South Carolina Court Information

In the State of South Carolina, just like any other state in the U.S., there exists a proper legal system and considerable effort is being put into it to ensure that it remains so. The legal authorities here encourage the residents to develop their knowledge of the legal system and approach the courts whenever they need to for some legal intervention or opinion.

The South Carolina court authorities have set up a structure that works at multiple levels, and follows a vertical hierarchy. This makes practical sense, since the sheer volume of the court lawsuits in the State of South Carolina makes it impossible for a single court to be able to settle all types of cases.

The courts present in the state are:

•    The Supreme Court
•    The Appeals Court
•    The Circuit Courts (present in 16 circuits)
•    The Family Courts
•    The Probate Courts
•    The Magistrate Courts
•    The Municipal Courts

Supreme Court

At the topmost rung of the system in the state is the Supreme Court. It is located at 1231 Gervais Street, Columbia, SC 29201. If and when you need to, you can make contact with the court personnel by calling 803-734-1080.

Being the highest legal body in South Carolina, the Supreme Court enjoys the sole authority to monitor and supervise the lower courts and overturn their judgments. The Supreme Court is the only one that has the jurisdiction to handle all appeals related to utility rates in the state, matters of election and public bond debts, abortions involving minors and cases involving the death penalty.

SC Appeals Court

The Appeals Court, as the name suggests, is an appellate court at the intermediate level. Appeals come here from the Family and the Circuit Courts. Thi court has 8 Associate Judges who are headed by a Chief Judge.

Other SC Courts

There are 2 divisions in the state Circuit Courts for civil cases and criminal cases. This is a trial court that has the jurisdiction to hear all matters related to regulatory agencies and state administration. There are 16 Circuit Courts in the 46 counties of the state.

Family Courts in the state handle all matters that are related to family and domestic issues, and they are divided into sixteen judicial circuits. Probate Courts on the other hand have the jurisdiction to hear cases related to guardianship, estates and marriages.

Ways to Get Acquainted with the Court System in South Carolina

The official website of the judicial system in the state is http://www.judicial.state.sc.us and you can visit this to know more about the regulations and the individual jurisdiction of the state courts. The website will provide you details about the various courts in the state, and also the various legal activities of the judiciary.

Rules and Regulations Conformed to by the South Carolina Courthouses

You can also contact the Clerk’s office for your needs. This office is in charge of handling most of the business affairs of the courts. The proceedings of all legal lawsuits are systematically recorded in the Register of Deeds of the courts of South Carolina.

There are various legal experts serving the South Carolina courts. If required, their professional services can be retained by the public. These legal experts include the public defenders and the solicitors.

The libraries of the Supreme Court as well as the other trial courts provide useful reference material that can be cited during a legal court proceeding. Issues related to bar admissions however fall under the sole responsibility of the Supreme Court of the state.