strategy, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys, South Carolina Specific
Most of my contested custody litigation, especially those requiring trial, involve parents in a dysfunctional co-parenting relationship. The inability of these parents to get along
How to better survive cross examination
Posted Saturday, February 18th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Litigation Strategy, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys
Too often witnesses, especially litigants, treat cross examination as a battle of wits with the attorney questioning them. This is a mistake. The easiest way
How a family court client can assist counsel during trial
Posted Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Attorney-Client Relations, Litigation Strategy, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys
This is part two of a two-part blog inspired/encouraged by a client whose custody case I tried this week. Whereas part-one focused on what the
Court of Appeals reverses family court’s modification of joint custody
Posted Tuesday, February 14th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Child Custody, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys, South Carolina Appellate Decisions, South Carolina Specific
The February 10, 2023, Court of Appeals opinion in Grungo-Smith v. Grungo, 438 S.C. 508, 884 S.E.2d 219 (Ct. App. 2023), reversed the family court’s
Posted Sunday, February 12th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Attorney-Client Relations, Litigation Strategy, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys
This is part one of a two-part blog inspired/encouraged by a client whose custody case I tried this week. Throughout the process she found trial
Praising the other parent in a custody trial
Posted Saturday, February 11th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Child Custody, Litigation Strategy, Miscellaneous, Not South Carolina Specific, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys
The past few years I begun a practice of having my custody clients develop a few solid minutes of testimony praising the other parent. Such
What is “standard visitation” in 2023?
Posted Friday, February 3rd, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys, South Carolina Specific, Visitation
When I first began practicing family law 30 years ago, “standard visitation” was pretty standard. A fit parent who was not the primary caretaker was
The family court’s failure to protect guardians ad litem does not appear to be improving
Posted Tuesday, January 31st, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Child Custody, Family Court Procedure, Of Interest to Family Court Litigants, Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys, South Carolina Specific
Over a decade ago I stopped doing guardian ad Litem work and blogged about why. I was tired of ad hominem attacks from unhappy litigants—and
The South Carolina family law appellate opinions of 2022
Posted Friday, January 20th, 2023 by Gregory Forman
Filed under Of Interest to Family Law Attorneys, South Carolina Appellate Decisions, South Carolina Specific
For over 13 years I’ve written about every published South Carolina opinion addressing family law. Every year since 2010 I’ve done a summary listing and
