Jonathan W. Lounsberry
Top rated Family Law attorney in Spartanburg, South Carolina
KD Trial Lawyers
Practice Areas: Family Law, International; view more
Licensed in South Carolina since: 2009
Education: Charleston School of Law
Selected to Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2025 
Selected to Rising Stars: 2019 - 2020 Details
Concentrating his practice on family law, both international and domestic, Jonathan W. Lounsberry serves as an attorney at the law firm KD Trial Lawyers. He extends his service to the surrounding areas of Spartanburg, South Carolina. He is admitted to practice before the courts of South Carolina, the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina, and the United States Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit.
Practicing law since 2009, Mr. Lounsberry has extensive experience working on complicated family court matters and international family law issues. He gives a special focus to cases involving child abduction and cross-border custody disputes in accordance with the 1980 Hague Convention.
Mr. Lounsberry is a Fellow of the International Academy of Family Lawyers and the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. He is also a member of the Spartanburg County Bar Association, the American Bar Association, the Greenville County Bar Association and the South Carolina Bar. He is rated 10/10 on Avvo for his quality of client services and is also rated AV Preeminent* through Martindale-Hubbell for his professionalism.
*AV®, AV Preeminent®, Martindale-Hubbell Distinguished and Martindale-Hubbell Notable are certification marks used under license in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards and policies. Martindale-Hubbell® is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell® Peer Review Ratings™ fall into two categories – legal ability and general ethical standards.
Practice areas
Family Law, InternationalFocus areas
Adoption, Alimony & Spousal Support, Child Support, Custody & Visitation, Dissolution, Divorce, Father's Rights, Marital Property, Name Change, Paternity
- 80% Family Law
- 20% International
First Admitted: 2009, South Carolina
Professional Webpage: https://kdtriallawyers.com/attorney/jonathan-w-lounsberry/
Bar/Professional Activity:
- United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, 2018
- South Carolina Bar Lawyer Mentoring Program, 2016
- Member, American Bar Association Section of Litigation (2016-present)
- United States District Court of the District of South Carolina, 2013
- Steering Committee, Family Law Committee, ABA Section of International Law
- Member, American Bar Association Section of International Law (2018-present)
- Seventh Judicial Circuit Delegate, House of Delegates; Chair, Practice and Procedure Committee (2016-2020); Co- Chair, Technology Committee, Young Lawyer’s Division (2017-2018); Member, International Law Committee; Member, Seventh Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee (2017-2019); Member, South Carolina Bar Leadership Academy Committee (2016-2019); Member, Judicial Qualifications Committee (2015-2017); and Member, Family Law Section
- Co-Chair, South Carolina Bar YLD Tech Committee (2017-2018)
- Member, South Carolina Access to Justice Commission Family Court SRL Committee (2017-Present)
- Member, Family Law Section, South Carolina Bar
- Member, International Law Committee, South Carolina Bar (2013—Present)
- Member, Greenville County Bar Association (2016—Present)
- Member, Spartanburg County Bar Association (2015—Present)
- Member, Family Law Section, South Carolina Association for Justice (2015—2018)
- Member, American Bar Association Section of Family Law (2009—Present)
- American Bar Association, 2009–Present
- South Carolina Bar, 2009–Present
Videos:
Pro bono/Community Service:
- Board Member, Spartanburg Little Theater, 2021
- Vestry, The Episcopal Church of the Advent (2020-Present)
- Member, Seventh Judicial Circuit Pro Bono Committee (2017-2019)
- Board of Regents, Leadership Spartanburg (2017-2019)
Honors/Awards:
- Upstate Legal Elite (International Law & Family Law), Greenville Business Monthly, 2023
- Upstate Legal Elite (International Law), Greenville Business Monthly, 2021
- Graduate, Leadership Spartanburg, 2017
- Graduate, South Carolina Bar Association Leadership Academy, 2015
- Martindale-Hubbell, AV Rated (2015—Present), Martindale-Hubbell
- Graduate, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Advanced Institute for Family Law Associates, 2014
- Graduate, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers Institute for Family Law Associates, 2013
- Merit Award, Charleston School of Law Student Affairs Department, 2008
Educational Background:
- University of South Carolina, B.A., Philosophy & Political Science, 2006
Scholarly Lectures/Writings:
- SC Bar CLE Division, Presenter, 1980 Hague Convention Litigation in Light of Monasky and Golan, Hot Tips from the Coolest Domestic Law Practitioners, 2022
- CLE intended to give pointers on private practice before the South Carolina Family Court for newly admitted members of the South Carolina Bar, 2017 - 2022, Course Planner/Co-Moderator, CLE Essentials: Family Law, SC Bar CLE Division, 2022
- Intensive 2-Day Workshop on Alimony in South Carolina, Course Planner/Co-Moderator, All About Alimony: An Intensive Workshop, SC Bar CLE Division, 2022
- Massachusetts Chapter, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, Presenter, Evidence, Sophisticated Family Law Topics, 2022
