Emotionally, getting a “divorce” helps bring closure for a client. In South Carolina, a person may get a divorce after being separated continuously for one year. A person may also get divorced if the other spouse has committed adultery, has committed physical cruelty, habitually abuses alcohol and/or drugs, and/or has abandoned the marriage for a period of one year.
In reality, the piece of paper that grants you a divorce is a separate issue from the important issues of custody, property division, alimony, child support, etc. It is important to understand that a person can settle or resolve all of the material financial and child issues with finality without waiting a year to get a divorce.