Previously, I have written on the topic of a child’s home state under the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction (“There is No Place Like Home”).  In that blog post, I noted the difference between the legal concept of “home state” under the UCCJEA and “habitual residence” under the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (see this blog post for a basic overview of the 1980 Hague Convention – “International Child Abduction”).  This blog post will address the legal concept of “habitual residence.” The 1980 Hague Convention To recap, the 1980 Hague Conven ..read more

The 2022 deer hunting season is almost over. If you are thinking about hunting this holiday season, here is your guide to understand the South Carolina hunting rules for the rest of the year! Primitive weapon season begins on October 1st and gun hunts can begin on October 11th – January 1st. Rules and regulations vary depending on which game zone you intend to hunt so it is important to check your zone to ensure compliance with the rules in that zone. Game Zone two encompasses Spartanburg, Greenville, Cherokee, Union, and most of the Upstate of South Carolina. Map found here Deer Rules and Re ..read more

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Delta 8 and other hemp derived products are sold everywhere now. Gas stations, smoke shops, craft beer stores and more. The state of South Carolina continues to internally debate the legality of these substances, with some counties going as far to arrest and threaten to arrest businesses who sell these products and the Department of Social Services threatening to take people’s children for having them in the house. Do you need a lawyer if you are arrested or threatened with arrest for possession of hemp derived products? Five questions to ask yourself before proceeding on your own are: Am I f ..read more

KD Trial Lawyers is pleased to announce Attorney Ben C. Harrison has received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Injured Workers Advocates (IWA). The Injured Workers’ Advocates is a nonprofit association of attorneys who are dedicated to protecting and advancing the rights and legal remedies for South Carolina workers who are victims of occupational injury or disease. Injured Workers’ Advocates works to achieve these goals by advocating for the rights of the injured worker through education, litigation, and communicating with others concerning goals and issues important to the protection ..read more

KD Trial Lawyers is pleased to announce the addition of Attorney Toria D. Smith at our office located in Spartanburg, SC. Toria will join Attorneys Tom Killoren Jr., and Wes Kissinger as the newest member of the firm’s Personal Injury team. Toria Denise Smith began her legal career 8 years ago as a law clerk for the Honorable R. Keith Kelly, Circuit Court Judge, having previously worked as his paralegal for over 10 years.  Over the past 7 years, Toria worked for Solicitor Barry Barnette as an Assistant Solicitor for the Seventh Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office.  She served as the ..read more

Recently, I spoke to a gathering of lawyers, insurance adjusters, and several of the Commissioners from the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission on the topic of brain injuries at the South Carolina Workers Compensation Educational Association’s Medical Conference in Greenville, S.C.  There are numerous types of brain injuries that range from the most severe and totally debilitating, to milder injuries from which there is a quick recovery and no apparent permanent effects.  In my practice, we deal with numerous head/brain injury cases in workers compensation, as these injur ..read more

Did you know that a loaded tractor trailer can weigh up to 80,000 pounds? That’s twenty times the weight of the average passenger car. Did you know there is no set maximum age for a commercial truck driver? The most catastrophic cases we see often involve tractor trailers. With our office located just minutes from I-26 and I-85, we travel interstate highways that sometimes seem dominated by semi-trucks. Most are well maintained and driven by responsible commercial truck drivers that follow the rules and provide a service we all rely on. Unfortunately, when that isn’t the case, the destruction ..read more

The decision to end your marriage is never easy but is a decision made with hope for a brighter tomorrow. Naturally, you may be curious as to when that tomorrow could officially start. This leads to the bigger question, how long does the divorce process in South Carolina take? While it’s impossible to give a precise answer to this question, the general timeline can range anywhere from approximately 90 days to over a year or longer. The following discusses the different factors that influence the divorce timeline in South Carolina, so you can prepare for the journey ahead.  The Reason for ..read more

https://spartanlaw.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Tom-Final.mp4   Spartanburg County is building a new courthouse. The current courthouse was constructed 65 years ago and will be replaced with a brand-new courthouse with 17 courtrooms. The top floor of the courthouse will house offices for the South Carolina Supreme Court Chief Justice as well as the Circuit Court. Other court rooms will be housed on lower levels for Family and Probate Court as well as Magistrate and Municipal Court. When the construction concludes the existing courthouse will be demolished and replaced with a public ..read more