Top Saint Matthews, SC Defamation Lawyers Near You
1221 Main Street, Suite 1600, Columbia, SC 29201
1221 Main Street, Suite 1800, Columbia, SC 29211
1221 Main St, Suite 1200, Columbia, SC 29201
807 Gervais St, Suite 301, Columbia, SC 29201
1501 Main Street, Suite 310, Columbia, SC 29201
1230 Main Street, Suite 700, Columbia, SC 29201
PO Box 8057, Columbia, SC 29202
We found a limited number of Defamation law firms in Saint Matthews. Below are some of the closest additional firms.
115 Fairchild St, Suite 300, Daniel Island, SC 29492
850 Morrison Dr, Suite 775, Charleston, SC 29403
677 King St, Suite 450, Charleston, SC 29403
111 Coleman Blvd, Suite 301, Mount Pleasant, SC 29464
205 King St, Suite 400, Charleston, SC 29401
170 Meeting Street, Suite 110, Charleston, SC 29401
134 Meeting Street, Suite 500, Charleston, SC 29401
28 Broad Street, Suite 204, Charleston, SC 29401
Saint Matthews Defamation Information
Lead Counsel independently verifies Defamation attorneys in Saint Matthews and checks their standing with South Carolina bar associations.
Our Verification Process and Criteria
Ample Experience
Attorneys must meet stringent qualifications and prove they practice in the area of law they’re verified in.Good Standing
Be in good standing with their bar associations and maintain a clean disciplinary record.Annual Review
Submit to an annual review to retain their Lead Counsel Verified status.Client Commitment
Pledge to follow the highest quality client service and ethical standards.
What Does Defamation Mean?
Defamation is the spreading of false, harmful information about someone else. In most cases, true defamation requires that the person who shared the false information presented it to other people as if it was truth. Another important element of defamation is that it must actually harm the subject’s reputation in some way that has a demonstrable negative effect on them. It’s generally not sufficient for the rumors to have the potential to harm the person’s reputation, or for the harm to be on a small-scale without larger impacts. If someone loses their job because of defamation, for example, that may be a demonstrable impact for pursuing a defamation case.
What Is the Difference Between Defamation, Libel, and Slander?
Defamation is usually an umbrella term for any kind of shared, false, harmful information, and libel and slander are more narrow types of defamation. Libel is physically shared defamation, like through writing or images. A newspaper that prints unverified information about someone may be engaging in libel. Slander, on the other hand, is a defamatory statement spread through speech. Proving libel or slander requires the same elements as broader defamation.
How Do You Prove Defamation?
Defamation can be tricky to prove, and the exact qualifications and remedies will vary from state to state. In some states, for example, the “injured” party will need to prove that the defendant spread the false information maliciously. Not only can this be hard to prove, it can eliminate people who recklessly defame someone. Your case will be much stronger if you can show solid evidence of substantial harm the rumor caused you, or that the defamer is clearly the one who shared the information, such as by bringing in a printed, bylined article or having a witness give testimony about who told them a particular rumor.
How Can You Defend Against a Defamation Lawsuit?
The best way to defend against a defamation case is to prove that the information is true. Spreading accurate negative information about someone is usually legal, even if it has a harmful impact on the person. You may also have a defense if the information you shared was an opinion and you made it clear that you were not presenting it as a genuine, unproven fact. In some states it’s also a defense to have a valid reason to genuinely believe the rumor is true. Typically, the person sharing the information needs to be at least negligent in how they spread it, such as by not fact-checking the rumors before passing it on to others. Another defense may be to challenge the impact the false information had on the subject and demonstrate that there is no provable way to show they were sufficiently harmed by it.
Are There Defamation Lawyers Near Me In Saint Matthews, SC?
If you believe you’ve been defamed, either slanderously or libelously, you should reach out to a local Saint Matthews defamation lawyer to discuss the strengths and merits of your case. You can use our attorney directory to search for a lawyer in your area who has experience in defamation cases. Because defamation can be tricky to prove or defend against, depending on what kind of evidence is available, you may be better off talking to an experienced legal professional before you try to move forward with a lawsuit.