The people of Charleston have selected Peck Law Firm as the Best Family Law Firm in Charleston for 2019.

This is the fourth time in a row we have received this prestigious honor. We also won in 2016, 2017, and 2018.

Each year, our local newspaper, the Post and Courier, gives Charleston residents the chance to vote for their favorite local businesses across a large number of categories. The entire process spans several months and gives thousands of people in the Charleston community a way to voice their preferences.

We are grateful for every person that voted for us in the Family Law Firm category. We could not have achieved this accomplishment without our great clients.

The Peck Law Firm Approach

At the Peck Law Firm, we focus only on helping people with divorce, child custody, and child support issues. This specialized focus allows us to offer the best care and service for our clients who find themselves facing the prospect of divorce.

Divorce hurts. It’s scary, stressful, and draining.

We’re here to help guide every man and woman who comes to us during this difficult time in their lives.

As the biggest divorce law firm in the Lowcountry, we give our clients help and hope for a better future.

Here For You

If you are considering divorce, or know someone who is, schedule a free, no-obligation phone consultation by clicking here, or call us directly at 843-631-7117.

You are not alone. Our team is ready to help you. We promise to give you the same care and dedication we give to all our clients.

We are honored that the Charleston Bar Association has invited the Peck Law Firm to lecture on “Essentials of Family Law” at a CLE program to be held at the Charleston Public Library.

Three attorneys from our firm will be speaking, including Kenneth Peck, Andrew Brener, and Thomas Smith.

Everyone is invited to attend this free event, even if you are not a lawyer. If you are considering a divorce, this seminar is a good place for you to start. The materials will help you gain a better understanding of the divorce process and some of the significant legal issues that you may encounter.

If you are a lawyer, you may be particularly interested in the website marketing portion of our seminar.

The event takes place on September 26th. You can pre-register here: https://thepeckfirm.com/2019-charleston-cle/

Walk-in registration at the event will also be available.

To learn more about the topics and speakers, refer to our brochure below:

We are honored to announce the winner of our fourth annual Peck Law Firm Scholarship. Four years ago, our divorce law firm decided to sponsor a yearly scholarship to help assist exemplary students pay for their college education. We recognize that college tuition has continued to grow significantly in the past decade — and we expect the scholarships we award to help offset these costs.

For our 2019 contest, we asked our applicants to respond to the following essay question: “Should judges start child custody cases with a presumption that fathers and mothers should have equal time with their children after a divorce?”

We received over 500 applications this year, which is more than the previous three years combined! We read through each of the essays and chose the winner based on the merit of their writing. We did not consider their gender, race, age, place where they live, or where they plan to attend school. After countless hours of consideration, we found the one essay that stood out from the rest.

The writer of that essay — and winner of the 2019 Peck Law Firm Scholarship — is Gavin Sziber. We are paying $2,000 toward his school expenses this year.

Gavin just turned 18 years old and lives in Alliance, Ohio. He graduated from Ohio Virtual Academy earlier this year, which is an online charter public school.

Gavin has been attending Stark State College in Canton, Ohio for the past five years through College Credit Plus (CCP) as a dual-enrolled high school and college student. His goal is to graduate from college without any debt. So far, he has been able to complete 60 credit hours with no cost to him or his family. He currently has two semesters remaining and expects to continue using the online class format to finish his degree in Accounting—Computer Information. The online format has allowed him to juggle school, part-time work at Panera Bread, a lawn service business, and volunteering.

He was adopted out of the foster care system at the age of two and because of this has strong beliefs when it comes to child custody and the law. These firm beliefs and the thought-provoking essay question really encouraged him to participate in the Peck Law Firm scholarship essay contest.

In addition to accounting, Gavin enjoys riding his bike, reading, playing board games with friends, logic puzzles, baking, collecting coins, hiking, and visiting U.S. National Parks with his family.

We are extremely proud of Gavin and have posted his winning essay below.

We thank everyone who submitted an application this year. We enjoyed reading all of your thoughtful essays and differing perspectives. We are in the process of deciding whether we will continue our scholarship for a fifth year, and will post any updates regarding this to our blog.

Here is Gavin’s winning essay:

After divorce, it is common for loving parents to want sole custody of the children. Each parent may believe that they are more capable of raising the child than the other parent. Should judges start child custody cases with a presumption that fathers and mothers should have equal time with their children after a divorce? The simple answer is yes unless there is a valid reason for one party not to have child rights. I believe that judges should start child custody cases with joint custody as the standard because it is healthier for the child. Joint custody will help a child to become more accustomed to the fact that both their parents are no longer together and to have some sort of stability in their lives. It will help them to cope with the challenging times that their family is in and allow them to be able to communicate with both of their parents.

