Wednesday, December 23, 2015
Tuesday, November 24, 2015
Friday, November 20, 2015
Happy Thanksgiving from the Law Office of April D. Porter!
April D. Porter
Attorney at Law
Law Office of April D. Porter, P.C.
Office: 803-581-4293
Fax: 803-581-4297
General Practice serving the
State of South Carolina since 2000
Certified Family Court Mediator
State Bar Number 69113
Federal Bar Number 10011
Monday, November 2, 2015
A great way to start my week with an adoption for this sweet family!
April D. Porter
Attorney at Law
Law Office of April D. Porter, P.C.
Office: 803-581-4293
Fax: 803-581-4297
General Practice serving the
State of South Carolina since 2000
Certified Family Court Mediator
State Bar Number 69113
Federal Bar Number 10011
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Tuesday, October 6, 2015
Sunday, October 4, 2015
Monday, August 31, 2015
A Day In The Life Of A Lawyer
A lawyer is a person who is authorized by the state or country to practice law, give advice to his or her clients and represent their legal matters in the courts. A lawyer has to study law and new laws on a regular basis to stay up to date in order to protect their clients.
A Day In The Life Of A Lawyer.
Get ready to travel: Lawyers spend most of their time in courtrooms and offices. They travel to meet their clients wherever they are and homes, business places, even emergency rooms in hospitals and state or federal prisons can be a fairly regular visit depending on which area of the law a lawyer is involved.
2. Irregular work hours may be the norm: Lawyers quite often have irregular work schedules and even work for several hours in discussing with clients or preparing the briefs of the case during non office hours.
Back to the studying board: A lawyer is also known as an attorney who acts both as an advocate and an advisor in society. All the lawyers, whether an advocate or an advisor, have to research the purpose of laws and judicial decisions to apply them in the critical circumstances faced by their clients. The most important aspect is that a lawyer's job depends very much upon his or her own field of specialization and position.
Types of Lawyers:
There are allot of areas to specialize in as a lawyer. If becoming a lawyer, this list is not exhaustive but covers some of the most popular fields you'll be able to specialize into.
Immigration lawyer, wrongful death, traffic, tax, software, social security, securities, personal injury lawyers, patent, nursing home, mesothelioma, medical malpractice, malpractice, litigation, international, insurance, injury, fraud, employment, dwi, dui, divorce, defense, criminal, construction, corporate, compensation, car accident, bankruptcy, auto asbestos, accident and assault lawyers.
How to Become a Lawyer
To become a lawyer you'll have to attend law school via a college or university after your high school studies. It is not necessary to quit your job to become a lawyer. There are special JD programs for those students who are interested in working at the same time as pursuing their education in their spare time.
Simply conduct further research online by searching for the keywords of "online law degrees" or "juris degree from home" with quotes around the keywords.
A lawyer is a person who is authorized by the state or country to practice law, give advice to his or her clients and represent their legal matters in the courts. A lawyer has to study law and new laws on a regular basis to stay up to date in order to protect their clients. They travel to meet their clients wherever they are and homes, business places, even emergency rooms in hospitals and state or federal prisons can be a fairly regular visit depending on which area of the law a lawyer is involved. All the lawyers, whether an advocate or an advisor, have to research the purpose of laws and judicial decisions to apply them in the critical circumstances faced by their clients. To become a lawyer you'll have to attend law school via a college or university after your high school studies.
Monday, July 20, 2015
How Going Through My Own Divorce Made Me a More Compassionate Divorce Attorney
How Going Through My Own Divorce Made Me a More Compassionate Divorce Attorney
April D. Porter, Attorney at Law
I have handled literally thousands of divorce cases throughout my career but nothing could prepare me for the challenges I faced with my own divorce.
A divorce is so much more than just the legal process of hiring a lawyer and going to Court for a hearing. I personally was not prepared for what occurs outside of the Courtroom such as the reactions of my church members, colleagues, family, and community. I never realized before my divorce that clients faced a lot of the same devastating negative reactions. I could now relate to how debilitating that could be for them.
What I learned from my own experience has made me a more understanding attorney when serving my clients going through a divorce. I hope it has made me a more compassionate human being. I am much more sympathetic now to my client's own divorce process. I truly get it now when a client becomes so emotional he or she can not make a solid decision and leans on me to help. I know the pain and the challenges ahead. I have a perspective.
The emotionality of the divorce far outweighs the legal process. Being able to appreciate my client's obstacles at the emotional level helps me to determine how best to strategize and plan for their case in a much different way than before.
Clients face so much more than making decisions about their case, attending hearings, and meeting with their lawyer. Financial struggles, being the subject of ruthless gossip, being judged, and facing personal betrayals are just a few of the paralyzing issues clients may have to deal with.
Although I am not my client's counselor, I am their advocate and realist. I don't have a crystal ball or fairy wand but I have the personal and professional experiences to say to my client you will get through this and life will go on. Take it one day, one minute, one second at a time.
I am here to make the divorce process a thorough and dignified one for my clients because what they are left with after the final hearing is the foundation for the next chapter of their lives.
