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Chesterfield County, SC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Chesterfield County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Chesterfield County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 200 West Main St., Chesterfield, SC 29709 |
| Mailing address | Same as the street address: 200 West Main St., Chesterfield, SC 29709 |
| Phone | 843-623-2376 |
| Fax | 843-623-9886 |
| [email protected] | |
| Hours | Public hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. |
| Estate filing cost | The estate cost is based on the statewide schedule in S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, current text from 1995 Act No. 15, plus any publication, certification or copy costs that apply. |
| Forms used | The Chesterfield County Probate Court links to the statewide South Carolina Probate Court form set and does not publish a separate Chesterfield estate form set. |
| Electronic filing | No statewide probate electronic filing system applies. Chesterfield County's probate court page does not publish an estate electronic filing, email filing or drop-box channel. |
| Estate lookup | Chesterfield County's probate court page does not publish an online estate search. Call 843-623-2376 to ask how to look up an estate file. |
| Remote participation | South Carolina's statewide Remote Communication Technology order, as amended February 19, 2025, leaves the decision to the probate judge. Chesterfield County does not publish a separate local remote-hearing practice. |
| Website | https://www.chesterfieldcountysc.com/probate-court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you call the Chesterfield County Probate Court, make a working list of the person's accounts, real estate, vehicles, debts, beneficiaries and any will. Probate forms and court fees depend on what must pass through probate, so a clearer asset picture makes the first appointment more productive.
Sunset's estate settlement platform searches more than 2,300 institutions to help families find accounts and assets before they prepare a probate packet. That can reduce missed accounts, repeated court visits and uncertainty about which Chesterfield filing path fits the estate.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Chesterfield County Probate Court is the county probate court for estates that belong in Chesterfield County. The courthouse is in Chesterfield, the county seat, at 200 West Main St.
For a South Carolina decedent's estate, venue is governed by S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-201. Use Chesterfield County when that venue rule points to Chesterfield County, and call the court before filing if the person lived outside South Carolina or owned property in more than one place.
The jurisdiction process
- Confirm the assets, debts, will status and death certificate. Chesterfield County's own guidance says that once you have the death certificate, you should call the Probate Court for an appointment if the person died owning assets that need to be administered.
- Choose the statewide South Carolina Probate Court forms that match the filing. Form 300ES is used for informal probate or appointment and also identifies formal probate or appointment when that track is needed. Form 420ES is used only for an affidavit under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201.
- Call 843-623-2376 before bringing papers to 200 West Main St. The court publishes public hours of Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and does not publish a separate estate electronic filing channel.
- File the application or petition with the Chesterfield County Probate Court and be prepared for costs under S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, current text from 1995 Act No. 15. Ask the court what payment methods and publication or copy costs apply before the appointment.
- Follow the notice, service and hearing instructions the court gives for the filing type. Formal proceedings use the formal side of Form 300ES and may require a hearing in the Probate Court.
- Ask the court how it applies the statewide Remote Communication Technology order, as amended February 19, 2025, if a hearing is set and travel is difficult. The order gives the probate judge discretion rather than creating a Chesterfield County default.
- After appointment, obtain the authority document the court issues. South Carolina law calls the authority "letters," including letters testamentary and letters of administration under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-1-201, and the court-issued document families show banks is the Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, with the court's raised seal.
- Administer the estate, protect assets, give required notices, pay allowed claims, distribute property to the proper people and file the closing documents the statewide form set requires.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Chesterfield County
Chesterfield County uses the statewide numbered South Carolina Probate Court forms. The Chesterfield County Probate Court's useful-links section sends families to the statewide form set at https://www.sccourts.org/court-forms/?courtType=PC.
The Chesterfield County Probate Court page does not publish a separate Chesterfield-hosted estate form set, estate checklist or probate cover sheet. Families should use the statewide forms, then call the local court if they are unsure which forms are required for their appointment.
