How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in South Carolina?
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.
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 $415Clio Compare Lawyer Rates, South Carolina: Trusts rate (2025 data)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source an hour for trust work, which puts an attorney-prepared trust at $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 plan.
Yes. Assets titled to a revocable living trust pass outside probate in South Carolina: the beneficiaries receive them without a court case, a public record or the probate timeline. Probate on a $500,000 estate in South Carolina costs about $27,462S.C. Code § 62-3-721 (court review of the reasonableness of compensation of any person employed by the personal representative, including any attorney; refunds of excessive compensation); § 62-1-111 (award of costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, in a formal proceeding); § 62-3-720 (litigation expense reimbursement)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source in court and professional fees. The South Carolina probate calculator estimates the fees for a given estate.
An online trust service costs $0 to $549 up front against $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 attorney in South Carolina. The lifetime figure turns on the subscription, the amendment charges and how often life events require an update.
Only what was never transferred into the trust. The common oversights are a bank account, a vehicle or real estate left in the grantor's own name. A pour-over will catches those assets and directs them into the trust through probate; funding the trust in life is what avoids that step.
Most online trust services charge a subscription of $49 to $199 a year, which may cover document access, minor amendments or an attorney consultation. An attorney amendment in South Carolina costs $415Estimate: 1 hours at $415, Clio's South Carolina Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $830Estimate: 2 hours at $415, Clio's South Carolina Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a simple change and $1,660Estimate: 4 hours at $415, Clio's South Carolina Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $3,320Estimate: 8 hours at $415, Clio's South Carolina Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a major update such as a divorce or a remarriage.
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New Baby or Adoption
Your family is growing. Your protection should too. Guardian nominations, trusts for minors, beneficiary updates, and the documents new parents need in place.
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Marriage
What married couples need in place: one joint trust or two, wills, beneficiary updates, and the spousal rights your state grants you automatically.
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New Home
How to put your house in a revocable trust: the deed you record, what it does to your mortgage and property taxes, and when a TOD deed is simpler.
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Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in South Carolina
Free forms for planning your estate in South Carolina: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
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.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
South Carolina requires 2S.C. Code Ann. § 62-5-504Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not requiredS.C. Code Ann. § 62-5-504Verified Oct 15, 2026View source.
Financial Power of Attorney
South Carolina treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultS.C. Code § 62-8-101 et seq.Verified Sep 20, 2026View source, and it is signed before 2S.C. Code § 62-8-101 et seq.Verified Sep 20, 2026View source witnesses and a notary.
Vehicle Transfer on Death
Name a beneficiary to inherit your vehicle at death without probate. Available in 26 states and the District of Columbia.
Living Will
In South Carolina, the living will is the Declaration of a Desire for a Natural DeathS.C. Code Ann. Title 44, Chapter 77 (§§ 44-77-10 to 44-77-160), Death With Dignity ActVerified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in South Carolina
Free tools for planning your estate in South Carolina: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
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.
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%S.C. Code § 62-3-721 (court review of the reasonableness of compensation of any person employed by the personal representative, including any attorney; refunds of excessive compensation); § 62-1-111 (award of costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, in a formal proceeding); § 62-3-720 (litigation expense reimbursement)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.3%S.C. Code § 62-3-721 (court review of the reasonableness of compensation of any person employed by the personal representative, including any attorney; refunds of excessive compensation); § 62-1-111 (award of costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, in a formal proceeding); § 62-3-720 (litigation expense reimbursement)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In South Carolina, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.1%S.C. Code § 62-3-721 (court review of the reasonableness of compensation of any person employed by the personal representative, including any attorney; refunds of excessive compensation); § 62-1-111 (award of costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, in a formal proceeding); § 62-3-720 (litigation expense reimbursement)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.3%S.C. Code § 62-3-721 (court review of the reasonableness of compensation of any person employed by the personal representative, including any attorney; refunds of excessive compensation); § 62-1-111 (award of costs and expenses, including reasonable attorney's fees, in a formal proceeding); § 62-3-720 (litigation expense reimbursement)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable 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 and a simple will $1,122Estimate: 3 hours at $374, Clio's South Carolina Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,244Estimate: 6 hours at $374, Clio's South Carolina Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In South Carolina, four years at a public university cost about $96,888NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is 6% below the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesNo state estate or inheritance tax. S.C. Code Ann. § 12-16-510(A) still imposes an estate tax "in the amount of the federal credit," but § 12-16-20(2) measures that credit by IRC § 2011, which EGTRRA (P.L. 107-16 § 532) phased out for deaths after 12/31/2004 — so the levy computes to $0 (an inert pick-up tax left on the books, never repealed). SCDOR: "South Carolina has no Estate Tax for decedents dying on or after January 1, 2005." No inheritance tax and no state gift tax (neither exists in Title 12).Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
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.
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South Carolina Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering South Carolina probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.