The Howze Law Firm

The Howze Law Firm The Howze Law Firm in Rock Hill, SC, was founded by Tracy Bomar-Howze in 2018. Attorney Howze ...

Attorney Howze has over 20 years of experience handling family law cases both in South Carolina and in Michigan. The Howze Law Firm focuses on helping families who are going through difficult situations. The firm handles both Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 bankruptcies, divorce, wills and powers of attorneys, . When handling divorce cases, the Howze Law Firm also deals with the issues of child custody a

nd visitation. In addition, Attorney Howze is admitted to practice law in Michigan, US District Court, and the US Bankruptcy Court.

You head out for the early shift and the driveway is empty. No note. Just a space where your car sat.Once a lender has a...
08/31/2026

You head out for the early shift and the driveway is empty. No note. Just a space where your car sat.

Once a lender has an order to take the car, every day before the tow truck shows up is a day you still have choices. Filing a Chapter 13 petition puts an automatic stay in place, and that stay stops the repossession. What you're behind on gets folded into the plan instead of coming due all at once.

If the car is already gone, that isn't automatically the end of it. As long as you still have an interest in the vehicle when you file, the lender can be required to turn it back over. One catch: if it's a purchase-money loan taken out within 910 days before filing, reducing the balance to the car's value isn't on the table.

Call us at 803-266-1812 before you start phoning tow lots.

HR pulls you aside during your shift and says the paperwork came in. Your check is about to get smaller starting next pa...
08/28/2026

HR pulls you aside during your shift and says the paperwork came in. Your check is about to get smaller starting next pay period.

That's a wage garnishment notice, and it means a court order is telling your employer to take a cut before the money ever reaches your account.

Filing a Chapter 13 petition puts an automatic stay in place the moment you file. That stay stops most wage garnishments tied to debts you owed before filing, though it doesn't reach child support or alimony orders. Once your employer has notice of the case, the withholding is supposed to stop.

Timing matters here. The stay protects you from the point you file forward, not before.

Save our number before you respond to that letter: 803-266-1812.

Your coworker in the break room swears filing bankruptcy means signing the house over to the bank. It doesn't.The moment...
08/22/2026

Your coworker in the break room swears filing bankruptcy means signing the house over to the bank. It doesn't.

The moment you file a Chapter 13 petition, an automatic stay stops the foreclosure process. Your mortgage company can't keep pushing toward a sale while your case is open.

From there, the plan does the real work. You get years, not weeks, to catch up on missed mortgage payments while keeping the regular monthly payment current going forward. Miss those ongoing payments and the lender can ask the court to lift that stay, so the plan only holds as long as you stick with it.

The earlier you talk to us, the more room you have to keep the house instead of losing it. Call us: 803-266-1812.

Somewhere on the courthouse steps in York County, a date is already circled for your house. That's the day the sale happ...
08/18/2026

Somewhere on the courthouse steps in York County, a date is already circled for your house. That's the day the sale happens if nothing changes before then.

Filing a Chapter 13 petition before that date puts an automatic stay in place right away. Your mortgage company can't push the sale through while the case is open. The amount you're behind on gets folded into a repayment plan and spread out over the case, while you keep making the regular payment as it comes due.

Even after the auction happens, South Carolina holds the sale open for a 30-day window before it's final, since a higher bid can still come in. That window exists on its own. Filing before the sale date is still the surest way to stop it from happening at all.

If there's a sale date sitting on paperwork you've already gotten, call us: 803-266-1812.

The school secretary calls and asks, "Can your daughter's father come sign her in too?" You realize you don't actually k...
07/27/2026

The school secretary calls and asks, "Can your daughter's father come sign her in too?" You realize you don't actually know the answer.

In South Carolina, that answer lives in your custody order, not in whoever's easier to reach that week. Sole legal custody means you're the one who decides on enrollment. Joint legal custody means you and your co-parent are supposed to agree on it together. A text where he says "fine, go ahead" doesn't rewrite what the order requires the next time this comes up.

When joint legal custody parents can't agree and the order doesn't name a tiebreaker, either parent can ask the Family Court to step in through a motion for temporary relief or a motion to clarify the order. The judge decides based on what's best for your child. Not who called first.

Save our number before the first day of school: 803-266-1812.

"Can she stay through Sunday since practice starts later this year?""Sure, works for me."Text sent, text answered, and i...
07/24/2026

"Can she stay through Sunday since practice starts later this year?"
"Sure, works for me."

Text sent, text answered, and it may feel settled — but it isn't.

In South Carolina, that exchange doesn't touch the actual custody order. The order on file still reads the way it did last spring, no matter how many weekends you've both followed the text version instead. Parents can agree to short swaps, but a judge can only treat that thread as evidence, not as a new order.

The document that actually changes things is a Summons and Complaint for Modification, which must be served on your co-parent following South Carolina's rules for service of process.

If your co-parent won't put the new schedule in writing through the court, call us: 803-266-1812.

We can tell you what filing gets you there.

September rolls around and you both agree: switching to alternating weeks makes more sense now. You shake hands at picku...
07/19/2026

September rolls around and you both agree: switching to alternating weeks makes more sense now. You shake hands at pickup. It feels official.

It isn't.

South Carolina family courts don't recognize handshake deals or verbal agreements as modifications to custody orders. The schedule that controls your case is the one signed by a judge and filed with the clerk, not the one you've been living by since August.

When circumstances change enough to justify a new arrangement, the legal path is filing a modification action. You'll serve your co-parent, demonstrate a substantial change affecting your child's best interest, and in most contested cases, attend mediation under Family Court Rule 29.

Thinking about making your current arrangement official? We'll walk you through what modification actually requires.

Call us: 803-266-1812.

❌ Myth: South Carolina courts favor mothers in custody disputes.✅ Fact: The "Tender Years Doctrine" was abolished under ...
07/18/2026

❌ Myth: South Carolina courts favor mothers in custody disputes.

✅ Fact: The "Tender Years Doctrine" was abolished under Section 63-15-10. In 2026, both parents are evaluated equally based on what serves the child's best interests, not gender.

Courts look at each parent's relationship with the child, their ability to meet the child's developmental needs, and the stability of each home. Consistent involvement in daily routines, healthcare, and education carries real weight.

Navigating a custody matter in Rock Hill? Call The Howze Law Firm at 803-266-1812 for a consultation.

Leaving your home to escape abuse should never cost you custody of your children.Under South Carolina Code § 63-15-40(B)...
07/13/2026

Leaving your home to escape abuse should never cost you custody of your children.

Under South Carolina Code § 63-15-40(B), a victim's decision to leave or relocate cannot, by itself, be used as a reason to deny custody. Courts recognize that protecting yourself and your children is not abandonment.

Document the reasons for your departure with incident reports, text messages, photographs, or witness statements. These records help establish that your move was necessary for safety.

Preparing for a custody case in Rock Hill? Call The Howze Law Firm at 803-266-1812 to discuss your situation.

🏠 Homeowners across York County face the same fear: one missed mortgage payment away from foreclosure.Chapter 13 bankrup...
07/09/2026

🏠 Homeowners across York County face the same fear: one missed mortgage payment away from foreclosure.

Chapter 13 bankruptcy creates an automatic stay the moment you file. Foreclosure stops. Wage garnishment halts. Collection calls end. You get time to catch up through a 3-5 year repayment plan while keeping your home and car.

If you have steady income but are behind on payments, this could be your path forward. Call The Howze Law Firm at 803-266-1812 for a consultation.

Address

200 Oakland Avenue, Suite A
Rock Hill, SC
29730

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 5:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 2pm

Telephone

+18033249009

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