Blog

Legal insights from Hall & Means — South Carolina family law, explained clearly. Every article is researched against current South Carolina statutes and reviewed before publication.

A young boy leans his head against his smiling grandmother while his grandfather, smiling beside them, rests a hand on the boy's shoulder.

How Do Grandparents Adopt a Grandchild in South Carolina? Consent, Termination of Parental Rights, and Why Adoption Goes Further Than Custody

October 17, 2026 — How grandparents adopt a grandchild in South Carolina: whose consent is required, when a parent’s rights must be terminated, and what the final decree changes.

A toddler in a pale checked dress holds an adult’s hand while walking across a sunlit grass lawn scattered with daisies.

How to File for Emergency Custody in South Carolina: The Ex Parte Standard, What Judges Require, and What Happens Next

September 10, 2026 — The Rule 65(b) sworn showing an ex parte custody request has to make, what judges reject, and what happens at the return hearing under the amended Rule 21, SCRFC.

Who Qualifies for Alimony in South Carolina? The §20-3-130 Types, the 13 Factors, and What Ends It

July 15, 2026 — The six forms of SC alimony under §20-3-130, the 13 factors judges weigh, the adultery bar, and what ends an award.