Divorce Is Hard - The Right Attorney Makes It Easier.

Divorce Attorney in Ladson, SC

If there were one universal truth it would be that every family is different. We all have our own set of challenges to face and changes to go through. Sometimes those changes are happy like when a new baby is born. Other times these changes involve uncertainty and loss like in the event of a divorce.

If you are having to go through the pain of divorce deal with a complicated custody issue or are handling a different family-related legal matter you might need help. At Cobb Hammett LLC we understand that family issues are hard. Many of the family law clients that we work for have big questions about the future leaving them over-stressed and full of worry. They are concerned about their children their marriage or both. They are wrestling with uncertainty and anxiety having been served confusing documents that don't make sense. Sound familiar? A family law attorney in Ladson, SC can help whether you need a level-headed moderator or a trusted advocate in the courtroom.

At Cobb Hammett LLC we have decades of combined experience serving the needs of families from divorce proceedings to family formation issues. Our team is fiercely committed to our clients and with a dedicated focus stays up-to-date on the nuanced world of family law in Ladson. If you're looking for personal attention unbiased representation and a responsive family law attorney look no further than our law firm.

If you're unsure of whether you need a family law lawyers in Ladson, SC ask yourself these questions:

whether you need
  • Are you getting married?
  • Are you thinking about divorce?
  • Has your spouse served you with legal papers?
  • Are your kids not receiving the support that they are entitled to?

If you answered yes to any of the questions above know that we are here to help you figure out your next steps. With Cobb Hammett Law Firm by your side you can have the confidence to face even the most difficult family law issues. All of our attorneys have years of experience are incredibly responsive and fight for your family's rights. We are happy to take as much time as you need to answer questions and help put your mind at ease for whatever lies ahead.

Our firm specializes in a wide range of family law cases including:

  • Divorce
  • Adoptions
  • Property Division
  • Child Custody
  • Child Support
  • Property Division
  • Alimony
  • Mediation
  • More

If you have been left to manage a foreign family law situation it's time to call Cobb Hammett LLC. We will sit down with you for an hour at absolutely no cost - because we understand what you're going through and know that you need answers not another bill to pay.

To help provide you with a basic understanding of family law keep reading for in-depth explanations on our areas of expertise.

Divorce lawyer in Ladson, SC

At Cobb Hammett LLC we know all-too-well that a one size fits all approach isn't going to work very well for your unique situation. That's why we approach each divorce case from a personalized standpoint - something that we feel like each of our clients deserves.

Our goal is to help solve your family law issues and focus on your needs when your divorce is finalized. We will help develop a strategy for:

  • Meeting your post-divorce needs and objectives
  • Dividing marital property for maximum benefit
  • Maximizing time spent with your child as part of your divorce's parenting plan
  • Strengthen your role as a decision-maker for your child
  • Navigating your divorce proceedings and minimizing financial and emotional costs

By working together our divorce law firm will help you rebuild your life and secure a better future for your family.

post-divorce needs

Divorces in South Carolina Different Than Other States

Unlike divorce law in other states South Carolina divorce law doesn't allow spouses to receive an instant no-fault divorce. One or both spouses in the marriage must establish a legally acceptable reason for a divorce to happen. Grounds for a divorce in Ladson, SC include:

  • Desertion
  • Physical Cruelty
  • Habitual Drunkenness
  • Separation for One Year or More
  • Adultery

If you or your spouse do not have the necessary grounds for divorce in Ladson, SC our family law firm can file a Separate Maintenance and Support action. This step lets the court order child custody alimony and marital bills until you can file for your divorce. During this period Cobb Hammett LLC gathers pertinent info on your spouse's character and assets that can strengthen your case should it be necessary.

legally acceptable reason

Common Issues Associated with Divorces in Ladson, SC

A divorce in Ladson, SC means more than the end of a marriage. It involves dividing the parties debts and assets determines child support and custody parameters and can establish alimony. At Cobb Hammett LLC many of our clients are able to reach agreements with their spouse to resolve these issues. Reaching an agreement lets both parties customize the terms of their divorce to conserve resources avoid trial and meet the family's needs.

