How Does the South Carolina Family Court Work?

The South Carolina Family Court was established in 1976. The court is responsible for overseeing all matters involving domestic or family relationships. Generally, Family Court rulings are either based on negotiation (when the parties reach an agreement) or litigation (both parties go to trial and have the court decide). In either case, the decision must be approved during a court hearing.

Generally, the functions of the South Carolina family court include the following:

• Enforcement of child support and periodic alimony
• Enforcement of temporary relief
• Enforcement of visitation
• Different types of hearing, including detention hearing, waiver hearing, adjudicatory hearing, and dispositional hearing
• Enforcement of agreement or settlement in litigation
• Divorce settlement

The South Carolina Family Court has exclusive jurisdiction over child abandonment, child neglect, and children beyond their parents’ or custodians’ control. Therefore, the court has the sole authority to hear all cases involving but not limited to:

• Legal separation
• Divorce
• Custody
• Visitation rights
• Adoption
• Termination of parental rights
• Division of marital property and change of name

The Family Court also has exclusive jurisdiction over cases of minors below the age of 17 alleged to have violated any local or state law or municipal ordinance. Such juvenile delinquency cases may also be handled by the Magistrates Courts or Municipal Courts, depending on the offense. A summary court may try juvenile traffic cases, fish and game, and watercraft violations. Note, certain criminal cases are transferred to the South Carolina Circuit Court for the prosecution of a juvenile as an adult.

Family courts also hold trials for juvenile traffic offenders. It has jurisdiction over the treatment and commitment of children with serious mental health issues. However, this jurisdiction is limited to the extent that it conflicts with the South Carolina Probate Court jurisdiction over mental health cases.

According to § 2–19–80 of South Carolina Code of Laws Unannotated, family court judges are elected by a joint public vote of the houses of the General Assembly. Additionally, the Judicial Merit Selection Commission screens the Family Court candidates before the General Assembly election. The required number of South Carolina family court judges in each of the sixteen circuits differs. § 63–3–40 outlines the number for each judicial circuit. Altogether, there are about 69 family court judges in South Carolina.

By the South Carolina Code of Laws, family court judges are elected for a six-year term until a successor is elected. The term of all family court judges expires on the thirtieth day of June in the final year. The judges are rotated from county to county within a single circuit. Sometimes, the Supreme Court Chief Justice may assign family court judges to other circuits when there is a caseload requirement.

When a judge’s position becomes vacant, it is filled by an election of the General Assembly. However, if the vacancy occurs when the General Assembly is not in session, the Governor of South Carolina appoints a family court judge to serve until the General Assembly convenes. The General Assembly then elects a replacement for the temporary family court judge within thirty days after convening.

South Carolina Family Courts are divided into the same Judicial districts as the Circuit Courts. Each judicial circuit has several counties, ranging from two to four. These are the family courts and their locations:

Abbeville County
Abbeville County Family Court
Abbeville County Courthouse
102 Court Square, Room 103
P.O. Box 99, Abbeville, SC 29620
Phone: 864–366–5312 ext. 2204
Fax: 864–366–9188

Aiken County
Aiken County Family Court
Judicial Center
109 Park Avenue SE
P.O. Box 3047, Aiken, SC 29802
Phone: 803–642–1715
Fax: 803–642–1718

Allendale County
Allendale County Family Court
Allendale County Courthouse
292 Barnwell Highway
P.O. Box 126, Allendale, SC 29810
Phone: 803–584–2737
Fax: 803–584–7046

Anderson County
Anderson County Family Court
100 S Main Street
P.O. Box 8002, Anderson, SC 29622
Phone: 864–260–4053
Fax: 864–260–4715

Bamberg County
Bamberg County Family Court
2959 Main Highway
P.O. Box 150, Bamberg, SC 29003
Phone: 803–245–3025
Fax: 803–245–3088

Barnwell County
Barnwell County Family Court
Barnwell County Courthouse
141 Main Street
P.O. Box 723, Barnwell, SC 29812
Phone: 803–541–1114
Fax: 803–259–7496

Beaufort County
Beaufort County Family Court
102 Ribaut Road, Room 119
P.O. Box 1124, Beaufort, SC 29901
Phone: 843–255–5660
Fax: 843–255–9421

Berkeley County
Berkeley County Family Court
300-B California Avenue
P.O. Box 219, Moncks Corner, SC 29461
Phone: 843–719–4500
Fax: 843–719–4509