I don't take that responsibility lightly.
April D. Porter
Attorney at Law
Phone 803-581-4293
Fax 803-581-4297
www.porterlawsc.com
SC Bar No. 69113
April D. Porter, Attorney at Law
I have handled literally thousands of divorce cases throughout my career but nothing could prepare me for the challenges I faced with my own divorce.
A divorce is so much more than just the legal process of hiring a lawyer and going to Court for a hearing. I personally was not prepared for what occurs outside of the Courtroom such as the reactions of my church members, colleagues, family, and community. I never realized before my divorce that clients faced a lot of the same devastating negative reactions. I could now relate to how debilitating that could be for them.
What I learned from my own experience has made me a more understanding attorney when serving my clients going through a divorce. I hope it has made me a more compassionate human being. I am much more sympathetic now to my client's own divorce process. I truly get it now when a client becomes so emotional he or she can not make a solid decision and leans on me to help. I know the pain and the challenges ahead. I have a perspective.
The emotionality of the divorce far outweighs the legal process. Being able to appreciate my client's obstacles at the emotional level helps me to determine how best to strategize and plan for their case in a much different way than before.
Clients face so much more than making decisions about their case, attending hearings, and meeting with their lawyer. Financial struggles, being the subject of ruthless gossip, being judged, and facing personal betrayals are just a few of the paralyzing issues clients may have to deal with.
Although I am not my client's counselor, I am their advocate and realist. I don't have a crystal ball or fairy wand but I have the personal and professional experiences to say to my client you will get through this and life will go on. Take it one day, one minute, one second at a time.
I am here to make the divorce process a thorough and dignified one for my clients because what they are left with after the final hearing is the foundation for the next chapter of their lives.
I don't take that responsibility lightly.
April D. Porter
Attorney at Law
Phone 803-581-4293
Fax 803-581-4297
www.porterlawsc.com
SC Bar No. 69113
The 25 Documents You Need Before You Die
Here is something from WSJ.com that might interest you:
The 25 Documents You Need Before You Die
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303627104576410234039258092.html
April D. Porter
Attorney at Law
Phone 803-581-4293
Fax 803-581-4297
www.porterlawsc.com
SC Bar No. 69113
The 25 Documents You Need Before You Die
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303627104576410234039258092.html
April D. Porter
Attorney at Law
Phone 803-581-4293
Fax 803-581-4297
www.porterlawsc.com
SC Bar No. 69113
Tuesday, July 7, 2015
Friday, July 3, 2015
Happy 4th of July from The Law Office of April D. Porter, P.C.
Happy 4th of July from The Law Office of April D. Porter, P.C. !!
Friday, June 26, 2015
Friday, June 12, 2015
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Free Online Legal Consultation
There are many areas of law and different lawyers have
different specialties for their practice. These include but
are not limited to family, divorce, real estate and
business.
If there are more
questions that need to be answered, you will
need to find a
lawyer that practices according to what you
need, if it is legal help as a private citizen, a business,
an organization or a group of people.
There are questions to think about before beginning your
search for a free online legal consultation. Why are you
seeking legal advice and which area of law do you need
advice in?
The legal system in our country can be more than confusing
at times and many of us don't have time to take off work to
meet with a lawyer for a consultation. Lucky for us, there
are now many law offices that provide free online legal
consultation. This way we can take the first steps to get
the legal advice you may need or point you in the right
direction.
Know which countries, state or states are involved in
the legal issue. For instance, in choosing a specialty, lawyers
are
licensed to practice in certain states and can not practice
in every one.
And you also need to understand whether the advice you seek is
simple or extensive and what sort of representation you
will need.
Monday, May 11, 2015
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Monday, April 13, 2015
Friday, April 10, 2015
Thursday, April 9, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
The Basics Of Child Support (Cont.)
In South Carolina, the amount of child support is either
determined by agreement of the parties or calculated in accordance with the
South Carolina Child Support Guidelines. The Guidelines are state law mandated
and calculated according to the gross monthly incomes of the parties, the
number of children involved, other dependents of the parties, and credit is
given to the respective party who pays for health insurance coverage of the
minor child(ren) and/or work related childcare. The Court does have discretion
to deviate from the guidelines when deeemed necessary as well as determine
child support for higher income level parties.
Custody battles can be very difficult, heart wrenching, and
expensive. As to the custody determination, the Courts are guided by the best
interest of the child standard. This subjective analysis will be determined by
examining among other things the fitness of the parents, their ability to
provide a safe, sober and moral environment for the child(ren), and the ability
of the parent to promote the best educational, social, religious, and
psychological environment.
There is no clear legal advantage to being the mother or
father in a custody battle. The Court will look at the totality of the evidence
presented and award custody to the parent who the Court deems will promote the
best interests of the child. The Court has discretion to award sole custody to
one parent; joint or shared custody to both parents; or joint custody with one
parent being designated as the primary custodial parent. The Courts may appoint
a Guardian ad litem to conduct an investigation on behalf of the Court to
assist in this determination.
