Brain Injury Attorney Blog

If you think you're free from paying child support when your children turn 18, you may be wrong. Special circumstances allow child support to be extended into their adult life if they choose to go to college. A family court judge can require a parent to pay the necessary money to help the child pay for tuition, room and board, and other college expenses. The court will consider the availability of loans and grants the student may be eligible to receive. In addition to that, whether or not the child earns any money themselves will also be taken into consideration.

An important fact about child support and college is that this issue only arises when the child is ready to go to college. The court cannot order a parent to save for college. Another important note is that if the parent moves out of South Carolina, they may not be required to contribute to the child's college expenses.

Child support guidelines are based on the concept that children should reveive the same proportion of parental income they would have received had their parents lived together. If you or someone you know is going through a divorce and has concerns about child support, call one of the family law attorneys at The Mace Firm.

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Over the weekend in Horry County, there were four fatal car crashes. All of the crashes happened between 1 a.m. and 5 p.m. Saturday, April 23 is now "one of the deadliest days on Horry County roads in recent memory." One of these fatalities involved a pedestrian. The others involve two motorcycle-related deaths and one death involving a head-on collision. According to TheSunNews.com, "Saturday's first crash happened around 1 a.m., when a 24-year-old motorcyclist lost control of his bike while being pursued by Horry County police officers. An hour later, a pedestrian wearing dark clothing and walking in the street near the intersection of S.C. 31 and S.C. 9 in Little River was killed after being struck by a Chevrolet pickup. At 6:50 a.m., a third accident at the intersection of S.C. 707 and Bay Road in Myrtle Beach happened after a Chevrolet pickup traveling south on 707 crossed the center line and struck a minivan head-on. In the afternoon, a Mullins man was killed while riding his motorcycle with family along S.C. 9."

In Lexington County, a car crash on Interstate 77 sent seven people to the hospital today. According to TheSunNews.com, "The South Carolina Highway Patrol says the 35-car pileup began when one driver lost control of a car and other vehicles were unable to stop in time. Troopers say one tractor trailer jacknifed, and another tractor trailer collided with it. At least one of the rigs then caught fire. At least one other vehicle also burned."

If you or someone you know has been killed or injured in a car crash, please call one of the Myrtle Beach personal injury attorneys at The Mace Firm.

Months ago, news reports revealed that Michael Douglas' ex-wife felt she was entitled to some of the funds earned from his movie, "Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps." PRNewsChannel.com reports “The only way Diandra should get any money is if a settlement agreement gives her those rights,” says Melcher. “She shouldn't be entitled to keep going back to the well for more money just because a sequel was made, unless that right was specifically awarded to her in the judgment.”

Sometimes, "bitterness and jealousy can keep exes on the lookout for ways to go back to court. They want to inflict pain on their former spouse or they may feel cheated and hope to get the money they think they should have received when the marriage ended." Apparently, Diandra Douglas, the ex wife, does not have very good timing considereing Michael's recent battle with throat cancer. The website also reports that "legally, it doesn’t matter. But cases aren’t always decided on the law. The sympathy is with Michael and that may very well have an influence on how the judge decides the case.”

Luckily, the two parties involved in this matter have good divorce lawyers to help them settle the issue. If you or someone you know is involved in anything like what Douglas and his ex-wife, you may need a divorce attorney as well, please contact one of the Myrtle Beach family law attorneys at The Mace Firm a call.

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As the weather heats up, you and your family may choose to cool off in a swimming pool. Whether the pool belongs to you or a neighbor or friend, you must always be extra cautious when there are children around. Children must always be supervised while swimming to avoid any accidents.

Last month, a young boy was seriously injured in a swimming pool. A family member found the boy in the pool as he nearly drowned to death. Fortunately, the child was awake and breathing by the time the emergency crew arrived. Others arent so lucky. In West Virginia, a 19-month-old girl died after falling into a private pool one evening.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that fatal drowning is the "second leading cause of unintentional injury-related death for children ages 1 to 14 years old." Some major risk factors for the drownings include lack of barriers and supervision, age and recreation in natural water settings, alcohol use and seizure disorders. Drowning can be prevented by supervision, learning CPR and learning how to swim.

If you or a loved one is injured or killed in a pool, you will need to hire one of the Myrtle Beach personal injury attorneys at The Mace Firm.

