Payne & Black is a leading elder law and estate planning firm with offices in Columbia and Rock Hill. Mitchell C. Payne is a founding board member of the Carolinas Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and a frequent lecturer on elder law, Medicaid, and asset protection.
Probate in Greenville County
Probate Court Record
Greenville County Probate Court
Greenville County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Greenville County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Greenville County? →Settling an estate in Greenville County →
Asset Protection Firms Serving Greenville 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 3 South Carolina asset protection firms serving Greenville 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.