In 2017, more than 20 states started to investigate some sort of joint-custody laws. In 2015, there were only two states, Wisconsin and South Dakota, that actively encouraged joint custody of a child between parents. Results from a survey that questioned 150,000 people about this very topic showed that the vast majority supported the idea of a shared parenting arrangement after a divorce. How would the courts even decide whether to start a child custody case with a presumption for equal time between both parents with a child?

In most states, the law says that child custody is dependent on what is in the “best interests of the child”. How are best interests decided? The courts look at five different factors, including the child’s safety, the child’s age, the evidence of parenting ability, the consistency factor, and how big the impact would be on the child’s existing routine. Combining all these factors is how the court decides which parent is better equipped to care for the child. However, if these factors show one parent is more well suited than the other to care for the child, then why does joint custody even need to be considered? Let us look at some of the reasons for this type of court order.

Children start creating bonds with their parents by the time that they are 8 weeks old. Therefore, the loss of a parent is one of the most upsetting events a child can suffer. As a child ages and become more attached, the more difficult it would be for them to be able to let go of one parent. Thus, a joint custody order is more beneficial for a child. Instead of having to push a parent out of the child’s life, a joint custody order allows the child time to see both parents. Recently, there has been a new type of custody arrangement called birds nest custody that allows the child to stay permanently at their home while the parents take turns living in the house and caring for the child. This helps younger children to have stability rather than disrupting their routine. Whether using the bird’s nest method or not, it allows the divorce to be not as severe on the child and allows there to be more benefits for everyone involved. What are the benefits of joint parental custody?

Some benefits to joint custody are that children have a higher self-esteem and better academic records when both parents are active in their lives. Federal statistics show that children with both their parents in their lives are more likely to stay out of jail, stay away from drugs and alcohol, and avoid teen pregnancy and depression. Also, the children can maintain contact and continue to build their relationships with each of their parents. All these benefits come from having both parents in a child’s life. Joint custody does not only benefit the child. Both parents benefit as well from a joint custody court order. A joint custody court order means that one parent does not have to play the role of both father and mother. Research also shows that fathers that only have visitation rights are eight times as likely to commit suicide than fathers that have more parental involvement in their children’s lives. All these benefits show that if one parent is removed out of the family, there can be devastating consequences for both parents as well as the child.

Joint custody is just one option, it is, in my opinion, the most beneficial type of custody when both parents have been deemed suitable. It provides benefits to the child as well as the parent and it allows the child to continue to create bonds with both parents rather than just the one. Many states are now encouraging joint custody as it has been scientifically proven to be the more beneficial type of agreement in a child custody case for all those involved.

We are proud to announce our fourth annual Peck Law Firm Scholarship contest for the 2018-2019 school year!

For many students across the nation, paying for college is a huge challenge. Students, or their parents, are often forced to take out student loans to pay for college tuition, fees, and housing.

Since 2016, we have given scholarship awards to three exemplary students. This is our way of responding to the ever-increasing costs of higher education in the United States. We look forward to awarding another scholarship to a worthy student this year.

Our past winners include:

• Bennett Lunn — A high school graduate from Aiken, SC
• Anthony Perez — A college graduate of Georgia Tech University
• Elizbeth Hipes — A high school graduate from Mount Pleasant, SC

For our 2019 contest, we are asking applicants to write an essay answering the following question: “Should judges start child custody cases with a presumption that fathers and mothers should have equal time with their children after a divorce?”

Our $2,000 scholarship is open to any American citizen that meets the following criteria:

• Will have graduated high school on or before July 1, 2019
• Has a minimum GPA of 3.0
• Will be attending a college, graduate school, or law school for the 2019 Fall Semester

The application process is simple. There are just three steps:

1. Completely fill out the application form
2. Submit an essay of 1,000 words or less
3. Attach a resume and any applicable transcripts

The application and detailed rules can be found here.

We look forward to reading the ideas and insights in this year’s essays. We wish all of our applicants the best and urge all students to apply.

The application deadline is May 31, 2019 and the winner will be announced on July 31, 2019.

We Have Selected A Winner For Our 2018 Scholarship!

Three years ago, we began sponsoring The Peck Law Firm scholarship to help assist exemplary students pay for their college education. The cost of attending college has continued to grow in recent years and we expect the scholarships we award to help offset these costs.

This year, we asked our applicants to write an essay responding to the following question: “How will America’s declining birth rate redefine American families, culture, and government?” We were eager to hear the differing perspectives of young adults on this important issue.

We had over 140 applications submitted to us from across the nation. The winner was chosen on the merit of their essay — without any reference to gender, race, age, where they live, or where they plan to attend school. After numerous hours of consideration, we found one essay that stood apart from the rest.

The writer of that essay, and winner of the 2018 Peck Law Firm Scholarship, is Elizabeth Hipes.

Elizabeth is the first winner of our scholarship who is local to the Charleston area. Our two previous winners were from outside Charleston County. We are especially honored to help a student so close to our firm. She is also the second high school student to receive this award.

