Todd and Johnson was founded in Columbia in 1980 with a focus on estate planning, trusts, probate, and tax law. Multiple attorneys hold the Certified Specialist designation in Estate Planning and Probate Law from the SC Supreme Court, and several are Fellows of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC).
Probate in Beaufort County
Probate Court Record
Beaufort County Probate Court
Beaufort County
Phone
Hours
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Filing in person
Self-represented filing
How to file probate in Beaufort County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Beaufort County? →Settling an estate in Beaufort County →
Asset Protection Firms Serving Beaufort County
Kirby Law, LLC is a boutique Estate Planning and Probate law firm serving the entire state of South Carolina. Since 2005, the principal attorney has been designated by the Supreme Court of South Carolina as a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law. Angela Kirby is both a CPA and an Attorney, and was an Associate Probate Judge for Richland County Probate Court for over five years.
All 5 South Carolina asset protection firms serving Beaufort County →
Forms for Planning Your Estate in South Carolina
Free forms for planning your estate in South Carolina: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Pour-Over Will
In South Carolina, a pour-over will is signed before 2S.C. Code § 62-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Transfer on Death Deed
Transfer real property to a beneficiary upon your death without probate. Available in 34 states and the District of Columbia.
Last Will and Testament
In South Carolina, a will is signed before 2S.C. Code § 62-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyS.C. Code § 62-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in South Carolina
Free tools for planning your estate in South Carolina: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for South Carolina.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In South Carolina, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.1%Modeled estimate under S.C. Code § 62-3-721 (compensation of any person the PR employs, including an attorney); § 62-1-111 (costs and attorney's fees in a formal proceeding); § 62-3-720 (litigation expenses): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.3%Modeled estimate under S.C. Code § 62-3-721 (compensation of any person the PR employs, including an attorney); § 62-1-111 (costs and attorney's fees in a formal proceeding); § 62-3-720 (litigation expenses): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in South Carolina runs $4,150Estimate: 10 hours at $415, Clio's South Carolina Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,225Estimate: 15 hours at $415, Clio's South Carolina Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
Do I Need a TOD Deed?
South Carolina does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 6 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.
Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
South Carolina automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceS.C. Code Ann. § 62-2-507Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
