© 2026 SimplyTrust Software Inc.
Elder law attorneys in South Carolina focus on the legal issues facing aging adults and their families: Medicaid planning for long-term care, drafting and updating durable powers of attorney and healthcare directives, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, special needs trusts, and asset protection. Many also handle probate and estate planning, but elder law is the specific subset focused on care planning and benefits eligibility. See the South Carolina healthcare proxy and financial power of attorney forms.
Federal law (and South Carolina's implementation) imposes a 5-year lookback period for Medicaid long-term care eligibility. Any uncompensated transfers (gifts, transfers to family members, transfers to a non-Medicaid-qualified trust) within the 5 years before applying for Medicaid can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid won't pay for nursing home care. This is the main reason Medicaid planning needs to start years before care is actually needed — and the main reason elder law attorneys exist as a distinct practice area.
Estate planning attorneys in South Carolina average $374 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,122–$2,244 for a simple individual will and $4,150–$6,225 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
South Carolina allows estates under $45,000 to use a simplified Small Estate Affidavit procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the South Carolina probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In South Carolina, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 3,941 estate law firms across 51 states.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
19 firms
Bledsoe Law Firm has served the Darlington County and Pee Dee region since 1973. The firm handles wills, powers of attorney, probate, and estate administration alongside personal injury and disability cases.
Location
325 West Home AvenueHartsville, SC 29550
Phone
(843) 332-2255
Established
1973
Collins Family & Elder Law Group provides estate planning, family law, and elder law services from 14 offices across North and South Carolina. The Columbia office offers guidance on wills, trusts, powers of attorney, guardianships, conservatorships, and estate administration.
Location
1332 Main Street, Suite 201Columbia, SC 29201
Phone
(803) 590-6982
Established
1995
Service Area
6 counties
Davis & Boyd has served the Grand Strand since 1996. Bret H. Davis holds a J.D., an LL.M. and Certificate in Estate Planning from Villanova, and is a CPA licensed in South Carolina and North Carolina. The firm handles estate planning, elder law, Medicaid and VA benefits planning, special needs planning, probate, and guardianships.
Location
1110 London Street, Suite 201Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
Phone
(843) 839-9800
Established
1996
Established in 1941, the Dobson Law Group is a leading regional law firm based in Greenville. Practice areas include estate planning, elder law, Medicaid planning and eligibility, probate and estate law, retirement deferred plans, and veterans benefits.
Location
220 Howe StreetGreenville, SC 29601
Phone
(864) 271-8171
Established
1941
Deirdre W. Edmonds has over 30 years of combined experience as a licensed attorney and as the former Horry County Probate Judge. The firm has focused on estate planning and probate for more than 25 years.
Location
1500 Highway 17 North, The Courtyard Suite 214Surfside Beach, SC 29587
Phone
(843) 232-0654
Established
2015
Finklea, Hendrick & Blake has served the Pee Dee region since 2004 with offices in Florence, Marion, and Hemingway. The firm handles probate and estate planning alongside personal injury, real estate, family law, and criminal defense, with seven attorneys on staff.
Location
814 West Evans StreetFlorence, SC 29501
Phone
(843) 317-4900
Established
2004
Hardy Law Firm focuses on estate planning, probate, elder law, and business law in Lexington, South Carolina. Kevin Hardy prepares wills, living wills, trusts, health care powers of attorney, and durable powers of attorney for clients across the Midlands.
Location
309 North Lake DriveLexington, SC 29072
Phone
(803) 832-4600
Service Area
5 counties
Horger, Barnwell & McCurry has served Orangeburg and the surrounding area since 1950, handling probate, estate planning, wills, and elder law. The firm brings over 88 combined years of legal experience with an AV Preeminent peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
Location
1459 Amelia StreetOrangeburg, SC 29116
Phone
(803) 531-3000
Established
1950
Service Area
3 counties
John M. Jolley is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning and Probate Law by the South Carolina Supreme Court and a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel (ACTEC). The firm has been named to Best Lawyers in America for four consecutive years and Jolley was named Lawyer of the Year in Trusts and Estates.
Location
99 Main Street, Suite 103Hilton Head Island, SC 29926
Phone
(843) 681-6500
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.
Location
828 Woodrow StreetColumbia, SC 29205
Phone
(803) 256-6401
Service Area
Statewide