Calhoun County
Calhoun County Family Court
Calhoun County Courthouse
902 F. R. Huff Drive
P.O. Box 709, St. Matthews, SC 29135
Phone: 803–874–3524
Fax: 803–874–1942

Charleston County
Charleston County Family Court
Judicial Center
100 Broad Street, Suite 143, Charleston, SC 29401
Phone: 843–958–4400
Fax: 843–958–4434

Cherokee County
Cherokee County Family Court
125 East Floyd Baker Blvd
P.O. Box 2289, Gaffney, SC 29342
Phone: 864–487–2571
Fax: 864–487–2754

Chester County
Chester County Family Court
126 Wylie Street
P.O. Box 580, Chester, SC 29706
Phone: 803–377–7156
Fax: 855–932–2202

Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County Family Court
Chesterfield County Courthouse
200 West Main Street
P.O. Box 529, Chesterfield, SC 29709
Phone: 843–623–6301
Fax: 843–623–6944

Clarendon County
Clarendon County Family Court
102 South Mill Street
P.O. Box 490, Manning, SC 29102
Phone: 803–435–4210
Fax: 803–433–8008

Colleton County
Colleton County Family Court
101 Hampton Street
P.O. Box 620, Walterboro, SC 29488
Phone: 843–549–2870
Fax: 843–549–7740

Darlington County
Darlington County Family Court
1 Public Square
Room B–4, Darlington, SC 29532
Phone: 843–398–4333
Fax: 843–393–6871

Dillon County
Dillon County Family Court
301 West Main Street
PO Drawer 1220, Dillon, SC 29536
Phone: 843–774–1425
Fax: 843–774–3706

Dorchester County
Dorchester County Family Court
Troy Knight Judicial Complex
212 Deming Way
P.O. Box 1885, Summerville, SC 29484
Phone: 843–563–0360
Fax: 843–832–0359

Edgefield County
Edgefield County Family Court
129 Courthouse Square
P.O. Box 34, Edgefield, SC 29824
Phone: 803–637–4081
Fax: 803–637–4056

Fairfield County
Fairfield County Family Court
Fairfield County Courthouse
101 South Congress Street
PO Drawer 299, Winnsboro, SC 29180
Phone: 803–712–6528
Fax: 803–712–1478

Florence County
Florence County Family Court
City-County Complex
180 North Irby Street, Florence, SC 29501
Phone: 843–665–3096
Fax: 843–662–6165

Georgetown County
Georgetown County Family Court
401 Cleland Street, Room 115
P.O. Box 479, Georgetown, SC 29442
Phone: 843–545–3046
Fax: 843–545–3294

Greenville County
Greenville County Family Court
301 University Ridge
P.O. Box 757, Greenville, SC 29602
Phone: 864–467–5800
Fax: 864–467–5856

Greenwood County
Greenwood County Family Court
Greenwood County Courthouse
528 Monument Street
Room 114, Greenwood, SC 29646
Phone: 864–942–8611
Fax: 864–942–8693

Hampton County
Hampton County Family Court
Hampton County Courthouse
1 Courthouse Square
P.O. Box 7, Hampton, SC 29924
Phone: 803–914–2250
Fax: 803–914–2258

Horry County
Horry County Family Court
Government & Justice Center
1301 2nd Avenue
P.O. Box 677, Conway, SC 29528
Phone: 843–915–5080
Fax: 843–915–6081

Jasper County
Jasper County Family Court
265 Russell Street
P.O. Box 248, Ridgeland, SC 29936
Phone: 843–726–7710
Fax: 843–726–7782

Kershaw County
Kershaw County Family Court
Kershaw County Courthouse
1121 Broad Street, Room 213
P.O. Box 1557, Camden, SC 29021
Phone: 803–425–7225
Fax: 803–425–1527

Lancaster County
Lancaster County Family Court
Lancaster County Courthouse
104 North Main Street, Lancaster, SC 29720
Phone: 803–285–6961

Laurens County
Laurens County Family Court
100 Hillcrest Square, Suite B
P.O. Box 287, Laurens, SC 29360
Phone: 984–353–8
Fax: 864–984–7023

Lee County
Lee County Family Court
123 South Main Street
P.O. Box 387, Bishopville, SC 29010
Phone: 803–484–5341
Fax: 803–484–1632

