Tools for Planning Your Estate in South Carolina

In South Carolina, a will is signed before 2 witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

21 tools for South Carolina

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in South Carolina costs an estimated $27,462. Attorney fees run 2.1% to 3.3% of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in South Carolina, a surviving spouse takes half of the estate when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representation.

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How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

South Carolina levies no estate or inheritance tax; only the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,000.

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Do I Need Probate?

In South Carolina, estates valued at $45,000 or less use the Small Estate Affidavit, 30 days after death, a court filing short of full probate.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in South Carolina runs $4,150 to $6,225 and a simple will $1,122 to $2,244, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in South Carolina runs $4,150 to $6,225 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in South Carolina runs $1,122 to $2,244, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $27,462.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In South Carolina, four years at a public university cost about $96,888 and the cost of living is 6% below the U.S. average; no state estate or inheritance tax applies.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in South Carolina take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces state tax on the 56% of long-term gain left after a 44% exclusion.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

South Carolina automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in South Carolina costs an estimated $27,462 and takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.1% to 3.3% of the estate. Estates under $45,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In South Carolina, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18.

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What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

South Carolina allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written document, and that designation takes priority over the statutory order of next of kin who otherwise control disposition of the remains.

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How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in South Carolina takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.1% to 3.3% of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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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.

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Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

South Carolina allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle title, filed through the South Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (SCDMV) using Form TOD-1.

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How Do I Open a Trust Account at My Bank?

Compare trust-account requirements bank by bank: how a revocable trust account is opened or retitled, and what proves the trust.

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A will in South Carolina costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in South Carolina charges around $374 an hour for wills and estates work, which puts a simple will at $1,122 to $2,244. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $27,462 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.

A revocable living trust in South Carolina costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription. An attorney in South Carolina charges around $415 an hour for trust work, which puts an attorney-prepared trust at $4,150 to $6,225 for an individual plan.

No. South Carolina does not allow transfer on death deeds. South Carolina has not adopted the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act or any TOD deed statute.

In South Carolina, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing. It needs your signature and 2 witnesses or a notary, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18. It can be recorded alongside the rest of an estate plan when you create a revocable living trust.

In South Carolina, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.1% to 3.3% of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee. The trust also distributes assets faster than the 6 months to 9 months probate timeline a simple estate takes.