People in today's society often don't see eye-to-eye on controversial topics, especially with the prevalence of social media platforms and discussion forums. But if there's one thing that most folks can agree on, it's that everyone's family is unique. Each member has their own journey, filled with changes, challenges, and life-changing circumstances. Sometimes, those events are joyous and worth celebrating, like graduating from college or having a new baby. Other times, those events can cause frustration and grief, like messy divorces.
If you're trying to keep your life together while dealing with a complex child custody case or contentious divorce, chances are you're hurt and confused. You probably have big questions about the future. You're wondering what's going to happen to your marriage, your children, your career, and more. You're over-stressed and in need of a strategy to resolve it. In times like these, relying on the compassion and expertise of a family law attorney in Spartanburg, SC, can turn what seems like a hopeless situation into a much more manageable experience, given the circumstances.
At Cobb Hammett, LLC, we're acutely aware of the hardships that come with changes to your family dynamic, such as tension and emotional turmoil. Our team of family law attorneys is available to assist you in navigating these challenges and providing guidance on the most effective approach to your case. That way, you can move forward with confidence, and look ahead to a brighter future.
At Cobb Hammett Law Firm, our family law attorneys have decades of combined experience serving the needs of families, from divorce proceedings and alimony issues to family formations and adoptions. While every one of our family law clients has unique needs and circumstances, they all rely on our law firm for personal attention and a responsive family law lawyer in Spartanburg, SC. If you require zealous representation and a time-tested approach to family law, we're here to help.
As a full-service family law firm in South Carolina, we're proud to serve a wide range of clients: men and women, husbands and wives, business owners and executives, and just about every type of person in between. When they come to us, they're often distraught, confused, and anxious about the steps ahead. We consider those issues and make it a point to provide compassion and advice on the best possible approach to their situation or case. That way, they can rest easy at night knowing we have their back, no matter what hurdles may lie ahead.
Unsure whether you need to speak with a family law attorney? Ask yourself this:
If your answer to any of those questions is in the affirmative, it's time to give our family law firm in South Carolina a call today. Though time is often of the essence in family law matters, our team would be happy to sit with you to review your situation and provide an easy-to-understand roadmap for your legal future.
Divorce is a difficult decision for anyone, whether it's you or your partner who initiates it. It's a painful experience that can leave you feeling shattered and alone in the dark. When you made your wedding vows, you did so with the intention of being together for life. You invested a lot of time and money into your wedding, inviting friends and family from all over South Carolina to share in your joy.
Now, you're faced with the harsh reality that you and your former spouse are no longer together. As your family law attorney in Spartanburg, SC, we understand how overwhelming this can be. We've assisted many clients through the divorce process and had the knowledge and tools to help them work through it and move on to greener pastures.
When a couple decides to end their marriage in South Carolina, they have the option of a No-Fault dissolution which relieves either of having to bring and prove a fault-based divorce ground. This can help to avoid hostility or ill-feeling that may arise during a fault-based divorce.
In order to qualify for a no-fault divorce, the couple must have been living apart for a year prior to the divorce being granted. This means that they must have separate residences and cannot simply have been living in separate quarters within the same home. If you're thinking about divorce but don't want to pin the demise of the relationship on your spouse, speak with a family law lawyer in Spartanburg, SC, soon. This option allows you both to accept responsibility and move on.
When initiating the divorce process in South Carolina, the first step is for one spouse to file a complaint for divorce in the county where generally, the other spouse resides. To be eligible for divorce in South Carolina, residency requirements must be met. Generally, at least one spouse must have been a resident of the state for a minimum of one year. If both spouses live in South Carolina, they both must have resided there for at least three months.
There are five grounds for divorce in South Carolina, including a single no-fault ground that applies only if the spouses have been living separately for one year. The other four grounds are fault-based and include the following:
At Cobb Hammett Law Firm, one of the most common family law questions we're asked is, "Why type of divorce is best? Should I get a no-fault divorce?" Those questions aren't always easy to answer and depend on the dynamics of your marriage.