The way a parent can put their best foot forward in custody
litigation would be first to honestly evaluate what is the best type of
custodial arrangement to benefit the child? The Courts are sensitive to the
motives of parents. Be very clear as to why you are pursuing custody. Parents
must also be very concise in documenting and calendaring events to provide this
accurate and concise information to the Court and the Guardian ad litem.
Parents should also develop their witness list and provide
affidavits
from those witnesses as to the type of parent he or she is and the relationship between the parent and child. Also key is to incorporate expert witnesses such as a counselor or psychologist into the case to provide insight into the needs of the child and which parent best meets those needs.
from those witnesses as to the type of parent he or she is and the relationship between the parent and child. Also key is to incorporate expert witnesses such as a counselor or psychologist into the case to provide insight into the needs of the child and which parent best meets those needs.
Parents must show dedication to the child’s well being. It
is prudent that a parent not seem vengeful when seeking custody. In addition,
the Court expects parents to not involve a child in custody litigation. In
essence, the parent’s motives must be pure when pursuing custody and the proof
of who is the best custodial parent must be substantial and convincing.
I do believe intelligent reasonable parents should mediate
or reach an agreement on the child related issues stemming from a divorce. It
is much better for the parents to craft their own custodial agreement than
allowing the Court to establish the custodial arrangement and visitation
schedule when he/she knows very little about the nuances of the parents’
lifestyle, beliefs or schedules.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
Why Everyone Needs a Family Attorney
Why Everyone Needs a Family Attorney
Although some people think they need attorneys only for lawsuits and court appearances, every family should have an attorney for many other reasons, too. This does not mean you will be consulting the attorney frequently about mundane matters. It just means you will have selected and possibly met with an attorney at law you can trust for legal issues as they develop. Most families deal with various legal issues throughout life, and you don't want to have to scramble at the last minute for legal advice if something unexpected comes up.
South Carolina family law experts can provide helpful information on a number of relevant issues. Divorce and child custody questions are common. Many families also consider adoption and may need legal assistance. If family members have a prenuptial agreement or separation agreement, a family attorney or a South Carolina civil litigation attorney should possibly be consulted. April D Porter specializes in family law and can assist in matters like these, and others.
Finding an attorney at law with expertise in family matters is important for many reasons. You may at some point have questions about a potential legal conflict, like a property dispute. Legal matters may arise when a loved one passes away or if the family disagrees over how to care for a loved one with dementia. South Carolina family law attorneys are experienced in legal problems that impact families specifically. They can provide information and guidance when a problem surfaces. April D Porter can answer questions and help family members get any needed assistance.
Anyone with concerns about South Carolina civil litigation or family legal problems should get expert advice before making any important decisions. Often, a qualified attorney can save a distressed family member time or money by providing necessary information about the laws that govern certain matters. Before taking action, find out how the law looks at family-related situations.
Monday, March 23, 2015
The Basics of Child Support and Child Custody
With about half of marriages ending in
divorce, it is no surprise that it has affected all of us either directly or
indirectly. Divorce is always hard, but it is hardest when there are children
involved. This week we are looking into child custody, arguably the most
difficult component of divorce to couples with children because emotions run
high. We want to learn more about how child support and child custody are
determined.
Why we’re asking:
To most divorcing couples, their first concern will naturally be
their children. The well-being of their children is important to them, and
they’re concerned about how parenting will work once the divorce is finalized.
Many parents fear not being able to see their children at all after divorce.
Child custody and child support tend to quickly become heated battles. We want
to learn more about the process to understand how such decisions are made, and
what parents can do to make the process less painful.
We look to our legal resource network to learn more:
How are child support and child custody determined?
Are there really any advantages to being the mother or father in
earning custody rights?
How should parents ensure they put their best face forward in
court?
What child custody arrangements are most common?
We look forward to learning more about this sensitive topic.
Thursday, March 19, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
Watch April on Nancy Grace Thursday The 19th at 8:00
Click Below To Watch Past Videos Of The Nancy Grace Show:
Willingness To Listen As An Attorney
Every aspiring lawyer should know that providing legal
services to a client is a call of duty that requires the utmost dedication and
commitment. The ability to possess a simple willingness to listen to your
client's story is essential. Each and every client has a story to tell. Clients
want to be heard and an attorney providing specialized services should base
representation on trust, empathy and a willingness to assist a client in
honoring their story in the legal system.
It is also important to know that clients really want you to be creative and present them with options in their case. Lawyers must be willing to think "outside of the box" and help their clients see various ways to reach the desired goal. Listening to a client, determining goals and options, and assisting with a "game plan" that delivers the best results for your client are the necessary skills an aspiring lawyer should develop.
April P. Counterman
Law Office of April P. Counterman, P.C.
It is also important to know that clients really want you to be creative and present them with options in their case. Lawyers must be willing to think "outside of the box" and help their clients see various ways to reach the desired goal. Listening to a client, determining goals and options, and assisting with a "game plan" that delivers the best results for your client are the necessary skills an aspiring lawyer should develop.
April P. Counterman
Law Office of April P. Counterman, P.C.
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