Georgetown County Dissolution Of Marriage

Georgetown County dissolution of marriage records are maintained by the Clerk of Court at the Georgetown County Family Court, located at 401 Cleland Street in Georgetown, South Carolina. The Family Court serves all of Georgetown County as part of the 15th Judicial Circuit. You can search dissolution of marriage cases through the FCCMS Public Portal online, or visit the Clerk of Court in person during business hours. This page covers contact details, filing fees, court jurisdiction, and how to access Georgetown County dissolution of marriage records.

Georgetown County Family Court Contact Information

The Georgetown County Family Court is located on the first floor of the courthouse at 401 Cleland Street, Room 115, Georgetown, SC 29440. The mailing address is P.O. Box 479, Georgetown, SC 29442. You can reach the Clerk of Court by phone at 843-545-3215. The fax number is 843-545-3294. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 5 pm. The office is closed on legal holidays.

The Georgetown County Family Court at gtcounty.org/218/Family-Court is the official source for court information, including updates to office hours, holiday closures, and any procedural changes affecting dissolution of marriage filings. Check the county website before visiting to confirm current hours and requirements.

The Georgetown County Family Court page on the county website lists all the contact details and procedural information you need before filing or requesting dissolution of marriage records in Georgetown County.

Georgetown County Dissolution Of Marriage Filing Fees

The Georgetown County Family Court follows a set fee schedule for domestic filings. The standard filing fee for a dissolution of marriage case is $150, unless the judge grants an exemption. This fee is paid at the time you file your Summons and Complaint with the Clerk of Court on Cleland Street. Filing a Lis Pendens together with a Summons and Complaint costs $150. A Lis Pendens filed alone is $10, and cancelling a Lis Pendens costs $1.

Motions and Rules to Show Cause (RTSC) carry a $25 fee in Georgetown County. There is no fee for an RTSC filed strictly for child support or spousal support enforcement. Copies of court documents cost $0.50 per page. Certifications are $1 each. These fees apply to dissolution of marriage files and all other Family Court records maintained by the Georgetown County Clerk of Court.

If you have a low income, you may apply to proceed without paying court costs by filing an Affidavit and Application to Proceed In Forma Pauperis with the Georgetown County court. A judge reviews the application and decides whether to waive fees in your case.

Note: Fee amounts are set by state and county policy and may change; confirm current rates with the Clerk of Court at 843-545-3215 before filing.

Georgetown County Family Court Jurisdiction

The Georgetown County Family Court has exclusive jurisdiction over domestic cases within the county. This means only the Family Court can hear and decide these matters. Dissolution of marriage is one of the most common case types, but the court's authority covers a wide range of domestic disputes. Every case handled by the Georgetown County Family Court creates a court record that the Clerk of Court maintains.

The full list of matters under the Georgetown County Family Court's exclusive jurisdiction includes: alimony, annulment, change of name, child support, custody, division of marital property, divorces, domestic violence incidents, legal guardianship, paternity, separate maintenance and support, and visitation rights. If your situation falls into any of these categories, Georgetown County Family Court is the court that handles it.

Some case types are confidential. Adoptions, abuse and neglect proceedings, and termination of parental rights cases are not available through the public access system. The Family Court also has exclusive jurisdiction over juvenile matters involving minors under age seventeen, and those records are confidential as well. Any case that a judge orders sealed is also restricted from public access. Dissolution of marriage cases in Georgetown County are generally public, though individual documents may be restricted if ordered sealed by the court.

Online Access to Georgetown County Dissolution Records

The FCCMS Public Portal gives you online access to Georgetown County Family Court records, including dissolution of marriage cases. Go to portal.fccms.dss.sc.gov to search by party name or case number. The portal is free to use and available at any time. You can verify case status, see filing dates, and confirm party names without visiting the Georgetown County courthouse. The portal does not include confidential cases such as adoptions or abuse-neglect proceedings.

Attorneys handling Georgetown County cases can use the separate attorney portal at attorneyportal.fccms.dss.sc.gov. This portal provides attorney-level access to case information and filings. Members of the public use the standard public portal. Both portals pull data from the same Georgetown County Family Court record system maintained by the Clerk of Court.

The FCCMS portal is the fastest way to confirm whether a dissolution of marriage case was filed in Georgetown County without calling or visiting the Clerk of Court office on Cleland Street.

Dissolution Of Marriage Laws Governing Georgetown County Cases

South Carolina law applies to every dissolution of marriage case filed in Georgetown County. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 20-3-10, the state permits both no-fault and fault-based grounds. The no-fault ground is one year of continuous separation. Fault grounds include adultery, physical cruelty, habitual drunkenness or narcotics use, and desertion for one year. Most Georgetown County dissolution cases use the one-year separation ground because it does not require proving wrongdoing.

