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Georgetown County, SC Probate Information
Quick facts
| Topic | Georgetown County detail |
|---|---|
| Court | Georgetown County Probate Court |
| Courthouse address | 401 Cleland Street, Room 140, Georgetown, SC 29440 |
| Mailing address | P.O. Box 421270, Georgetown, SC 29440 |
| Phone | 843-545-3274 |
| Fax | 843-545-3512 |
| Hours | Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Closed legal holidays. |
| Estate opening cost | Set by S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, effective April 4, 1995 and retroactive to August 15, 1994, based on the gross probate value shown on the inventory. Georgetown County's page does not publish an added local fee schedule. |
| Local forms | The Georgetown County Probate Court page does not publish local probate forms, a worksheet, a cover sheet or a brochure. Use the statewide South Carolina Judicial Branch probate forms. |
| Electronic filing | The court's page does not publish an electronic filing, email filing or drop-box channel for estate matters. |
| Case lookup | Georgetown County's probate court page does not publish an online estate search. Call 843-545-3274 to ask how to look up an estate file. |
| Remote participation | Local practice is not published. South Carolina's statewide Remote Communication Technology order, as amended February 19, 2025, gives the Probate Judge discretion in non-criminal matters. Ask the court how that order is applied in Georgetown County. |
| Website | Georgetown County Probate Court |
Before you begin — know the assets and liabilities
Before you file anything in Georgetown County, make a working list of the person's probate assets, debts, likely heirs or devisees, and any original will. South Carolina estate settlement depends on what passes through probate, who has priority to serve, and whether the matter can proceed informally or needs a formal court hearing.
Sunset's estate settlement platform helps families look for accounts and assets across 2,300 institutions before they decide what to file. That preparation matters in Georgetown County because the court's estate work includes appointing a personal representative and transferring assets, while court staff can provide information but cannot give legal advice.
Which court handles jurisdiction
The Georgetown County Probate Court is the filing office and court for probate matters in Georgetown County. The courthouse is in Georgetown, the county seat, and the court publishes one probate office at 401 Cleland Street, Room 140.
South Carolina venue is governed by S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-201. For a Georgetown County estate settlement, file in Georgetown County when that venue rule points to this county, and call the court before mailing anything if you are unsure whether the Georgetown office is the right place to start.
The jurisdiction process
- Choose the right statewide form. For a regular estate, start with Form 300ES, which is used for informal application or formal petition. If the estate may qualify for collection by affidavit, use Form 420ES under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, with the $45,000 limit effective May 8, 2025.
- Prepare the Georgetown County filing packet. Include the original will if there is one, the death certificate, the required statewide forms, names and addresses for heirs and devisees, and the asset information needed for the court to determine the next step.
- File with the Georgetown County Probate Court. Take the packet to 401 Cleland Street, Room 140, Georgetown, SC 29440, or contact the court at 843-545-3274 before using the P.O. Box. The court's page does not publish an electronic filing channel for estate matters.
- Pay the estate cost set by state law. The estate filing fee is governed by S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, effective April 4, 1995 and retroactive to August 15, 1994. The amount is based on the gross probate value shown on the inventory, and Georgetown County's page does not publish a separate local fee schedule.
- Handle notice and any hearing. The court will tell you if a hearing is needed. If creditors must be noticed, follow the South Carolina notice process under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-801.
- Ask about remote participation if travel is difficult. Local practice is not published. Under the Supreme Court's 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.
- Receive authority to act. 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 usually ask to see is the Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, which must carry the court's raised seal.
- Administer and close the estate. After appointment, complete the inventory and appraisement within ninety days under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-706, manage claims and distributions, and file the closing papers required for the path the court has placed the estate on.
Forms and documents
Probate forms in Georgetown County
Georgetown County uses the statewide South Carolina Judicial Branch probate forms. The county probate page links outward to the statewide court-forms page and does not publish a Georgetown-only form set, worksheet, cover sheet or brochure.
Common estate forms include Form 300ES for an informal application or formal petition, inventory and accounting forms, creditor-claim forms, and Form 420ES for a small estate under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, with the $45,000 limit effective May 8, 2025. The Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, is issued by the court after appointment rather than filed by the family.