Last year, NFL quarterback Brett Favre was accused of sending suggestive text messages to a New York Jets employee, Jen Sterger. Apparently, Favre asked another Jets employee to ask for Sterger's phone number. Allegedly, Favre then proceeded to send her text messages, even texts with inappropriate photos of himself. Favre was eventually fined by the league for failure to cooperate with the investigation surrounding this matter because he would not reveal any incriminating information. We also never heard any statements from Favre's wife. Sterger was quiet about the situation as well, until now.

Sterger's interview will air on Good Morning America and Nightline. According to FoxSports.com, Sterger reports that she "was approached one day at the beginning of the preseason games, by a man wearing a Jets badge, employee badge, who asked [her], 'How would you feel if Brett Favre asked for your phone number? What would you say?''' And I just looked at him, my usual smartass self. And I said, 'I'd say I like my job an awful lot. And I've been told I look remarkably like his wife.'''

Sterger did not make any money off of this scandal, nor did she intend to. With regard to money, Sterger said that she hasnt made a dime off anything. "Not from the pictures. Not from Favre. I never wanted to sue anyone. That was never an intention of mine. I'm not a gold-digger. The only way I wanted to make my money this whole time was to just have a job.''

If there is any truth to what she is saying, it could mean that Brett Favre should be looking for a divorce lawyer. His wife may choose to separate or get a divorce. If you or someone you know is married and involved in a scandal like the one involving Brett Favre, call one of the family law attorneys at The Mace Firm.

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There was a plane crash this week at New York's JFK International Airport. Accoring to Time.com, "A super jumbo jet clipped a small commuter plane while taxiing Monday night. The Air France airbus was prepping for takeoff to Paris when its wing collided with the tail of a Comair commuter jet. The double-decker jumbo jet, whose wingspan measures a whopping 80 meters (262 feet), misjudged its taxiing space, driving its left wing into the tail of the other plane. The tiny Bombardier aircraft, run by Delta Connection, couldn't hold its weight in the collision – it spun nearly 90 degrees as the Air France flight continued down the taxiway." Fortunately, no one was injured on either aircraft.

In other plane crash news, in Biddeford, Maine, a twin-engine Cessna crashed into a home. The couple who lives in the home had left before the crash occured. The pilot, Edward L'Hommidieu was the only person who did not survive the crash. He was 71 years old. Last month, 5 men were killed and another man was injured badly when their plane crashed on the runway at Long Beach Airport and then caught fire. The plane crashed very shortly after takeoff. The only survivor remains in critical condition at Long Beach Memorial Hospital.

What should you do if you or someone close to you is injured or killed on an aircraft or in a plane crash? You and your family may need representation. Call one of our New York plane crash attorneys at The Mace Firm.

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Last week, three tractor trailers collided on Interstate 77. Although there were no serious injuries reported from this incident, South Carolina Highway Patrol had to shut down both northbound lanes to clear the scene. Another truck accident occured yesterday afternoon when a 19-year-old student from Clover High School was driving home from school when he crashed into a tanker truck on SC 55 in York County. The student's car was traveling eastbound when it collided with a commercial septic tanker traveling westbound. The student was attempting a left turn onto a road less than a mile from school when the crash happened. Fortunately, there were no passengers in either vehicle and the tank driver was unharmed.

There were two other accidents reported in the same area. One accident involved was a two-car crash and the other was a three-car crash. In less than a year, there have been three fatal crashes on SC 55. This is the thrid deadly crash on SC 55 in the past month.

Many roads that we drive on everyday can become very dangerous because people may think that its okay to speed and drive recklessly. They never expect that one bad decision on the road may lead to a car crash or a fatality.

If you or someone you know has been injured in a car acccident, give one of the South Carolina personal injury lawyers at The Mace Firm a call today.

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Although the occurance of teen pregnancy has declined recently, there are still many underage girls getting pregnant. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there has been a 37% drop in teen births over the past two decades. This is great news, but states in the South still have teen pregnancy rates that are too high.

Television shows such as '16 and Pregnant' and 'Teen Mom' may help young people realize that having a child is no walk in the park. It takes a lot of hard work and having a strong support system is key. What if you're a teen mother and your child's father is not in the picture? What rights do you both have? Should the father have to pay child support?

These are all questions you can ask a family law attorney. If you or someone you know is faced with these dilemmas as a teen mom, you should call one of the Myrtle Beach family law attorneys at The Mace Firm.

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