Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in South Carolina

After a death in South Carolina, the estate either qualifies for the simplified procedure for estates under $45,000 or goes through probate, where creditors have 8 months to file claims after notice.

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36 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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How Much Can an Executor Charge?

South Carolina pays executors reasonable compensation, typically 2.2% to 3.8% of the estate.

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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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What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

In South Carolina, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent) unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.

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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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How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?

In South Carolina, certified death certificates come from the South Carolina Department of Public Health - Vital Records Section; the first copy costs $12, additional copies $3 each.

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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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What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance?

South Carolina imposes no inheritance or estate tax; probate assets arrive when the estate closes, 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate.

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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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South Carolina allows estates valued at $45,000 or less to use the Small Estate Affidavit, which avoids full probate administration. In South Carolina the affidavit is filed with the court, and holders honor the court's certified copy — but no letters testamentary or of administration issue. The waiting period is 30 days after death.

Probate costs in South Carolina typically include attorney fees of typically 2.1% to 3.3% of the estate, executor fees, court filing fees, and publication costs. On a $500,000 estate, total costs run about $27,462, roughly 5% of estate value, varying with complexity. Estimate executor compensation separately with the South Carolina executor fee calculator.

South Carolina intestacy law decides. South Carolina follows separate property rules: the surviving spouse's share depends on whether children survive and whose children they are. The estate passes to the closest surviving relatives, in most cases the spouse and children first, then in order: Parents; Issue of your parents; Grandparents and their issue; Great-grandparents and their issue; The State of South Carolina.

No. South Carolina imposes no state estate tax and no inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, on an estate above $15,000,000, an exemption the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21 §70106) set permanently from 2026 and indexes for inflation.

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.