I graduated from Clemson University in 1987 with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Modern Language, with a minor in Business. After being chosen for Jury Service during the summer break between my junior and senior years at Clemson, I decided to go to Law School. I graduated from the University of South Carolina with a Juris Doctor Degree in 1991. I was admitted to the South Carolina Bar that same year. I have spent the vast majority of my career in Family Court handling divorce, child custody, child support, alimony, adoption, abuse and neglect, name changes and other Family Court matters. While it seems hard to believe, as of November 12, 2021, I will have been practicing law in Anderson County, SC since 1991!
While in law school, I worked as a law clerk for the U. S. Attorney’s Office and then as a law clerk for defense attorney Jack B. Swerling. Both these jobs prepared me for my first job as a lawyer, an Assistant Solicitor with the Tenth Judicial Circuit Solicitor’s Office in Anderson, South Carolina. I gained valuable trial experience while an Assistant Solicitor, from 1991 until 1994, and spent a great deal of time in both the Court of General Sessions and Family Court. In 1994, I opened my law firm and have continued my trial work. I worked as a part-time attorney with the South Carolina Department of Social Services from 2009 through 2014. The vast majority of my practice is devoted to trial work in Family Court.
I believe my clients are best served with a creative, but common sense, approach to their legal issues. What most clients want is an affordable, peaceful resolution to their litigation. I pride myself on my clients’ being satisfied with the representation my firm has provided to them. I want my clients to come out of their divorce as healthy, happy individuals. Hiring an attorney should be viewed as an investment. We have many former clients who are willing to provide references to prospective clients.
The lawyer you choose matters, a lot. Do your research and make a good investment. The most efficient way to contact me is by email: mj@mjgoodwin.com
MJ is the best and most caring person to represent our daughters in our family case for parental rights and adoption! Highly recommend!!! We wouldn’t have wanted anyone else to represent our daughters! She is very prompt to answer any questions as well. So glad she was apart of our happy ending for our family!
- Obstacle: client charged with armed robbery based on alleged co-conspirator’s statement; established alibi defense
- Outcome: client’s charges were not prosecuted.
- Obstacle: client charged with burglary and grand larceny based on statements of another charged defendant. obtained information that proved the person giving the statement was the one responsible for the crime.
- Outcome: client’s charges were not prosecuted.
- Obstacle: client charged in a large, State Grand Jury drug case, named “Reno 911” by law enforcement. This sting operation had substantial media coverage. The case file consisted of 1891 pages and had many hours of audio recordings.
- Outcome: A thorough review of the evidence by the firm of Goodwin Law, resulted in all charges against our firm’s client being dismissed.
- Obstacle: client wanted custody of his children, based on other parent’s unfitness. Evidence of unfitness included school issues and supervision issues, including unsupervised use of MySpace.
- Outcome: client gained custody of both children.
- Obstacle: client and estranged spouse had participated in a “swingers” lifestyle. estranged spouse then began an extramarital affair outside of the “swinger” lifestyle. client wanted divorce on the ground of adultery.
- Outcome: successfully proved adultery at trial; client was awarded custody, alimony and attorney fees.
- Obstacle: male client (father) with visitation suspended due to prior drug abuse and psychiatric issues; change of circumstance case filed;
- Outcome: client achieved unsupervised visitation and normalized visitation with his children within a reasonable period of time.
- M. J. Goodwin wrote the article “Homicide” that was published in South Carolina’s Legal Encyclopedia, Jurisprudence. Volume 23, Pages 184-215.
- She is a former faculty member of the American Institute for Paralegal Studies, where she taught the Family Law segment of the program to aspiring paralegals. October 1994 through January 1995.
- She was the teacher of the “Legals” section of the SLED Security Officer Training Course, Level 1. Tri County Technical College, Pendleton, SC. October 1991 through September 1994. This course covered the law of Arrest and Search and Seizure.
- She was a guest speaker for the American Horse Protection Association, Inc. in April 1994. The seminar was for law enforcement officers and animal protection volunteers.
- She has served as a presenter for the South Carolina Bar Continuing Legal Education Division. She lectured on Guardian ad Litem work at the 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2017 Guardian ad Litem Update program. She has served as presenter at Seminars for DSS Attorneys and Caseworkers, dealing with hearsay exception cases, with the most recent presentation being in 2018.
- M. J. Goodwin worked as a DSS Contract Attorney in Anderson County, SC for approximately 5 years.
- M. J. Goodwin worked as an Assistant Solicitor in Anderson County from 1991 through 1994.
- After working as a prosecutor, M. J. Goodwin opened her own firm, M. J. Goodwin, Attorney at Law, on September 19, 1994. She has represented thousands of people in Family Court and Criminal Court since that time.
- M. J. Goodwin wrote a column, “Legal Pad“, in the online newspaper The Anderson Observer, informing the community on important legal issues that may affect readers.