In a fault-based divorce, successfully proving fault can impact support and equitable division of the marital estate in favor of the "innocent" spouse. Proving wrongdoing can provide a sense of vindication during a divorce. In contrast, a no-fault divorce can make it a more unilateral process.
Did you know that the U.S. Census Bureau states that 25% of children younger than 21 live with just one parent while the other parent resides elsewhere in the country? In such circumstances, many families must navigate the complicated and legally complex process of child custody. As seasoned family law attorneys, we have represented clients in all aspects and legal stages of child custody and support.
We focus in providing services for a range of issues, including but not limited to:
Every family has its own distinct characteristics, and as such, child-related agreements must also be customized to fit each unique situation. In South Carolina, our team of skilled family law attorneys takes the time to understand our clients' individual goals and needs and tailor our services accordingly.
When you get married, you go into the partnership believing that you'll be together forever. It makes sense, then, that most divorcing couples don't know very much about alimony in South Carolina (also referred to as spousal support). They ask questions such as:
Fortunately, working with a family law lawyer in Spartanburg, SC, can answer those questions and make alimony easier to understand and approach.
Many individuals often mistake alimony for child support, but they are, in fact, two distinct forms of financial obligation and not mutually exclusive. Alimony was established to safeguard a supported spouse in the event of a divorce or separation. For example, a spouse who did not work during the course of the marriage would generally have a stronger alimony claim than a spouse who worked throughout the marriage. Likewise, a spouse who worked throughout the marriage but made less than the other spouse would have a stronger alimony claim than a spouse who worked and earned equivalent income to the supporting spouse.
In many cases, a spouse may choose to stay at home to tend to the children and manage the household. Oftentimes, the spouse who remains at home has sacrificed their career or education to care for the family. In such instances, a divorce could leave the financially weaker spouse in a state of financial turmoil. Without that support system, they will have to start over from scratch. These are some factors the Court will consider in evaluating an appropriate alimony case. Throughout your marriage, you have structured your quality of life based on a budget determined by your finances. While all expenses are shared by both partners, what happens if you have been financially dependent on your spouse and need to support yourself?
At Cobb, & Hammett, LLC, we aim to assist you in securing the alimony you need to support both yourself and your children. At the same time, we want to ensure that you are not overpaying your spouse, if you are the one required to pay. You may be required to pay an amount that could leave you in a difficult financial situation. Regardless, it's crucial to have the right legal representation to guide you through the alimony process in South Carolina.
Some people may assume financial responsibilities to a former partner are end with the filing of a divorce decree. However, if the court has mandated alimony payments, then the financial obligations survive. Failure to meet those obligations can lead to serious legal and financial consequences. Family law attorneys at Cobb Hammett, LLC have years of experience representing clients throughout the divorce process, including alimony determinations.
Our legal services cover many aspects of alimony law, such as:
Though our family law attorneys are fearless negotiators and litigators, we always strive to keep your legal proceedings as seamless and straightforward as possible. Our goal is to help reach an agreement on alimony that is reasonable for both you and your spouse. However, compromises aren't always possible. If needed, our lawyers will fight aggressively on your behalf to help ensure your financial rights are protected.
Law is complicate matter. It can cause you a big problem if you ignore it. Let us help you!
Dealing with family law cases can be incredibly trying, particularly when it comes to matters of separation or divorce. As your family law attorney in Spartanburg, SC, we recognize the challenges you're facing. With that in mind, know that we're committed to offering empathetic legal counsel on your behalf, no matter how contentious or confusing your situation may become. Contact our law offices today for your initial family law consultation.
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S. C. (Friday, ET) — A shooting at a Spartanburg County motel has escalated from an on-scene response into a broader search effort after authorities issued an AMBER Alert tied to the incident. deputies were sent to the Rodeway Inn on New Cut Road around 11: 36 a. m., where one person was injured. As of the latest official update, no one is in custody, underscoring that the situation remains active as investigators work to develop leads in spartanburg sc.What officials have c...
SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S. C. (Friday, ET) — A shooting at a Spartanburg County motel has escalated from an on-scene response into a broader search effort after authorities issued an AMBER Alert tied to the incident. deputies were sent to the Rodeway Inn on New Cut Road around 11: 36 a. m., where one person was injured. As of the latest official update, no one is in custody, underscoring that the situation remains active as investigators work to develop leads in spartanburg sc.
The Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office said it is responding to a shooting at a motel on Friday. Deputies said one person was hurt at the Rodeway Inn on New Cut Road around 11: 36 a. m. (ET). Authorities also stated that no one was in custody at the time of the update.
Shortly before 3 p. m. (ET), authorities issued an AMBER Alert connected to the incident. The alert included a vehicle description: they are looking for a white 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander with South Carolina tag 669BMX.
The decision to issue an AMBER Alert several hours after the initial call signals that investigators are treating the incident as more than an isolated shooting scene. While officials have not released additional details in the publicly available update, the alert indicates law enforcement is seeking rapid public awareness around a specific vehicle believed to be relevant.
In practical terms, an AMBER Alert changes the operating tempo of a case: it extends attention beyond the motel property, focuses the public on an actionable identifier, and can widen the search area as tips and sightings are evaluated. At this stage, officials have not announced an arrest, and the lack of a person in custody keeps the outcome uncertain in spartanburg sc.
Authorities have not publicly provided the condition of the injured person beyond confirming that one individual was hurt. Officials also have not disclosed information on a suspect, a motive, or the circumstances that led to the shooting at the Rodeway Inn. The AMBER Alert announcement did not include additional narrative details in the available statement.
Key developments that would clarify the scope of the event include any official confirmation of who is connected to the white 2010 Mitsubishi Outlander with tag 669BMX, whether investigators have a description of a person of interest, and whether additional safety guidance is issued. For now, the confirmed facts remain limited to the response time, the location, the injury, the absence of custody, and the AMBER Alert vehicle information connected to the case in spartanburg sc.
Jaylin Nicole Simpson was born February 11, 2018 to Jacosha Simpson and Jamarcus Wade. In her 8 years of life, she found many joys in her family, her friends and her faith. Jaylin loved attending church with her grandmother at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, her great-grandmother at Greater New Hope, and even would join her grandfather at Greater Target AME Church in Hollyhill, SC.Aside from her faith, Jaylin enjoyed all things creative, girly and cats. She drew pictures and made dolls out of everything she could find. Her love f...
Jaylin Nicole Simpson was born February 11, 2018 to Jacosha Simpson and Jamarcus Wade. In her 8 years of life, she found many joys in her family, her friends and her faith. Jaylin loved attending church with her grandmother at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, her great-grandmother at Greater New Hope, and even would join her grandfather at Greater Target AME Church in Hollyhill, SC.
Aside from her faith, Jaylin enjoyed all things creative, girly and cats. She drew pictures and made dolls out of everything she could find. Her love for music was just as strong. She loved to record videos of her and her friends doing day to day things. She spent the most time with her cousins. She was a very bright student as well and although she didn't like school, she excelled. She loved to travel and see new places, on her list of must sees was New York and Paris.
Jaylin knew how to be the boss and even had a couple of babies of her own: Hailey, Bailey, Kaylie, Aylie and Lolie.
In addition to her parents, left to cherish fond and loving memories are: maternal grandparents, Rita Simpson and James (Renee) McKissick; paternal grandparents, Jamie Fuller and Marcus Wade; great-grandparents, Deloris and Henry James and Lettie Fuller; aunts, Markesha Fuller, Tynesha (Jaylin) Hynes and Klarke McKissick; brothers, Kace and Koree McCreary; cousins, Angela Wallace and Cameron Fuller; godmothers, Briana McCreary and Mariah Chapel; and a host of cousins and extended family members she also loved dearly.
She was preceded in death by: her aunt, Victoria Fuller and her uncle, Jeremiah Gilliam.
Jaylin lived a wonderful 8 years and was loved by everyone she held dear, and she loved us all as well. Please keep Baby Jaylin ,"Sugar Sugar", our sweet girl in your thoughts and prayers.
Funeral Services will be held on Sunday, March 22, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. at Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church, Spartanburg, SC. Burial will be in the Heritage Memorial Gardens, Roebuck, SC.