Elizabeth was born in Columbus, Ohio and lived there for four years before moving to Wilmington, North Carolina. Ten years ago, she and her family moved to Mount Pleasant. She graduated from Wando High School in June 2018 and will be attending the College of Charleston this fall.

She plans on double majoring in Chemistry and Communication with a minor in Spanish. Her dream is to go to medical school and became an Anesthesiologist in New York City.

We are extremely proud of Elizabeth and have posted her winning essay below.

We thank everyone who submitted an application this year and can’t wait to see what’s in store for our 4th annual 2019 scholarship contest. We will be announcing the essay topic soon.

Here is Elizabeth’s winning essay:

The people of Charleston have once again chosen the Peck Law Firm as the Best Family Law Firm in Charleston for 2017.

Each year, Charleston residents and readers of the Post and Courier get to vote for their favorite local businesses across dozens of categories. Thousands of readers had the opportunity to cast their votes.

This is the second year that we have been bestowed with this honor. We are grateful for every person that voted for our firm this year. We also won this award in 2016.

The Peck Law Firm Difference

At the Peck Law Firm, we only practice family law. This means we only take on divorce, child custody, child support, and alimony cases. This commitment to a single area of law is what allows us to be recognized for two straight years as the best family law firm in the Charleston area.

We are dedicated to helping every man and woman that finds themselves facing divorce. Each divorce case we take on matters to us.

Divorce hurts. It’s scary not knowing what the future looks like. We’re here to help guide people during this trying time. We give our clients hope for a better future.

Expanding For Better Service

Just three years ago we had only one attorney and one office. Now we have seven lawyers, eight supporting staff members, and offices in Charleston, Mount Pleasant, and Summerville. We are now the largest divorce law firm in South Carolina.

Whether you live in Charleston, Daniel Island, Goose Creek, James Island, Summerville, West Ashley, or elsewhere in the Berkeley. Charleston, or Dorchester counties, we are available to help. Finding a Divorce Lawyer in Mount Pleasant, Charleston and Summerville has never been easier.

If you find yourself facing a divorce, please schedule a free no-obligation phone consultation today with our scheduling tool, or call us directly at 843-631-7117.

We are excited to announce the third annual Peck Law Firm Scholarship for the 2017-2018 school year!

For many high school seniors and current college students, paying for college is a tremendous challenge. Many times, students (or their parents) are forced to take out student loans to pay for college tuition, fees, and other related costs.

In the past two years, we have given scholarship awards to two worthy students. This is our way of responding to the continually increasing costs of higher education. This year, we look forward to awarding another scholarship to a worthy student.

For this year’s contest, we are asking applicants to write an essay answering the following question: How will America’s declining birth rate redefine American families, culture, and government?

This $2,000 scholarship is open to any American citizen, that meets the following criteria:

• Will have graduated high school on or before July 1, 2018
• Has a minimum GPA of 3.0
• Will be attending a college, graduate school, or law school for the 2018 Fall Semester

Applying for the scholarship is easy. There are three steps

1. Completely fill out the application form
2. Submit an essay of 1,000 words or less
3. Attach a resume and any applicable transcripts

You can find the application and detailed rules here.

We received many thought-provoking essays from the past two contests, and we can’t wait to see what students will submit this year. We urge all students to apply.

The application deadline is May 31, 2018 and the winner will be announced on July 31, 2018.

We Have Chosen A Winner For Our 2017 Scholarship!

This was our 2nd year of sponsoring The Peck Law Firm scholarship contest to help assist a student in raising additional funds to pay for their college education, which has continued to rise in recent years.

This year, we asked applicants to write an essay answering the question: “What effects will the 2016 presidential election have on American families?” We wanted to see the different views young adults have about the recent election.

We had over 200 applications this year from all around the country. These essays were read and judged without any reference to where the applicant lives or plans on attending school, or any other information like race, age, or gender. After spending countless hours and reading all the essays, one essay really stood out among the others we received.

With that being said, we are pleased to announce that the winner of the 2017 Peck Law Firm Scholarship is Anthony Perez!

Anthony recently graduated from Georgia Tech University in 2016 with a 3.4 GPA and a degree in finance. Anthony plans on pursuing a law degree from Mercer Law School in the fall of 2016.

Anthony came to Georgia Tech University on a baseball scholarship and not only excelled on the field, but also excelled in the classroom. During his time at Georgia Tech, Anthony made the Dean’s or President’s list each semester and was also an academic peer for his teammates on the baseball team.

We thank all of the 2017 applicants for their outstanding essays and look forward to providing more financial assistance with our 2018 scholarship contest!

Again, we congratulate Anthony Perez and wish him nothing but the best as he pursues his law degree from Mercer Law School! We have posted his winning essay at the bottom of this post.

We wish we had enough funds to award scholarships to all who applied. We want to thank all our applicants for their outstanding submissions and we can’t wait to see what happens for our 2018 scholarship contest.

Read Anthony’s essay below.