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Dillon County, SC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Court | Dillon County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 401 W. Main Street, Room 303, Dillon, SC 29536 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 189, Dillon, SC 29536 |
| Phone | (843) 774-1423 |
| Fax | (843) 841-3732 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. No lunch closure, appointment rule, or filing cutoff is published on the court page. |
| Office email | No office-level email is listed for publication here. Call the court for the current contact method. |
| Filing cost | Estate filing fee amounts are set by S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, with the current fee text effective April 4, 1995 and applied retroactively to August 15, 1994. Dillon County's probate page does not publish a separate local fee schedule. |
| Local packets | Yes. The court page names an Estate Packet, a Small Estate Packet under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, an Admit A Will To Probate packet, and a How To File A Formal Action guide. |
| Electronic filing | Dillon County's probate page does not publish a probate electronic filing system, attorney portal, email-filing channel, or drop-box channel. South Carolina's statewide e-filing system is for Court of Common Pleas matters and attorney users, not county probate filings. |
| Case lookup | Dillon County's probate court page does not publish an online estate search. Call (843) 774-1423 to ask how to look up an estate file. |
| Remote participation | Local practice is not published. Under the Supreme Court order on Remote Communication Technology by the Trial Courts, as amended February 19, 2025, the probate judge may permit or require remote communication in a non-criminal proceeding unless it would likely cause substantial prejudice or affect fairness. |
| Website | Dillon County Probate Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you choose a packet or call the Dillon County Probate Court, make a working list of the decedent's probate assets, nonprobate transfers, debts, family members, and any will. Estate settlement moves faster when you know whether the matter needs a personal representative, a will-only filing, or a S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201 small estate packet.
Sunset's asset discovery searches more than 2,300 institutions to help families find accounts, insurance, investment assets, and other clues before they prepare the probate filing. That asset picture helps you use the right Dillon County estate settlement path and avoid refiling incomplete papers.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Dillon County Probate Court serves probate filings for Dillon County from the courthouse in Dillon, the county seat. Dillon County communities include Dillon, Latta, and Lake View.
South Carolina places a probate court in each county seat (S.C. Code Ann. § 14-23-1010). For estate venue, use the county tied to the decedent under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-201; call the Dillon County Probate Court if the decedent lived outside South Carolina but left property in Dillon County.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the local starting point. Dillon County's page names an Estate Packet for a full estate, a Small Estate Packet under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, an Admit A Will To Probate packet for will-only filings, and a How To File A Formal Action guide.
- Use the statewide numbered probate forms where they apply. Form 300ES is the South Carolina informal application and formal petition form for probate of a will or appointment, and Dillon County's local packets should be read together with the statewide form set.
- File with the Dillon County Probate Court at 401 W. Main Street, Room 303, Dillon, SC 29536, or ask the court before mailing originals to P.O. Box 189, Dillon, SC 29536. Do not send estate-opening papers to the circuit court clerk.
- Pay the estate filing fee required by S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, with current fee text effective April 4, 1995 and applied retroactively to August 15, 1994. Dillon County's probate page does not publish local payment methods, so call before you bring or mail payment.
- Handle notice as the court directs. If a personal representative is appointed, the court will issue directions for notice to heirs, devisees, and creditors under the statewide probate process.
- Ask the court whether a hearing is needed and how it schedules appearances. Dillon County does not publish estate hearing days or wait times.
- For any remote request, ask the Dillon County Probate Court how the Probate Judge applies the statewide Remote Communication Technology order as amended February 19, 2025.
- After appointment, South Carolina's probate code calls the personal representative's authority document letters, including letters testamentary and letters of administration under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-1-201. The document banks and transfer agents commonly ask to see is the Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, with the court's raised seal.
- Administer the estate, complete the required inventory, accounting, creditor, distribution, and closing steps, and return to the Dillon County Probate Court for any required settlement or closing approval.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Dillon County
Dillon County uses the South Carolina Judicial Branch Probate Court form set, including Form 300ES for an informal application or formal petition, inventory forms, accounting forms, creditor forms, and Form 420ES for affidavit collection of personal property under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201.
The Dillon County Probate Court page also organizes local filing help by packet title. It names an Estate Packet, a Small Estate Packet under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, an Admit A Will To Probate packet with an Information & Application, and a How To File A Formal Action guide. Use the packet titles to orient yourself, then confirm current forms and signature requirements with the court before filing.
The court-issued authority document is the Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC. South Carolina law refers to letters, including letters testamentary and letters of administration under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-1-201, but the Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, is the sealed document a personal representative presents during estate settlement.