Lexington County
Lexington County Family Court
205 East Main Street, Lexington, SC 29072
Phone: 803–785–8212
Fax: 803–785–2215

Marion County
Marion County Family Court
100 West Court Street
P.O. Box 295, Marion, SC 29571
Phone: 843–423–8240
Fax: 843–423–8242

Marlboro County
Marlboro County Family Court
Marlboro County Courthouse
105 Main Street
PO Drawer 996, Bennettsville, SC 29512
Phone: 843–479–5613
Fax: 843–479–5640

McCormick County
McCormick County Family Court
133 South Mine Street
Room 102, McCormick, SC 29835
Phone: 864–852–2195
Fax: 864–852–0071

Newberry County
Newberry County Family Court
Newberry County Courthouse
1226 College Street
PO Drawer 10, Newberry, SC 29108
Phone: 803–321–2110
Fax: 803–321–2111

Oconee County
Oconee County Family Court
205 West Main Street
P.O. Box 678, Walhalla, SC 29691
Phone: 864–638–4280
Fax: 864–638–4282

Orangeburg County
Orangeburg County Family Court
151 Docket Street
P.O. Box 9000, Orangeburg, SC 29116
Phone: 803–533–6260
Fax: 803–534–3848

Pickens County
Pickens County Family Court
214 East Main Street
P.O. Box 215, Pickens, SC 29671
Phone: 864–898–5598
Fax: 864–898–5863

Richland County
Richland County Family Court
Richland County Judicial Center
1701 Main Street, Room 205
P.O. Box 2766, Columbia, SC 29202
Phone: 803–576–1950
Fax: 803–576–1785

Saluda County
Saluda County Family Court
Saluda County Courthouse
100 East Church Street
Suite 6, Saluda, SC 29138
Phone: 864–445–4500
Fax: 864–445–3772

Spartanburg County
Spartanburg County Family Court
Spartanburg County Courthouse
180 Magnolia Street, Suite 500
P.O. Box 5666, Spartanburg, SC 29304
Phone: 864–596–2591
Fax: 864–596–2128

Sumter County
Sumter County Family Court
Sumter County Judicial Center
215 North Harvin Street, Sumter, SC 29150
Phone: 803–436–2366
Fax: 803–774–2814

Union County
Union County Family Court
Union County Courthouse
210 West Main Street, Union, SC 29379
Phone: 864–429–1630

Williamsburg County
Williamsburg County Family Court
147 West Main Street, Kingstree, SC 29556
Phone: 843–355–9321 (Ext.6100)
Fax: 843–355–1586

York County
York County Circuit Court - General Sessions (Criminal)
Moss Justice Center
1675 York Highway, Suite 1G
P.O. Box 649, York, SC 29745
Phone: 803–628–3036
Fax: 803–628–3133

Interested persons may obtain family court records from the South Carolina State Document Depository. The depository provides a list of the cases in domestic relations courts and juvenile courts in South Carolina for the various circuits and counties. The repository also provides family court reports containing information about the age of cases, number of cases added and disposed of, and the benchmark progress.

Alternatively, interested persons may request for South Carolina family court records from the South Carolina State Document Depository by sending a mail containing personal information and the details of the relevant record to:

South Carolina State Library,
1500, Senate Street,
Columbia,
South Carolina 29201

For online requests, visit the South Carolina State Library website. All information on the website is certified by the South Carolina Department of Archives and History (SCDAH). The South Carolina State Library provides links for each of the family court records in the depository. The links provide access to downloadable family court documents.

Walk-in requests may be made at the office of the family court clerk for South Carolina family court records. To find the location of a South Carolina Family Court, visit the relevant county’s family court website. The sites also provide contact information for the courts. Most clerks receive requests made in-person, online, by fax, or telephone.

For instance, Charleston County allows visitation to the family court clerks’ office on Mondays to Fridays from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. For online requests, visit Charleston County’s website. To access information on the site, provide some or all of the following:

• Year in question
• Court location
• Case number
• Full or partial part name
• Case type
• Filling date
• Satisfaction date

Note, most Family Court records are considered confidential and are not available for public inspection. Examples of such documents include juvenile delinquency records, documents about the termination of parental rights, adoption, abuse and neglect, and any other sealed records. The SCDAH regulates available information, and requirements for accessing that information may vary depending on the county involved. South Carolina family court cases may last years in the court, depending on the circumstances.