Public Viewing will be held on Saturday, March 20, 2026 from 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. at The John Stinson Woodward Memorial Chapel.
In Honor of Jaylin's love for tea parties, the family kindly requests tea party attire for her homegoing celebration.
Severe storms are possible Sunday and Monday across the Upstate of South Carolina, western North Carolina, and northeast Georgia, with threats including damaging straight-line winds, isolated tornadoes, large hail, and heavy rain.Live radar:Severe threat Monday:MONDAY: Impact Day due to severe storm potentialKeep up with what's happening around our area by downloading the WYFF News 4 app on the App Store or Google Play....
Severe storms are possible Sunday and Monday across the Upstate of South Carolina, western North Carolina, and northeast Georgia, with threats including damaging straight-line winds, isolated tornadoes, large hail, and heavy rain.
Live radar:
Severe threat Monday:
MONDAY: Impact Day due to severe storm potential
Keep up with what's happening around our area by downloading the WYFF News 4 app on the App Store or Google Play.
*** A burst of snow is likely in WNC by the afternoon as the front departs. Light accumulation, mainly on elevated surfaces, is possible. ***
The wind will pick up behind Monday's powerful cold front. A Wind Advisory is in place for the highlighted areas above 3500 feet in western North Carolina. Wind gusts of 50-60 mph are expected.
TUESDAY: Impact Day due to frigid temperatures & wind chills
WEDNESDAY: Impact Day due to another cold morning. Lows in the teens & 20s.
The WYFF News 4 weather team has been independently certified for having the most accurate forecast in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson market for the second year in a row.
"Our goal every day, in every forecast is accuracy," said WYFF 4 President and General Manager Blake Bridges. "Our expert weather team is dedicated to giving viewers a forecast they can trust to be right. We are also the only station in the market with our own 24/7 live radar, Live Super Doppler 4. It’s clear that WYFF News 4 is the weather leader in this market."
The certification comes from WeatheRate, an independent research firm that tracks forecasts from every station in multiple markets across the country.
"Everyone knows that forecasting the weather around here is difficult with the Upstate and mountains," said WeatheRate President Bruce Fixman. "The station that gets the forecast right more than anyone else is Chief Meteorologist Chris Justus and the WYFF News 4 weather team."
GREENVILLE, S.C. —Severe storms are possible on Monday in the Upstate of South Carolina, western North Carolina and northeast Georgia.Storms may produce damaging, straight-line winds, isolated tornadoes, large hail and heavy rain.Live radar:Severe threat Monday:MONDAY: Impact Day due to severe storm potentialDownload the free WYFF News 4 App to receive weather alerts. Be sure your notifications are turned ON.*** A burst of ...
GREENVILLE, S.C. —
Severe storms are possible on Monday in the Upstate of South Carolina, western North Carolina and northeast Georgia.
Storms may produce damaging, straight-line winds, isolated tornadoes, large hail and heavy rain.
Live radar:
Severe threat Monday:
MONDAY: Impact Day due to severe storm potential
Download the free WYFF News 4 App to receive weather alerts. Be sure your notifications are turned ON.
*** A burst of snow is likely in WNC by the afternoon as the front departs. Light accumulation, mainly on elevated surfaces, is possible. ***
The wind will pick up behind Monday's powerful cold front. A Wind Advisory is in place for the highlighted areas above 3500 feet in western North Carolina. Wind gusts of 50-60 mph are expected.
TUESDAY: Impact Day due to frigid temperatures & wind chills
WEDNESDAY: Impact Day due to another cold morning. Lows in the teens & 20s.
The WYFF News 4 weather team has been independently certified for having the most accurate forecast in the Greenville-Spartanburg-Asheville-Anderson market for the second year in a row.
"Our goal every day, in every forecast is accuracy," said WYFF 4 President and General Manager Blake Bridges. "Our expert weather team is dedicated to giving viewers a forecast they can trust to be right. We are also the only station in the market with our own 24/7 live radar, Live Super Doppler 4. It’s clear that WYFF News 4 is the weather leader in this market."