Sometimes however two spouses cannot or will not come to terms with an agreement. In these situations a trial is possible and litigation is necessary. Our family law attorneys in Ladson, SC. are highly experienced litigators and are well-equipped to handle any disputes revealed in the conference or courtroom.

Common divorce issues include:

One of the most heart-wrenching difficult decisions for parents going through a divorce is resolving child custody and visitation issues. Child custody refers to how much time each parent will spend with their child and whether they can make decisions for them. According to South Carolina law child custody and visitation time are based on what is best for the child.

Like other U.S states a formula is used in South Carolina to determine how much child support a person must pay. This formula recommends the amount of child support based on factors like how much income the parents make the cost of childcare and the obligation to support children from other relationships.

In South Carolina there is no formula to determine how much alimony a person must pay. However courts consider several factors when deciding if alimony is needed how much alimony should be paid and how long a spouse must pay it. Those factors include each spouse's ability and need to pay alimony how long the marriage lasted and any marital misconduct that occurred. To make matters more confusing there are different alimony types including lump sum rehabilitative and reimbursement.

In South Carolina marital property is the property that each spouse amasses from the date of the wedding to the time a spouse files for divorce. That property can often include marital debt. In a South Carolina divorce the courts will order an equitable division of property meaning fair under all circumstances but not necessarily equal.

Understanding Child Custody in Ladson, SC

Understanding Child Custody

Many of the family law clients that walk into our office have big questions that are leaving them full of stress and worry.

As mentioned above decisions that involve child custody and visitation can be contentious for parents both emotionally and legally. As experienced empathetic divorce lawyers we understand how difficult this process can be. When we work with clients going through child custody battles we always make it a point to be with them through the ups and downs to help them stay centered. Whether you are the husband or wife in your divorce we share a common goal: finding an effective way to support your children and assure their wellbeing.

In South Carolina child custody is a loaded term. In the most general definition child custody determines when each parent is responsible for the physical care of the child and how much authority each parent has to make decisions in their child's life.

No two child custody cases are the same but a negotiated custody arrangement is usually preferred in the judge's eyes as each parent has input in the process. If the parents cannot come to an amicable resolution their fate is left in the hands of a Family Court Judge in South Carolina. The focus of child custody law is always on what is in the best interests of the child. What the judge determines to be the best interests changes depending on the judge.

There are different variations of custody in South Carolina (or custody arrangements) each with varying degrees of authority. When you consult with our family law attorneys at Cobb Hammett LLC we will go over the child custody process in detail and touch on each distinction to eliminate any confusion you have.

Understanding Child Support in Ladson, SC.

When children are involved in divorce cases child support is often ordered. Several factors can impact whether child support is ordered like the income-earning potential of the child's parents any custody arrangements that are created and what needs the child may have.

At Cobb Hammett LLC we have years of experience with child support issues relating to:

  • Cases where child support is needed for stay-at-home parents
  • Modifications and enforcement of child support mandates
  • Resolving support and custody disputes
  • Mediation arrangements to reach an agreement on child support. Compared to litigation going
  • the mediated route often means less stress and is more cost-effective than trial.

When you trust our family law firm in Ladson, SC for representation we can help calculate an estimate of how much child support you or your spouse may be ordered to pay. We can also perform a needs-based analysis in cases that involve large amounts of income. At the end of the day our goal is to make this frustrating process as stress-free as possible for you so that you can focus on living life and caring for your child.

At Cobb Hammett

Understanding Alimony in Ladson, SC

Alimony (sometimes called spousal support or maintenance) is ordered by the court or negotiated between parties. This kind of spousal support has many factors like the income of both spouses how long they were married and the age of each spouse. Like child custody and child support trusted legal guidance is strongly recommended if you are facing potential alimony payments. Our family law attorneys will help you reach amicable arrangements for fair and appropriate alimony payments.