Residency rules under S.C. Code Ann. § 20-3-30 require one spouse to have been a South Carolina resident for at least one year before filing. If both spouses live in South Carolina at the time of filing, three months of residency is sufficient. Georgetown County residents who meet this requirement file their dissolution cases with the Clerk of Court at 401 Cleland Street in Georgetown.

South Carolina is an equitable distribution state. Under S.C. Code Ann. § 20-3-620, the Georgetown County Family Court divides marital property fairly based on the circumstances of each case. The court considers factors such as the length of the marriage, each spouse's financial situation, and contributions to the marital estate. A property settlement agreement reached by both parties becomes part of the Georgetown County court record.

The South Carolina Code of Laws at scstatehouse.gov governs every dissolution of marriage proceeding heard by the Georgetown County Family Court.

Child Support Payments and Georgetown County

Georgetown County implemented the Federally Mandated State Disbursement Unit on June 1, 2019. Since that date, all child support and alimony payments that were previously made to the Georgetown County Clerk of Court are now sent directly to the South Carolina State Disbursement Unit. The SDU mailing address is South Carolina State Disbursement Unit, P.O. Box 100302, Columbia, SC 29202. Obligors in Georgetown County must use this address for all ongoing support payments.

There is one exception to the SDU rule in Georgetown County. If you appeared before a judge for failure to pay child support or alimony and the judge ordered you to pay a specific purge amount to come into compliance, that purge payment must be paid at the Georgetown County Clerk of Court office in person. The office accepts cash, cashier's check, or money order for purge payments. Personal checks are not accepted for purge payments in Georgetown County. Contact the office at 843-545-3215 if you have questions about which payments go to the SDU and which must be paid at the courthouse on Cleland Street.

For general child support questions in Georgetown County, the South Carolina Department of Social Services handles statewide support services. Visit dss.sc.gov or call 1-800-768-5858.

Georgetown County Divorce Certificates

The South Carolina Department of Public Health, Division of Vital Records, issues divorce certificates for dissolutions that occurred anywhere in South Carolina, including Georgetown County. These certificates cost $12 per copy. The vital records office holds dissolution records from July 1962 through December 2023. Requests can be submitted by mail to 2600 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, or through the DPH website at dph.sc.gov.

A DPH certificate is a summary document. It confirms the dissolution but does not include property settlement terms, custody arrangements, or support orders. For the full record of a Georgetown County dissolution of marriage case, contact the Clerk of Court at 843-545-3215 or visit Room 115 at 401 Cleland Street in Georgetown.

Note: Copy fees at the Georgetown County Clerk of Court are $0.50 per page, with an additional $1 for a certified copy, which is separate from the DPH certificate process.

Legal Resources for Georgetown County Residents

Georgetown County residents who need legal help with a dissolution of marriage case have several free and low-cost options. South Carolina Legal Services provides free civil legal assistance to people who qualify based on income. Visit sclegal.org to learn about eligibility and find contact information for the nearest office. The South Carolina Bar runs a lawyer referral service that can match you with a family law attorney. Call (803) 799-6653 to get a referral in or near Georgetown County.

The SC Courts website at sccourts.org has self-represented litigant packets for simple dissolution cases. These packets include the forms and step-by-step instructions that Georgetown County residents need to file without a lawyer. The Women's Law site at womenslaw.org offers plain-language explanations of South Carolina dissolution law. Cordell and Cordell address common questions at cordellcordell.com.

For questions about the Georgetown County Family Court process specifically, the best source is always the Clerk of Court office at 843-545-3215. Staff can tell you what forms to use, what fees apply, and how to submit documents correctly for your dissolution of marriage case in Georgetown County.

Public Records Access in Georgetown County

Georgetown County dissolution of marriage records are public records under South Carolina law. The Freedom of Information Act at S.C. Code Ann. § 30-4-10 gives any person the right to request access to public records held by a government body. You do not have to be a party in a dissolution case to view the public portions of the file. The Clerk of Court in Georgetown County must respond to written FOIA requests within a reasonable time.

Confidential cases are excluded from public access. These include adoptions, abuse-neglect cases, termination of parental rights, sealed juvenile matters, and any case that a Family Court judge has specifically ordered sealed. A dissolution of marriage case sealed by court order is not available to the public without a separate court order authorizing access. Standard dissolution of marriage cases in Georgetown County are accessible through the Clerk of Court or the FCCMS portal.

The South Carolina Freedom of Information Act at scstatehouse.gov establishes the right to access Georgetown County dissolution of marriage records held by the Clerk of Court.

Cities in Georgetown County

Georgetown is the county seat of Georgetown County and home to the Family Court at 401 Cleland Street. All dissolution of marriage cases for Georgetown County residents are filed at this courthouse, regardless of which part of the county the parties live in.

Nearby Counties

Georgetown County borders several other South Carolina counties. If you are unsure which county covers your home address, confirm your county before filing a dissolution of marriage case. The court with jurisdiction over your case is the one in the county where you or your spouse resides.

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