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South Carolina court costs guide

By the Court Cost Guide Editorial Team · Last updated: October 22, 2026

Filing for divorce in South Carolina costs $150 in court filing fees. This guide covers the verified filing fees for divorce, name change, general civil cases, and probate in South Carolina — every figure from the official schedule or statute named at the foot of the page.

South Carolina at a glanceFigure
CourtFamily Court · Circuit Court
Divorce filing fee$150 Family Court filing fee, per the Judicial Branch Family Court schedule (quoted on the Darlington County Clerk of Court page and consistent with the Circuit Court new-case fee).
Name change filing fee$150 in Family Court — §15-49-30 confirms the §8-21-310(C)(1) fee applies.
Name-change publicationNot required — Not required — Title 15, ch. 49 requires background-check / DSS / SLED screening only; §§15-49-10 to 15-49-30 contain no publication step.
General civil filing fee$150 for new Circuit Court cases.
Probate filing feeCounty Probate Court. Verified example (Beaufort County): $150 for formal testacy / appointment of a personal representative (per §8-21-770, the same as civil actions in Circuit Court).

Divorce filing fees

$150 Family Court filing fee, per the Judicial Branch Family Court schedule (quoted on the Darlington County Clerk of Court page and consistent with the Circuit Court new-case fee).

See the national picture — including the states where the fee is set county by county — in our divorce filing cost guide.

Name change: fee and publication

$150 in Family Court — §15-49-30 confirms the §8-21-310(C)(1) fee applies.

Publication: Not required — Title 15, ch. 49 requires background-check / DSS / SLED screening only; §§15-49-10 to 15-49-30 contain no publication step.

Publication is the step readers most often get wrong, because the rule changed recently in several states. The full state-by-state picture is in our name change cost guide.

General civil filing fees

$150 for new Circuit Court cases.

Probate court costs

County Probate Court. Verified example (Beaufort County): $150 for formal testacy / appointment of a personal representative (per §8-21-770, the same as civil actions in Circuit Court).

How filing works in South Carolina

  1. Prepare the petition or complaint for the Family Court — most South Carolina courts publish the forms on their self-help pages.
  2. File with the clerk and pay the filing fee above. Keep the stamped copy; it is your proof of filing.
  3. Arrange service of process on the other party where the case requires it (divorce and general civil cases do; a name change usually does not).
  4. Complete any publication the rules require — for a South Carolina name change: not required.
  5. Attend the hearing or, in uncontested matters, submit the proposed decree for the judge's signature.

Worked total: what a divorce filing costs

ItemCost
Filing fee$150
Service of process (typical private process server)$50–$100
Estimated total to file$200–$250

Filing fee plus service for one respondent, before any mediation, parenting-class, or copy charges described in the guides. Run your own combination in the cost calculator.

Sources: SC Judicial Branch — Circuit Court Fees · Title 15, ch. 49 — SC Code of Laws · Beaufort County Probate Court — Fees. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court clerk.

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