At Cobb Hammett LLC your family law attorney in Ladson, SC will help protect your interests and rights regarding:

  • Alimony and business assets
  • Permanent or long-term alimony
  • Significant alimony in high-asset divorces
  • Modifications to alimony arrangements when you or your spouse's circumstances change
  • Enforcement of spousal support mandates when needed
Alimony business assets

Understanding Division of Property in Ladson, SC

children marital property

When there are no children marital property or issues of alimony divorces often proceed smoothly between amicable spouses. However most divorces in South Carolina are much more complex. Typically divorce involves a union between spouses that lasts for years and involves substantial marital property. This property can be personal property real estate family businesses debts out-of-state property debts bank accounts and more.

In these nuanced situations the applicable parties need assistance dividing their property. This help most often comes from seasoned family law attorneys like Cobb Hammett LLC.

When it comes to distribution of property certain types of properties that are controversial even under the property division rules in South Carolina. South Carolina is an equitable distribution state meaning that marital property is divided equitably but not always equally.

If you are going through a divorce it's important that you are aware of the following assets and the common issues their division presents:

Pensions:

Generally pensions are the second-largest asset in a marriage. When there are sufficient alternative income sources to compensate the non-pension holder South Carolina divorce courts may leave the pension rights with the spouse who earned it with future distribution available. Otherwise a divorce court may enter a Qualified Domestic Relations Order requiring the pension administrator to pay both the former spouse and worker.:

Family Home:

The family home or the primary residential property owned by the divorcing couple is usually considered a marriage's biggest asset. Dividing this kind of property can be complex and frustrating especially when there are kids involved.

Many divorcing couples have a hard time reaching an agreement on property division. Because the division of property depends on the complexity of you or your spouse's assets and liabilities it is crucial to consult with an experienced family law attorney to provide guidance.

What Our Clients Say

Cobb Hammett LLC: Ladson's Most Trusted Family Law Attorneys

Divorces are rarely easy to handle. If your spouse is pulling the trigger on divorcing you we understand that your life may seem like it's in shambles. However with time and a team of trusted family law experts by your side there is light at the end of the tunnel. Together we can work through this while protecting your rights and assuring your children's stability.

If divorce seems inevitable time is of the essence. Call our family law offices in Ladson, SC today for your legal consultation so that we can get a sense of your unique circumstances.

Latest News in Ladson, SC

Walmart in Ladson temporarily closing. Here’s when and what to know.

LADSON — The Walmart Neighborhood Market will temporarily close in April for renovations.Rather than fix up the small-format store section by section as the retail giant has done in its past Lowcountry overhauls, the company will completely shut down its 3685 Ladson Road outpost for a “rapid remodel.”The temporary closing will begin Monday, April 6, Walmart said in a statement. All Walmarts will be closed the day prior in observance of the Easter Sunday holiday.Walmart said the Ladson store near Jamison...

LADSON — The Walmart Neighborhood Market will temporarily close in April for renovations.

Rather than fix up the small-format store section by section as the retail giant has done in its past Lowcountry overhauls, the company will completely shut down its 3685 Ladson Road outpost for a “rapid remodel.”

The temporary closing will begin Monday, April 6, Walmart said in a statement. All Walmarts will be closed the day prior in observance of the Easter Sunday holiday.

Walmart said the Ladson store near Jamison Road will remain shut down for four weeks to “refresh and enhance” the customer experience.

“By condensing a traditional remodel project, which could take up to six months, we deliver the next generation of retail to our customers faster than ever before with less customer disruption,” Walmart said in the release.

The updates will include fresh paint and replacing fixtures, signage and lighting to brighten up the environment. Aisles will be expanded with a reconfigured spacier layout. The pharmacy and online grocery pick-up and delivery services will be updated as well, the store said.

During the closure, customers can also follow along on the store’s Facebook page for updates ahead of the remodeling.

In the meantime, the nearest Walmart locations are the Supercenter at 9880 Dorchester Road in Summerville, which is about 3.7 miles away, and the Neighborhood Market at 215 Saint James Ave. in Goose Creek, a little less than 8 miles away.