Recent updates
| Update | What changed for Dillon County readers |
|---|---|
| Current county probate page | The Dillon County Probate Court page is published at dilloncountysc.org/courts/probate_judge.php. Older dilloncounty.sc.gov probate paths should not be used for current court contact information. |
| Local email handling | The page does not provide an office-level email address for publication here. Use the phone number and court address in the contact table. |
Scenarios
| Situation | Likely Dillon County path | Sunset support |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse w/ co-owned home | Start by identifying what passed outside probate and what, if anything, must be filed in Dillon County. If the estate needs appointment, the Estate Packet and statewide Form 300ES are the usual starting points. | Sunset helps find accounts, organize title and beneficiary clues, and prepare an estate settlement packet for local review. |
| Out-of-state adult child w/ small estate | Call the Dillon County Probate Court before mailing originals. Dillon County names a Small Estate Packet under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, and the court page does not publish an electronic filing channel. | Sunset helps gather account information remotely and can connect you with a local probate attorney if travel or signatures become difficult. |
| Parent settling predeceased child's estate, home must be sold | A home sale usually requires attention to appointment, title, and any court-required real-property paperwork. Start with the Estate Packet and ask the court or counsel which filings are required before listing or closing. | Sunset helps assemble asset information, generate a probate packet, and connect the family with a vetted attorney for sale-related probate issues. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Dillon County Probate Court | The court's page sorts estate filings into an Estate Packet, a Small Estate Packet under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, an Admit A Will To Probate packet, and a How To File A Formal Action guide. Court staff can provide forms and procedural information but cannot give legal advice. | 401 W. Main Street, Room 303, Dillon, SC 29536. Mailing: P.O. Box 189, Dillon, SC 29536. Phone: (843) 774-1423. Fax: (843) 841-3732. |
| South Carolina Judicial Branch probate forms | Provides the statewide numbered Probate Court forms used in Dillon County estate filings. | Probate Court forms |
| South Carolina Judicial Branch self-help resources | Explains what court staff can and cannot do, including providing approved forms, explaining procedures, and checking papers for completeness, while not telling you what to write or say. | Self-help resources |
| South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service | Refers callers to participating lawyers. The Bar states the consultation charge is no more than $50 for 30 minutes, current on the Bar page reviewed August 2026, and that 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 is available 24/7 at scbar.org. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider hiring a South Carolina probate attorney if the will may be contested, heirs disagree, a home must be sold, the estate has creditor problems, a formal proceeding is needed, or you live outside Dillon County and cannot manage paper filings and hearings easily. Sunset connects families with a vetted probate attorney when legal advice or local representation would help.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families identify bank, brokerage, retirement, insurance, and other financial accounts so the estate settlement starts from a clearer asset list.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet that you can review before filing with the Dillon County Probate Court or discussing with an attorney.
Find a local probate attorney. When the estate needs legal advice, formal litigation, real-estate sale support, or help from outside South Carolina, Sunset can connect you with a vetted probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, locate assets, and understand next steps without paying Sunset a fee.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Dillon County?
File with the Dillon County Probate Court at 401 W. Main Street, Room 303, Dillon, SC 29536. The mailing address is P.O. Box 189, Dillon, SC 29536. South Carolina estate venue is governed by S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-201.
Does Dillon County publish local probate packets?
Yes. The Dillon County Probate Court page names an Estate Packet, a Small Estate Packet under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, an Admit A Will To Probate packet, and a How To File A Formal Action guide. The statewide Probate Court form set still supplies the numbered forms, including Form 300ES for an informal application or formal petition.
Can I file electronically in Dillon County Probate Court?
Dillon County's probate page does not publish a probate electronic filing system, attorney portal, email-filing channel, or drop-box channel. Call (843) 774-1423 before mailing or bringing original documents.
How do I look up a Dillon County estate case?
Dillon County's probate court page does not publish an online estate search. Call the court at (843) 774-1423 to ask how to look up an estate file.
Does Dillon County publish probate hearing days or wait times?
No hearing days, docket days, or filing-to-hearing wait times are published on the Dillon County Probate Court page. Ask the court how your filing will be scheduled.
Can a Dillon County probate hearing be remote?
Dillon County does not publish a local remote-appearance practice. Under the statewide Remote Communication Technology order as amended February 19, 2025, the probate judge may permit or require remote communication in a non-criminal proceeding unless it would likely cause substantial prejudice or affect fairness. Ask the Dillon County Probate Court how that order applies to your hearing.
What does a personal representative receive after appointment in Dillon County?
South Carolina law calls the authority document letters, including letters testamentary and letters of administration under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-1-201. The court-issued document commonly used with banks and transfer agents is the Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, with the Probate Court's raised seal.
Do I have to travel to Dillon County if I live out of state?
Not always, but Dillon County does not publish an online filing channel or a local remote-hearing default. Call the Probate Court before you send papers or make travel plans, especially if original signatures, a hearing, or a sealed Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, will be needed.
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.