- AAML Webinar, Co-Presenter, Technologies That Are Built to Last, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2021
- SC Bar CLE Division, Co-Presenter, How to Try a Hague Case from Start to Finish, International Law Committee, SC Bar Convention, 2021
- This session was delivered live as part of the IAFL-AIJUDEFA Latin American Family Law Webinar on Friday 14th May 2021. The audience were IAFL Fellows, AIJUDEFA members Lawyers from Central & South America and The Caribbean It was chaired by Carolina Marín Pedreño (England). The panel were Jonathan Lounsberry (South Carolina, USA), Bernardo Legnani (Uruguay), Victoria Granillo Ocampo (Argentina), Andrés Gomez (Colombia) and Alfonso Sepúlveda Garcia (México). This webinar was held in conjunction with AIJUDEFA (Asociación Internacional de Juristas de Derecho de Familia), Panelist, International child recovery. The exception of 13 B. Hague Convention, International Academy of Family Lawyers & Asociación Internacional de Juristas de Derecho de Familia, 2021
- Presentation regarding the ins and outs of litigating a 1980 Hague return action from start to finish., Co-Presenter, How to Litigate a 1980 Hague Convention Case from Start to Finish, South Carolina Bar Convention, 2021
- The 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention was ratified by the United States in 1988 and aims to ensure the prompt return of children who were wrongfully removed from or retained outside of their habitual residence. The term “habitual residence,” which is not defined in the treaty itself, was recently given context in the U.S. Supreme Court case of Monasky v. Taglieri, decided on February 25, 2020. Courts are now starting to apply this new standard. Expert panelists will discuss the Supreme Court’s standard for habitual residence, analyze the trends seen in court decisions since its handing down, and discuss the impact on future cases in the United States Monasky v. Taglieri may be found at this link. Moderator: Melissa A. Kucinski, Attorney, MK Family Law, PLLC, Washington, D.C. Panelists: Richard Min, Attorney, Burger Green & Min, LLP, New York, NY Jonathan Lounsberry, Attorney, The Stevens Firm, PA, Spartanburg, SC, Panelist, Dissecting Monasky v. Taglieri: the U.S. Supreme Court’s new standard for Habitual Residence under the 1980 Hague Child Abduction Convention, Washington Foreign Law Society, 2020
- Parties who have carefully selected and curated valuable artwork, antiques, cars, boats, or rare collectibles during their marriage may be unable to resolve who should keep this valuable property after the divorce. Those items may also represent a significant percentage of the couple's wealth. With such high-value assets, the parties and their counsel may dedicate an extraordinary amount of effort on whether an item constitutes marital property. Counsel must prepare for arguments over the timing of the acquisition, the source of funds for the acquisition, and whether the asset was acquired by the sale of a premarital asset. Unlike other kinds of property that have a recognizable and broad market, high-value art and collectibles have a specialized, subjective, and more narrow audience who may be accessible only through experienced experts. Special care is required to recognize and appraise these types of assets properly, and often experts are difficult to retain. Further, the sale of an appreciated asset may trigger unexpected tax consequences that have to be factored into the global settlement, tax planning, and estate planning. Listen as this panel, well-versed in the intersection of art (and other collections) and divorce, translates these complex principles into practical guidance, and prepares counsel to address these issues head-on both in negotiation and court., Panelist, Dividing High Value Items in Divorce, Stafford Webinars, 2020
- As Family Courts evolve from boxes to bytes, lawyers are learning to use technology to enhance the trial experience. Join us for a panel discussion on the ways technology can enhance (and sometimes detract) from your preparation for and presentation at trial. The panel will discuss apps, hardware, software, and common sense, and will provide live demonstrations on how to put that technology to work, and how to handle the dreaded technical difficulties., Presenter, Trial Technology: Tricks of the Trade, ABA Section of Family Law, 2019
- Presentation focused on the approved and proposed modifications of rules of procedure., Presenter, Rules: What’s going on? Hot Tips from the Coolest Domestic Law Practitioners, SC Bar – CLE Division, 2019
- Presenting a trial before a judge can be significantly different than presenting to a jury. Trial lawyers should consider different styles and methods when arguing a bench trial to effectively represent their clients. This mini mock trial includes opening statements, a direct and cross examination of an expert witness, and a discussion with a panel of judges., Co-Presenter, Judge, What Do You Want to Hear? Presenting a Bench Trial, Section of Litigation, American Bar Association, 2019
- The book is designed to offer practitioners a basic understanding of litigating a private action before the South Carolina Family Court., Co-Author, Family Law Essentials: A Primer for Private Practice Before the Family Court in South Carolina, SC Bar – CLE Division, 2018
- Presentation intended to give pointers on private practice before the South Carolina Family Court for newly admitted members of the South Carolina Bar., Presenter, Practice Before the Family Court, CLE Essentials: Family Law, SC Bar – CLE Division, 2017