The certification comes from WeatheRate, an independent research firm that tracks forecasts from every station in multiple markets across the country.
"Everyone knows that forecasting the weather around here is difficult with the Upstate and mountains," said WeatheRate President Bruce Fixman. "The station that gets the forecast right more than anyone else is Chief Meteorologist Chris Justus and the WYFF News 4 weather team."
SPARTANBURG — A jury delivered a $5.1 million verdict against BMW last month after determining the Spartanburg plant discriminated against an American employee on the basis of her nationality, in violation of federal Title VII protections.Kelly Dawsey of Greenville left her job in 2021 after learning of a reorganization that replaced her German boss with an American one, according to court records.BMW had a long-standing policy mandating alternate German and domestic positions among senior managers, court records said, wh...
SPARTANBURG — A jury delivered a $5.1 million verdict against BMW last month after determining the Spartanburg plant discriminated against an American employee on the basis of her nationality, in violation of federal Title VII protections.
Kelly Dawsey of Greenville left her job in 2021 after learning of a reorganization that replaced her German boss with an American one, according to court records.
BMW had a long-standing policy mandating alternate German and domestic positions among senior managers, court records said, where no two consecutive managers in the chain of command could be American.
For Dawsey, getting an American boss meant the company would have to replace her with a German. Indeed, the company had made plans to replace Dawsey with a German and transfer her to a new role, court records said.
She left before being offered any alternative position and filed the suit in October 2022. It went to trial this year, where a jury agreed that BMW discriminated against her because she was American.
The jury awarded her $100,000 in compensatory damages and $5 million in punitive damages. But since the damages in employment discrimination cases are capped at $300,000, that’s likely all she will receive, plus possible economic damages in the form of lost or future wages.
“We were surprised and disappointed by the outcome,” BMW spokesman Steve Wilson said in an email. “While we disagree, we respect the jury’s decision. We are currently evaluating potential post-trial and appellate options.”
Dawsey’s attorney, Brian Murphy, did not respond to requests for comment.
But Jeremy Summerlin, a Greenville employment attorney who followed the case, said the verdict was a rare occurrence for several reasons.
Nationality-based discrimination claims are less common than sex-based, race-based, age-based or disability-based claims, according to U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission statistics. When they do occur, he said, they usually don’t come from Americans. And generally, employment cases are settled before they get to a jury.
“You don’t see a lot of cases like this go to trial,” said Summerlin, who wrote about the case in his own blog. “Something like 97 percent of cases are going to be settled or dismissed at summary judgment before trial.”
Dawsey began working at BMW in 1995 and had worked her way up to department manager for human resources planning and steering, which reports directly to the vice president of human resources.
Before a planned reorganization, the vice president was a German national. When the German left, an American was brought in to fill the role.
Dawsey learned that a reorganization was in the works in the spring of 2021. In early September, before she learned she would be replaced by a German national, she reached out to a recruiter to look for other jobs.
BMW argued in a motion for summary judgment that Dawsey didn’t have a case, in part because she was looking to leave her position before she learned who was replacing her, and that her job transfer would be a lateral move.
In a motion opposing BMW’s request for summary judgment, Dawsey said that she only began looking for other opportunities after communication about the changes became “chaotic” and she wanted “to see if there were alternatives if she was left out.”
Dawsey pointed out that she only accepted employment elsewhere after BMW told her she would be moved to a job that she considered a demotion.
Major questions left up to the jury included whether BMW’s policy of requiring a German in the chain of command violated Title VII and whether moving Dawsey to another role would have been a demotion that could be considered an adverse employment action.
“BMW’s position is that she was being moved laterally, but the testimony, the argument was that position was a lower classification and the plaintiff had worked there for a long, long time,” Summerlin said. “And she was aware that that job was basically a black hole and nobody got promoted out of that position. She knew ‘If they stick me there, that’s basically the end.’ ”
A judge ruled against BMW on its motion for summary judgment, and the case moved forward, eventually ending in a trial.
On Feb. 25, a jury in the Greenville federal courthouse sided with Dawsey.
A hearing on economic damages is scheduled March 13.