Recent updates
Scenarios
| Situation | Local path | Where Sunset helps |
|---|---|---|
| Surviving spouse with a co-owned home | Confirm what assets actually require probate before opening a Georgetown County estate. If the home is co-owned, the court filing may focus on probate assets that do not pass by title or beneficiary designation. | Sunset helps identify accounts, insurance, retirement assets and debts so the spouse can see what belongs in the probate packet and what may transfer outside probate. |
| Out-of-state adult child with a small estate | Call the Georgetown County Probate Court at 843-545-3274 before traveling. If Form 420ES under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201 applies, the $45,000 limit is effective May 8, 2025, and the affidavit still must go through the probate court before it is used to collect property. | Sunset helps gather institution details and generate an organized packet so the child can make fewer trips and ask the court specific filing questions. |
| Parent settling a predeceased child's estate when a home must be sold | A sale involving probate real estate usually requires appointment of a personal representative and court paperwork before transfer. File with the Georgetown County Probate Court if venue under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-201 points to Georgetown County. | Sunset helps organize asset information, prepare the probate packet, and connect the family with a local probate attorney when a sale or title issue makes counsel important. |
Self-help resources
| Resource | How it helps | Contact |
|---|---|---|
| Georgetown County Probate Court | Answers procedural questions, directs filers to the statewide numbered forms, and handles Georgetown County estate filings. Court staff can provide information, but they cannot give legal advice. | 401 Cleland Street, Room 140, Georgetown, SC 29440. 843-545-3274. Probate Court page |
| South Carolina Judicial Branch probate form set | Provides the statewide probate forms used in Georgetown County. | Probate court forms |
| South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service | Connects callers with a lawyer. The consultation charge is capped at $50, as stated on the SC Bar page reviewed August 2026, for 30 minutes, and participating lawyers do not take pro bono cases through the referral service. | 803-799-7100, 9:00 a.m. to noon and 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Online referral is available 24/7 at SC Bar Get Legal Help. |
When to hire an attorney
Consider a probate attorney if the will is disputed, heirs do not agree, real estate must be sold, a formal petition is needed, or you are serving from outside South Carolina. Georgetown County's page says the court provides information but does not provide legal advice, so legal strategy needs to come from counsel. Sunset connects families to a vetted probate attorney.
How Sunset helps
Find the accounts and assets. Sunset helps families discover financial accounts, insurance, retirement assets, debts and other information that can shape a Georgetown County estate settlement.
Generate the probate packet. Sunset turns the information you provide into an organized probate packet using the statewide South Carolina form framework, so you can file with the Georgetown County Probate Court more confidently.
Find a local probate attorney. When a Georgetown County estate involves a dispute, real estate sale, formal proceeding or questions you cannot answer on your own, Sunset can connect you with a vetted probate attorney.
Sunset is free for families. Families can use Sunset to organize estate settlement tasks, understand next steps and prepare for court without paying Sunset.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I file probate in Georgetown County?
File with the Georgetown County Probate Court at 401 Cleland Street, Room 140, Georgetown, SC 29440, if South Carolina venue under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-201 points to Georgetown County. The court also publishes P.O. Box 421270, Georgetown, SC 29440, but call 843-545-3274 before mailing a new estate packet.
Does Georgetown County accept electronic probate filings?
The Georgetown County Probate Court page does not publish an electronic filing, email filing or drop-box channel for estate matters. Contact the court at 843-545-3274 for current filing instructions.
What forms do I use for a Georgetown County estate?
Use the statewide South Carolina Judicial Branch probate forms. Georgetown County's probate page does not publish a local form set, cover sheet, worksheet or brochure. Form 300ES is the starting form for an informal application or formal petition, and Form 420ES is used for a small estate under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-3-1201, with the $45,000 limit effective May 8, 2025.
How much does it cost to open an estate in Georgetown County?
The estate filing fee is set by S.C. Code Ann. § 8-21-770, effective April 4, 1995 and retroactive to August 15, 1994, and is based on the gross probate value shown on the inventory. Georgetown County's probate page does not publish a separate local fee schedule.
Can I look up a Georgetown County probate case online?
Georgetown County's probate court page does not publish an online estate search. Call the Georgetown County Probate Court at 843-545-3274 to ask how to look up an estate file.
Does Georgetown County publish hearing days or wait times?
The Georgetown County Probate Court page does not publish estate hearing days, docket days or wait times. Ask the court when you file or call 843-545-3274.
Can I attend a Georgetown County probate hearing by phone or video?
Georgetown County's page does not publish a local remote-hearing practice. South Carolina's statewide Remote Communication Technology order, as amended February 19, 2025, lets the Probate Judge decide whether remote communication is appropriate in a non-criminal proceeding, including a probate matter, unless it would likely cause substantial prejudice or affect fairness. Ask the court how that order applies to your hearing.
What authority document will a Georgetown County personal representative receive?
South Carolina law uses the term letters, including letters testamentary and letters of administration under S.C. Code Ann. § 62-1-201. In practice, the court-issued document a bank or transfer agent usually asks to see is the Certificate of Appointment, Form 141PC, with the court's raised seal.
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.