- Horry County Bar Family Court CLE Seminar, Co-Presenter, Legal Eagle Squares, Horry County Bar, 2017
- Presentation focused on recent developments in family law., Presenter, Family Law, Construction Law, and Personal Injury Law — A Multi-Area Update, Charleston School of Law, 2017
- Article focused on the amendments to South Carolina's Uniform Interstate Family Support Act and the adoption of the Uniform Deployed Parent Custody and Visitation Act., Author, The Family Court's New Uniforms: Amendments to South Carolina's Uniform Interstate Family Support Act and Adoption of the Uniform Deployed Parent Custody and Visitation Act, South Carolina Lawyer, 2017
- Presentation focused on the practice and procedure of the South Carolina Family Court., Co-Presenter, "Legal Eagle" Squares Game Show, 2017 Horry County Family Court Continuing Legal Education Seminar, Horry County Bar Association, 2017
- Presentation focused on tips and procedures for obtaining information on parties and non-parties during the litigation process, Presenter, Tools for GAL Investigations & How to Use Them, In the Best Interests of the Child, 2017 Guardian ad Litem Annual Training & Update, SC Bar – CLE Division, 2017
- Presentation intended to give pointers on private practice before the South Carolina Family Court for newly admitted members of the South Carolina Bar, Co-Presenter, Practice Before the South Carolina Family Court, Bridge the Gap (August), South Carolina Bar–CLE Division, 2016
- ABA Section of Litigation (March 30, 2016), Author, Tips for Using Technology Inside and Outside the Courtroom, Family Law Litigation Newsletter, 2016
- Presentation focused on the practice and procedure of the South Carolina Family Court., Co-Presenter, Hollywood Squares (The Family Court Rules Edition), South Carolina Bar Convention, Family Law Section, SC Bar – CLE Division, 2016
- Streamlining the litigation process and enhancing the impact of evidence, Author, Using Technology Inside & Outside the Courtroom, Family Law Advocate, ABA Section of Family Law, Spring, Vol. 37, No. 4, 2015
- CLE Essentials: Family Law, Presenter, Contempt Actions, South Carolina Bar CLE Division, 2015
- Presentation focused on the use of technology in the courtroom by trial lawyers., Co-Presenter, Tech Tips for Trial Lawyers, Annual Convention, South Carolina Association for Justice, 2015
- Presentation intended to give pointers on private practice before the South Carolina Family Court for newly admitted members of the South Carolina Bar., Presenter, Proper Filing and Service, CLE Essentials: Family Law, SC Bar – CLE Division, 2015
- Article focused on the use of technology during the litigation process, Author, Using Technology Inside and Outside the Courtroom, Family Advocate, ABA Section of Family Law, 2015
- Presentation intended to give pointers on private practice before the South Carolina Family Court for newly admitted members of the South Carolina Bar., Co-Presenter, Practice Before the Family Court, Bridge The Gap (January), SC Bar – CLE Division, 2015
- Presentation discussed the necessity and importance of courtroom etiquette., Co-Presenter, Courtroom Etiquette, CSOL Professionalism Series, Charleston School of Law, 2014
- Kathryn Barton et al., Principal Editor, South Carolina Children’s Law Manual, South Carolina Bar – CLE Publications Division, 2014
- Presentation intended to give pointers on private practice before the South Carolina Family Court for newly admitted members of the South Carolina Bar., Co-Presenter, Practice Before the Family Court, Bridge The Gap (August), SC Bar – CLE Division, 2014
- This resource manual is dedicated to the children of South Carolina who are involved in the systems designed to assist, care for, and protect them; and, it is intended to help the adults chared with child protection better understand the legal processes and procedures so that they may advocate more efficiently and effectively for these children, Principal Editor, South Carolina Children's Law Resource Manual, SC Bar – CLE Division, 2014
- Presentation focused on the development and implementation of the 1980 Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction in Asia., Program Co-Chair, The Promise of the 1980 Hague Convention in Asia, International Families: Money, Children, and Long-Term Planning, ABA Section of Family Law – International Family Law Committee, 2014
- Presentation focused on SCOTUS decisions affecting family law., Presenter, Review of the Supreme Court of the United States' Recent Rulings Affecting Family Law, Hot Tips from the Coolest Domestic Practitioners, SC Bar – CLE Division, 2014
- CLE intended to give pointers for attorneys who have been court-appointed to represent juvenile in a delinquency matter, Presenter, You've Been Appointed a Juvenile Delinquent Matter… Now What?, SC Bar – CLE Division, 2013
- South Carolina Lawyer Magazine (July 2013), Author, Marital Agreements: Can You Really Contract Out of Family Court Jurisdiction?, South Carolina Lawyer Magazine, 2013
Other Outstanding Achievements:
- Fellow, American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers, 2021-Present, 2021
- Fellow, International Academy of Family Lawyers, 2020 - Present, 2020
Industry Groups:
- 1980 Hague Convention Litigation
- Cross-Border Custody Issues; Multi-Jurisdictional Divorce Litigation
Office location for Jonathan W. Lounsberry
178 West Main Street
Spartanburg, SC 29306
Phone: 864-585-5100
Selections
3 Years Super Lawyers
2 Years Rising Stars
- Super Lawyers: 2023 - 2025
- Rising Stars: 2019 - 2020
