OKOYE LAW

OKOYE LAW OKOYE LAW is a proud Criminal and Personal Injury firm located in Rock Hill, SC. We are privileged to represent some of the finest people in the community.

Law firm based in Rock Hill, South Carolina with a focus on Criminal, Family, and Personal Injury Law

Greenville Office: 1200 Woodruff Road, Suite A 3, #150
Greenville, SC 29607 Our results speak for themselves. Learn about some of our most successful cases.

QUICK QUESTION:In a South Carolina divorce, is your spouse entitled to a portion of the retirement savings you built bef...
09/02/2026

QUICK QUESTION:
In a South Carolina divorce, is your spouse entitled to a portion of the retirement savings you built before you got married?

Yes or No? Drop your answer in the comments.

If you cash out a retirement account to divide it in a divorce instead of using a QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Ord...
09/01/2026

If you cash out a retirement account to divide it in a divorce instead of using a QDRO (Qualified Domestic Relations Order), you'll owe income taxes on the full amount plus a 10% early withdrawal penalty if you're under 59½. On a $200,000 401(k), that's potentially $60,000+ lost to taxes and penalties. The paperwork matters.
Contact Okoye Law.

"Efficient, reliable, great communication, and an advocate. No question went unanswered!" - Olivia G. recommends Okoye L...
08/31/2026

"Efficient, reliable, great communication, and an advocate. No question went unanswered!" - Olivia G. recommends Okoye Law.

When you're dealing with a legal issue, the last thing you need is a lawyer who doesn't call you back. That's not how we work. If you have a question, we'll answer it. If something changes in your case, we'll tell you before you have to ask.

08/28/2026

Five Signs You Were Born To Be A Lawyer!




08/27/2026

Welcome to the team, Joshua!
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MYTH: "My retirement account is in my name only, so my spouse can't touch it in a divorce."REALITY: In South Carolina, w...
08/26/2026

MYTH: "My retirement account is in my name only, so my spouse can't touch it in a divorce."

REALITY: In South Carolina, whose name is on the account doesn't determine ownership in a divorce. Under SC Code § 20-3-620, any contributions made during the marriage to a 401(k), IRA, pension, TSP, or other retirement account are marital property, regardless of whose name is on it.

The only portion that's protected is what you contributed before the wedding date and after the date you filed for divorce. Everything in between is on the table.

And you need a Qualified Domestic Relations Order (QDRO) to divide it properly. Cash it out wrong and you'll owe taxes plus a 10% early withdrawal penalty.

Okoye Law handles retirement division in SC divorces. Call us.

You spent 22 years contributing to your 401(k). You maxed it out every year. Your spouse never touched it, never managed...
08/24/2026

You spent 22 years contributing to your 401(k). You maxed it out every year. Your spouse never touched it, never managed it, and frankly never asked about it.

Now you're getting divorced, and your spouse's attorney says they're entitled to a share of your retirement savings. All $340,000 of it.

Here's the part that shocks most people: they may be right. In South Carolina, any contributions made to retirement accounts during the marriage are marital property. That includes your 401(k), pension, IRA, TSP, and even a Roth IRA.

The court won't automatically split it 50/50. SC uses equitable distribution, which means fair, not equal. But "fair" still means your spouse could receive a significant portion of the retirement you thought was yours alone.

And if you don't divide it correctly using the right legal paperwork (called a QDRO), you could face early withdrawal penalties and a massive tax bill on top of everything.

Before you agree to anything, talk to an attorney. Call Okoye Law.

Read more: https://okoyelaw.com/dividing-retirement-accounts-and-pensions-in-a-south-carolina-divorce/

SC domestic violence penalties by charge:CDV 3rd: up to 90 daysCDV 2nd: up to 3 yearsCDV 1st: up to 10 yearsCDVHAN: up t...
08/21/2026

SC domestic violence penalties by charge:
CDV 3rd: up to 90 days
CDV 2nd: up to 3 years
CDV 1st: up to 10 years
CDVHAN: up to 20 years

One charge is not like the others. If you're facing CDVHAN, get a lawyer who knows the difference.
Contact Okoye Law.

Attorney Spotlight: William “Bill” NowickiMr. Nowicki handles our Criminal Defense matters. Mr. Nowicki has been practic...
08/21/2026

Attorney Spotlight: William “Bill” Nowicki

Mr. Nowicki handles our Criminal Defense matters. Mr. Nowicki has been practicing law since 2001 and is licensed in both South Carolina and North Carolina.
Mr. Nowicki was born and raised just outside of Buffalo, New York. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville and earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature with a minor in Political Science. Mr. Nowicki earned his Juris Doctorate at the New England School of Law in Boston, Massachusetts, graduating with honors, cm laude in 2001.
During his studies at the University of Tennessee, Mr. Nowicki participated in the study abroad program and studied a semester at the University of Swansea, Wales, with his studies focusing on Welsh Literature. He also participated in the work abroad program, and worked for the law firm of Jones, Day, Reavis and Pogue in London, England.
In 2001, Mr. Nowicki began his law career in Private Practice in Lancaster, South Carolina, practicing in the areas of Personal Injury, Criminal Defense, Employment Law, Probate, Wills and Estates. Mr. Nowicki then worked as an Assistant Solicitor in the Sixth Judicial Circuit under former Solicitor, Doug Barfield, and prosecuted numerous criminal cases. After leaving the Solicitor’s Office, Mr. Nowicki went to work as an Assistant Public Defender in the Sixth Judicial Circuit under Mike Lifsey, the Circuit Public Defender, and defended numerous cases in court, including Driving Under the Influence, Domestic Violence, Drug cases, Armed Robbery, Burglary, etc.
Mr. Nowicki is a member of the South Carolina Bar Association, as well as a member of the York County Bar Association. He is an active member in his community as he has participated in career day and other events at Erwin Elementary in Lancaster, South Carolina. He has presented seminars on Wills and Estates in local churches. He is actively involved with ROAR Sports in Rock Hill, South Carolina.

MYTH: "CDVHAN is just first-degree domestic violence with a scarier name."REALITY: They're completely different charges ...
08/19/2026

MYTH: "CDVHAN is just first-degree domestic violence with a scarier name."

REALITY: They're completely different charges under completely different statutes.

CDV 1st Degree (§ 16-25-20): Up to 10 years.
CDVHAN (§ 16-25-65): Up to 20 years. It's a different statute with a significantly higher ceiling.

CDVHAN also has specific triggering acts: great bodily injury, use of a deadly weapon, strangulation, or conduct that qualifies as a violent crime. If none of those triggers apply, the charge can't be CDVHAN.

That distinction matters for your defense. If the facts don't match the statutory triggers, the charge may need to come down.
Okoye Law defends CDVHAN cases in Rock Hill and York County.

Address

120 Oakland Avenue
Rock Hill, SC
29730

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+18036757552

Website

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