Myrtle Beach Legal Blog

Can a parent put conditions on a grandparent's visits with their grandchild?

There are limited situations when a grandparent can try to force visitation with their grandchild or try to take custody of their grandchild in SC. What if the parent is offering to allow visitation but the parent places conditions on the visitation like insisting that the visits are supervised?

Does the grandparent have to do what the parent says, or can they ask the family court to intervene?

If you've been arrested and charged with a crime in the Myrtle Beach area, you are going to have a lot of questions about what happens next. Like, what is roll call?

You may have pressing questions that you want answered immediately, like:

• How do I post bond?
• Am I going to prison? And,
• Can my attorney get my case dismissed?

But then, as we investigate, negotiate, and prepare for trial, there is the reality that most criminal cases take months or even years to resolve. As your case is pending, there will be court appearances, roll calls, and other "procedural" events that can have serious consequences.

For example, if you miss a "roll call" date and were not excused by the solicitor's office, the court will issue a bench warrant for your arrest...

Can DSS take my children away because I use marijuana? The short answer is yes... although, like most legal questions, it depends...

As a practical matter, DSS will not ordinarily come to your house with a police officer and remove your children from your home because someone has told them that you smoke marijuana.

On the other hand, they can remove a child for drug use - and will, if the drug use is causing harm to the children. Use of heroin, cocaine, or other "hard" drugs will often result in situations where a child is placed in danger. DSS may get involved, and law enforcement may take your children into emergency protective custody.

Marijuana use is more likely to arise as a secondary concern - once DSS has gotten involved, you may be subjected to drug tests. Failed drug tests, even for a "not-quite-legal" drug like marijuana, can result in removal of the children, loss of custody of the children, or even termination of parental rights.

Be aware that, while many younger people now accept marijuana use as normal and do not consider it harmful, slightly older and more conservative judges sitting on the bench in the family court may wholeheartedly disagree...

Estate planning is an awkward step that almost every adult takes. We don’t like to think about life after we pass, but it’s a future we need to plan for. Many aspects of estate planning involves family and how your estate disperses amongst your beneficiaries.

A smart move to take is to talk to different family members or your spouse about your estate plan. What are your final wishes? Or who will get your prized family heirloom once you’re gone? All these questions and more in a simple conversation with your beneficiaries.