The Ladson store was the fourth Neighborhood Market in the region when it opened its doors in August 2015. Measuring about 41,000 square feet, it's about a quarter of the size of a traditional Supercenter.

Walmart bought the Ladson Road property from a national real estate investment group in July 2024 for $10.8 million, according to Charleston County real estate records.

Three more earthquakes hit as tremors continue to rattle same part of SC

A flurry of seismic activity continues in South Carolina, where three more earthquakes were recorded overnight.In less than 12 hours from Wednesday to early Thursday, a 1.6 magnitude earthquake was confirmed, then came a 2.5 magnitude earthquake, which was followed by 1.8 magnitude earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.All three of the earthquakes were recorded in South Carolina’s Lowcountry area, the USGS said. The first earthquake was at 4:25 p.m. near Ladson, while just a few miles away in Centerville ano...

A flurry of seismic activity continues in South Carolina, where three more earthquakes were recorded overnight.

In less than 12 hours from Wednesday to early Thursday, a 1.6 magnitude earthquake was confirmed, then came a 2.5 magnitude earthquake, which was followed by 1.8 magnitude earthquake, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

All three of the earthquakes were recorded in South Carolina’s Lowcountry area, the USGS said. The first earthquake was at 4:25 p.m. near Ladson, while just a few miles away in Centerville another quake was confirmed at 9 p.m. Wednesday, the South Carolina Emergency Management Division said. More tremors followed at 3:52 a.m. Thursday, according the USGS.

These were the fourth, fifth and sixth earthquakes recorded in the same part of the Lowcountry in a 10-day span, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources Geological Survey data shows. Wednesday’s second earthquake was less than half a mile beneath the surface, while the other seismic activity was deeper — with both earthquakes about 3 miles underground, the USGS said.

Early Monday morning, a 1.6 magnitude earthquake occurred near Ladson, while a 2.9 magnitude earthquake occurred near Centerville on Feb. 7, according to South Carolina DNR. A 2.3 magnitude earthquake also was confirmed near Centerville on Feb. 3, South Carolina DNR data shows.

The seismic activity Wednesday and Thursday morning means that eight earthquakes have been confirmed in South Carolina this year.

Prior to the six consecutive tremors in the Lowcountry, the previous earthquake occurring in the Palmetto State happened Jan. 27, when a 2.1 magnitude quake was confirmed near Elgin, South Carolina DNR data shows. That was recorded a week after South Carolina’s first confirmed earthquake of 2026 hit the same area in Kershaw County with a 2.7 magnitude quake.

There were 35 confirmed earthquakes in South Carolina in 2025.

In 2024, there were 30 earthquakes in the Palmetto State, after 28 quakes were recorded in 2023, South Carolina DNR records show.

History of earthquakes in SC

It had been uncommon for earthquakes to hit outside the Midlands area of the Palmetto State, specifically beyond Kershaw County, where 74 earthquakes have been confirmed since the end of June 2022, according to the South Carolina DNR.

That’s also where South Carolina’s most powerful recent earthquakes were recorded on June 29, 2022.

On that day, two earthquakes — one a 3.5 magnitude and the other 3.6 — were included in a flurry of tremors and aftershocks. Those were the two largest quakes to hit South Carolina in nearly a decade. A 4.1-magnitude quake struck McCormick County in 2014.

Anyone who felt tremors and shaking or heard rumbling from Wednesday night’s or Thursday morning’s earthquakes can report it to the USGS.

The most recent earthquake means at least 175 have been detected in the Palmetto State since the start of 2022, according to South Carolina DNR. All but 59 of the quakes have been in the Midlands.

In all, 121 earthquakes have hit the Columbia area since a 3.3-magnitude quake was recorded Dec. 27, 2021, according to the DNR.

The S.C. Emergency Management Division said the majority of the recent earthquakes were classified as a micro quakes, according to the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.