| Form | Use in Chesterfield County |
|---|---|
| Form 300ES | Application or petition for informal or formal probate of a will or appointment of a personal representative. |
| Form 420ES | Affidavit for collection of personal property under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, including the $45,000 limit effective May 8, 2025. |
| Form 141PC | Certificate of Appointment issued by the court after appointment, with the court's raised seal. |
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Chesterfield County path | Where Sunset can help |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by listing the home, accounts and debts, then call the Chesterfield County Probate Court after the death certificate is available if any assets need administration. The court can explain procedure and forms but cannot give legal advice. | Sunset helps identify accounts, organize documents and prepare the estate settlement packet before the appointment. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Call 843-623-2376 before traveling. If the affidavit path under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201 applies, use Form 420ES and ask the court how it wants the appointment handled. | Sunset helps gather account information, generate forms and flag questions to ask the Chesterfield County Probate Court before making the trip. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | Call the court to start the appointment process and expect attorney help if real estate must be transferred or sold. The court's own guidance says an attorney is needed to prepare a deed of distribution of real estate. | Sunset helps find estate assets, assemble the probate packet and connect the family with a local probate attorney for the real estate work. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Chesterfield County Probate Court | Answers procedural questions, schedules an appointment to open an estate once a death certificate is in hand and directs filers to the statewide form set. Staff cannot give legal advice. | 200 West Main St., Chesterfield, SC 29709; 843-623-2376; [email protected]; https://www.chesterfieldcountysc.com/probate-court |
| South Carolina Judicial Branch probate form set | Provides the numbered statewide Probate Court forms that Chesterfield families use for estate filings. | https://www.sccourts.org/court-forms/?courtType=PC |
| South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service | Connects callers with a lawyer. The consultation charge is no more than fifty dollars for 30 minutes, as published by the Bar for August 2026; participating lawyers do not take pro bono cases. | 803-799-7100, 9 a.m. to noon and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday; online referral available 24/7; https://www.scbar.org/public/get-legal-help/ |
When to hire an attorney
Counsel makes sense in Chesterfield County when the filing is formal, a will or appointment is disputed, heirs disagree, real estate must be transferred or sold, or a deed of distribution is needed. Sunset connects you to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families search for financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets and other property that may affect the Chesterfield County probate filing.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized estate settlement packet using the South Carolina forms and the local court details for Chesterfield County.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate involves a dispute, formal probate, real estate or a sale, Sunset can connect the family with a vetted South Carolina probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize the probate process, understand next steps and move estate settlement forward without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Chesterfield County?
File with the Chesterfield County Probate Court at 200 West Main St., Chesterfield, SC 29709. Call 843-623-2376 after you have the death certificate if the person died owning assets that need to be administered.
Does Chesterfield County let me file an estate electronically?
The court's page does not publish an estate electronic filing, email filing or drop-box channel. South Carolina does not have a statewide probate electronic filing system for these filings, so call the Chesterfield County Probate Court before sending or bringing papers.
Does Chesterfield County have its own probate forms?
The Chesterfield County Probate Court links to the statewide South Carolina Probate Court form set and does not publish a separate Chesterfield estate form set. Use the statewide forms, including Form 300ES for informal or formal appointment and Form 420ES for an affidavit under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201.
What is the probate filing fee in Chesterfield County?
Estate costs are based on the statewide schedule in S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, current text from 1995 Act No. 15. Chesterfield County's probate court page does not publish a separate estate fee schedule, so ask the court what amount, payment method and publication or copy costs apply to your filing.
Can I look up a Chesterfield County probate case online?
Chesterfield County's probate court page does not publish an online estate search. Call 843-623-2376 to ask how to look up an estate file.
Can I handle a small estate in Chesterfield County?
South Carolina's affidavit procedure under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201 uses Form 420ES and has a $45,000 limit effective May 8, 2025. The affidavit must go through the probate court before it is used to collect property.
Can I attend a Chesterfield County probate hearing remotely?
Chesterfield County does not publish a separate remote-hearing practice for estates. Under the statewide Remote Communication Technology order, as amended February 19, 2025, the probate judge may permit or require remote participation in a non-criminal proceeding unless the judge finds it would likely cause substantial prejudice or affect fairness.
Do I have to travel to Chesterfield County if I live out of state?
Start by calling 843-623-2376. The court publishes an appointment-based starting point after the death certificate is available, and it does not publish a routine mail-filing rule for estates. Ask the court what can be handled before you travel.
Shaped by the families we've helped
Thank you to the thousands of families who have trusted Sunset to help settle their loved ones' estates. This page is shaped by the questions they actually asked and the obstacles they actually hit — and that hard-won experience is what keeps it accurate, current, and genuinely useful to the families who come next.