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Columbia Adoption Lawyer

Adopting a child is a profound and rewarding journey, but it also involves a complex legal process. If you’re in Columbia, SC, and considering adoption, Melone Hatley, P.C. is here to guide you every step of the way. Our lawyers will help you understand the process, meet your legal requirements, and address any challenges that …

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Columbia Separation Lawyer

Managing the breakdown of a marriage is no easy feat. You and your spouse will be challenged with legal, financial, and emotional hurdles throughout the process. And if you aren’t certain about ending your marriage, a simple separation doesn’t provide you with legal protection. In South Carolina, the concept of separation has legal nuances. If …

Columbia Child Custody Lawyer

Some of the most challenging and contentious parts of a divorce are disputes over who gets custody of the children. Both parents may feel they are best suited to be the primary custodial parent, which can often result in heated disputes. If you and your spouse cannot agree on a custody arrangement that suits both of …

What Steps Are Involved in the Divorce Process in South Carolina?

If you are considering a divorce in South Carolina, where do you begin? Laws can vary significantly from one state to the next. You will want to understand the criteria for filing, residency requirements, your options for grounds and how they can affect your settlement outcome, and the legal procedures and steps involved. An experienced …

Columbia Child Support Lawyer

Going through a divorce is challenging, but especially so when you have minor children to consider. In Columbia, South Carolina, both parents are legally responsible for sharing the financial care of their children, regardless of their marital status or custody arrangement. Consequently, child support plays an important role in ensuring children receive the financial resources …

How Long Does it Take to Get Divorced in South Carolina?

If you are going through a divorce in South Carolina, you are probably looking forward to getting it over with and moving on with your life. However, divorce can be a long and complex process, and the length of time it takes will depend on each couple’s situation. If you are wondering how long your …

Columbia Divorce Lawyer

Going through a divorce is one of the most emotionally and financially overwhelming times in most people’s lives. And during this tumultuous time, they must make many decisions that could affect their entire future. Divorce involves many legally complex steps and choices concerning a couple’s property division, the custody and support of their children, alimony, …

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What are the Grounds for Divorce in South Carolina?

If you are considering filing for divorce in South Carolina, you must have a legally accepted reason for seeking it. This is called “grounds” for divorce. In South Carolina, grounds for divorce can be fault-based, which requires placing the blame for the divorce on one party’s wrongdoing, or no-fault, which doesn’t require blame but a …

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South Carolina Family Lawyer

At Melone Hatley, P.C., we understand the challenges of family law in South Carolina and are dedicated to providing compassionate, skilled legal representation. Whether you are facing a divorce, child custody dispute, or any other family-related issue, our experienced team is here to guide you through every step of the process. Your family’s well-being is …

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Columbia Family Lawyer

Whether you are facing a divorce, child custody dispute, or issues related to domestic violence, having a knowledgeable advocate by your side is essential. At Melone Hatley, P.C., our dedicated team of Columbia family lawyers is committed to providing compassionate and effective legal support tailored to your unique situation. We understand the emotional complexities involved …

Why Use a Co-Parenting App?

In contentious custody and visitation matters, the court may order parties to use a third party messaging application or other software to track their correspondence. When evidence has shown high conflict and issues of communication between parents, it’s easier for the court to determine fault for problems when the evidence is clear. Introducing text messages, …

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Client Testimonials

I can’t say enough good things about Erica Hawkins. She exceeded my expectations and she helped me at one of my lowest points in my life. Not only was she professional and timely she was understanding and compassionate. In my experience it is hard to find all of those qualities...

L.S.

It’s hard to write a review for a divorce attorney as there are no real winners when breaking up a family. My attorney, Stephen Lukacs, was prompt in response time, understanding of my concerns, patient with my occasional panicky moments, and stayed the course to ensure a fair outcome. We...

M.F.

I can only rate up to 5, but the amount of work my lawyer Stephen Lukacs did for me is worth at least a thousand. I cannot begin to describe what a blessing all of Melone Hatley has been. There is no better option you could go with. My paralegal...

T.F.

Julia has been a great lawyer for me during this tough time going through my divorce. She has given great legal advice every step of the way and the timeliness of her responses has been great. She has helped ease my anxiety and gives me hope that this difficult situation...

T.R.

Stephen Lukacs has been a blessing for my family, so far. We are still working together, but if we ever have any questions, he responds within the same day via email. He has been prompt, attentive, honest, understanding of my wants, informative and was masterful in the courtroom. He doesn’t...

D.D.

I had a great experience with this firm. Ms. Julia, Ms. Angela, and the rest of the team were very helpful during the process. The long process became manageable once they took my case. They were patient with me and explained everything, every step of the way. I’m glad I...

C.G.

I am extremely happy with my experience and would highly recommend Melone Hatley. Everyone who I interacted with at the firm was very professional, helpful and kind. I worked directly with Brian and he was deeply knowledgeable and compassionate while guiding me through the entire process. My questions were responded...

B.C.

My wife and I were extremely pleased with the level of care and expertise given to us by Melone Hatley, P.C. Service provided – Trust

M.A.

I highly recommend Melone Hatley. The staff that I have been exposed to are extremely helpful and knowledgeable.

M.H.

Brian has been the best to work with! He is very knowledgeable and helped guide me through everything! Couldn’t have asked for a better experience!!

S.O.

I cannot recommend this attorney’s office enough. I had a major traffic concern and James helped me and I am forever grateful. He is smart and was a calming presence throughout the entire process.

A.C.

What a breath of fresh air they were. After dealing with a terrible firm that took a divorce and turned it into a year long $30,000 nightmare. Emily Vaughn turned my case around in as little as a week. All parties were talking again and it was finished a month...

E.C.

I contacted the Charlotte office with some initial inquiries and found myself in contact with Haley Acuff. I was impressed with her obvious compassion and objectiveness. Her insightful questions helped me to clarify my thought process, while also inspiring confidence that I have indeed found the caring and capable legal...

J.G.

“Worked with both James and Rebecca. Both were very professional and worked hard to make sure I was taken care of with my child support cases. I fully recommend them.”

R.S.

“This is by far the #1 Law Firm! I had the pleasure of hiring this firm at the Reston, Virginia location and it surpassed all of my expectations. Melone Hatley P.C has exceptional attributes including: 1) Customer Service- The staff is ALWAYS pleasant/warming 2) Communication- Attorney’s are very easy to...

D.S.

“They were so friendly and attentive to the matter I brought to them. I wasn’t just treated like “another case”. It felt like they actually cared about me and the outcome of the matter I brought to them. The positive results they got me obviously were the best part!”

N.N.

“I hired MH to handle a divorce. Charles and Angela have been nothing but professional, empathetic, and timely. There isn’t another firm out there that will provide this level of care. Highly recommended.”

S.H.

“Ms. Alexandra at Melone Hatley is great with her communication skills. Very honest, helpful, and keeps to her word. Flawless system that this law firm has set up. Impressed to say the least.”

A.D.

“I had started this process of going through child custody at Norfolk JDR with Mr. Hatley about 2 1/2 years ago. He had done SO much from fighting false domestic violence charges to helping me gain custody of my son. I was skeptical when I first came in years ago...