No major damage or injuries have been reported from the recent seismic activity or any of the other recent quakes.

Earthquakes that register 2.5 magnitude or less often go unnoticed and are usually recorded only by a seismograph, according to Michigan Technological University. Any quake less than 5.5 magnitude is not likely to cause significant damage, the school said.

It had been typical for South Carolina to have between six and 10 earthquakes a year, the S.C. Geological Survey previously reported. There have been 189 earthquakes in South Carolina since Jan. 18, 2021, according to DNR. During a 2022 town hall to address the earthquakes, state geologist Scott Howard said as many as 200 smaller tremors might have gone unnoticed and unrecorded.

Reported earthquakes in SC 2025-26

Jan. 8/Jenkinsville1.93.0
July 5/Parksville2.711
July 16/Summerville2.21
Aug. 23/Coronaca2.96.8
Aug. 23/Coronaca3.02.1
Aug. 23/Coronaca2.51.3
Aug. 23/Coronaca1.90.1
Aug. 23/Coronaca2.00.3
Aug. 23/Coronaca2.45.4
Aug. 23/Coronaca1.86.4
Aug. 23/Coronaca2.18.0
Aug. 24/Coronaca1.80.4
Aug. 25/Coronaca2.00.4
Aug. 25/Coronaca1.75.5
Aug. 26/Coronaca2.40.3
Aug. 27/Coronaca2.00.4
Sept. 13/Ware Shoals1.70.0
Sept. 26/Coronaca2.25.6
Sept. 29/Kershaw1.812.8
Nov. 9/Centerville1.87.9
Feb. 3/Centerville2.37.7
Feb. 7/Centerville2.95.2
Feb. 11/Centerville2.50.7

South Carolina experiences third minor earthquake in a week near Charleston

The quake was felt by hundreds in the area.LADSON, S.C. — South Carolina felt the ground shake again on Monday marking the third earthquake in less than a week.Saturday night, there was a 2.9-magnitude earthquake near Charleston, 3.7 miles southeast of Centreville, according to the USGS. It was the strongest quake recorded in South Carolina so far this year and it was felt by nearly a thousand people across the Lowcountry and beyond.University of Charleston Professor of Geology Steven Jaume says it was noticeable b...

The quake was felt by hundreds in the area.

LADSON, S.C. — South Carolina felt the ground shake again on Monday marking the third earthquake in less than a week.

Saturday night, there was a 2.9-magnitude earthquake near Charleston, 3.7 miles southeast of Centreville, according to the USGS. It was the strongest quake recorded in South Carolina so far this year and it was felt by nearly a thousand people across the Lowcountry and beyond.

University of Charleston Professor of Geology Steven Jaume says it was noticeable but not unusual.

“It’s kind of in the normal place that we get them,” Jaume said. “It’s just slightly larger than normal. We’ve certainly had bigger ones within the past few years.”

Jaume says there may be an explanation for these earthquakes.

“It appears to be a place where some old faults from about 200 million years ago are being reactivated,” Jaume said. “There are places inside the plates where things are just weaker than the other stuff around it. And then it moves.”

This quake was the third minor earthquake in South Carolina in less than a week in the Ladson and Summerville area, raising concerns about whether a bigger one could be coming. Jaume says clusters like this aren’t unusual and don’t automatically signal danger.

“If they kept feeling them for three, four, five days in a row, then I might get a little concerned,” Jaume said. “But one or two days that’s not out of the ordinary.”

Earthquakes here can feel stronger and be felt over a wider area even when they’re smaller.

“Here in the eastern part of the US, the crust is colder and and harder, and it transmits the seismic waves a lot better," Jaume said. "When you go out West, it's a lot more warmer and more fractured."

If you feel shaking, drop, cover, and hold on and stay away from windows.

Disclaimer:

This website publishes news articles that contain copyrighted material whose use has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. The non-commercial use of these news articles for the purposes of local news reporting constitutes "Fair Use" of the copyrighted materials as provided for in Section 107 of the US Copyright Law.

Service Areas