A provision in a will purporting to penalize any interested person for contesting the will or instituting other proceedings relating to the estate is unenforceable if probable cause exists for instituting proceedings.
HISTORY: 1986 Act No. 539, Section 1; 2013 Act No. 100, Section 1, eff January 1, 2014.
Structure South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 62 - South Carolina Probate Code
Article 3 - Probate Of Wills And Administration
Section 62-3-101. Devolution of estate at death; restrictions.
Section 62-3-102. Necessity of order of probate for will.
Section 62-3-103. Necessity of appointment for administration.
Section 62-3-104. Claims against decedent; necessity of administration.
Section 62-3-106. Proceedings within the jurisdiction of court; service; jurisdiction over persons.
Section 62-3-107. Scope of proceedings; proceedings independent; exception.
Section 62-3-108. Probate, testacy, and appointment proceedings; ultimate time limit.
Section 62-3-109. Statute of limitations on decedent's cause of action.
Section 62-3-201. Venue for first and subsequent estate proceedings; location of property.
Section 62-3-203. Priority among persons seeking appointment as personal representative.
Section 62-3-204. Demand for notice of order or filing concerning decedent's estate.
Section 62-3-301. Applications for informal probate or appointment; contents.
Section 62-3-302. Informal probate; duty of court; effect of informal probate.
Section 62-3-303. Informal probate; proof and findings required.
Section 62-3-304. Informal probate unavailable in certain cases.
Section 62-3-305. Informal probate; court not satisfied.
Section 62-3-306. Notice requirements.
Section 62-3-308. Informal appointment proceedings; proof and findings required.
Section 62-3-309. Informal appointment proceedings; court not satisfied.
Section 62-3-310. Informal appointment proceedings; notice requirements.
Section 62-3-311. Informal appointment unavailable in certain cases.
Section 62-3-401. Formal testacy proceedings; nature; when commenced.
Section 62-3-402. Formal testacy or appointment proceedings; petition; contents.
Section 62-3-403. Notice of hearing on petition.
Section 62-3-404. Written objections to probate.
Section 62-3-405. Uncontested cases; hearings and proof.
Section 62-3-406. Testimony of attesting witnesses.
Section 62-3-407. Burdens in contested cases.
Section 62-3-408. Effect of final order in another jurisdiction.
Section 62-3-409. Order; foreign will.
Section 62-3-410. Probate of more than one instrument.
Section 62-3-411. Partial intestacy.
Section 62-3-412. Effect of order; vacation.
Section 62-3-413. Vacation of order for other cause.
Section 62-3-414. Formal proceedings concerning appointment of personal representative.
Section 62-3-501. Nature of proceeding.
Section 62-3-502. Petition; order.
Section 62-3-503. Effect on other proceedings.
Section 62-3-504. Powers of personal representative.
Section 62-3-505. Interim orders; distribution and closing orders.
Section 62-3-601. Qualification.
Section 62-3-602. Acceptance of appointment; consent to jurisdiction.
Section 62-3-603. Bond not required without court order; exceptions; waiver of bond requirement.
Section 62-3-604. Bond amount; security; procedure; reduction.
Section 62-3-605. Demand for bond by interested person.
Section 62-3-606. Terms and conditions of bonds.
Section 62-3-607. Order restraining personal representative.
Section 62-3-608. Termination of appointment.
Section 62-3-609. Death or disability terminates appointment.
Section 62-3-610. Order closing estate terminates appointment.
Section 62-3-611. Petition for removal; cause; procedure.
Section 62-3-612. Change of testacy status.
Section 62-3-613. Successor personal representative.
Section 62-3-614. Special administrator; appointment.
Section 62-3-615. Special administrator; who may be appointed.
Section 62-3-616. Special administrator; appointed informally; powers and duties.
Section 62-3-617. Special administrator; formal proceedings; powers and duties.
Section 62-3-618. Termination of appointment; special administrator.
Section 62-3-619. "Executor de son tort" defined.
Section 62-3-621. Rights under Section 62-3-620 survive death of executor de son tort.
Section 62-3-701. Time of accrual of duties and powers.
Section 62-3-702. Priority among different letters.
Section 62-3-704. Personal representative to proceed with court sanction.
Section 62-3-705. Duty of personal representative; information to heirs and devisees.
Section 62-3-706. Duty of personal representative; inventory and appraisement.
Section 62-3-707. Employment of appraisers.
Section 62-3-708. Duty of personal representative; supplementary inventory.
Section 62-3-709. Duty of personal representative; possession of estate.
Section 62-3-710. Power to avoid transfers.
Section 62-3-711. Powers of personal representatives; in general.
Section 62-3-712. Improper exercise of power; breach of fiduciary duty.
Section 62-3-714. Persons dealing with personal representative; protection.
Section 62-3-715. Transactions authorized for personal representatives; exceptions.
Section 62-3-716. Powers and duties of successor personal representative.
Section 62-3-717. Corepresentatives; when joint action required.
Section 62-3-718. Powers of surviving personal representative.
Section 62-3-719. Compensation of personal representative.
Section 62-3-720. Expenses in estate litigation.
Section 62-3-801. Notice to creditors.
Section 62-3-802. Statutes of limitations.
Section 62-3-803. Limitations on presentation of claims.
Section 62-3-804. Manner of presentation of claims.
Section 62-3-805. Classification of claims.
Section 62-3-806. Allowance of claims.
Section 62-3-807. Payment of claims.
Section 62-3-808. Individual liability of personal representative.
Section 62-3-809. Secured claims.
Section 62-3-810. Claims not due; contingent or unliquidated claims.
Section 62-3-811. Counterclaims.
Section 62-3-812. Execution and levies prohibited.
Section 62-3-813. Compromise of claims.
Section 62-3-814. Encumbered assets.
Section 62-3-815. Administration in more than one state; duty of personal representative.
Section 62-3-816. Final distribution to domiciliary representative.
Section 62-3-901. Successors' rights if no administration.
Section 62-3-902. Distribution; order in which assets appropriated; abatement.
Section 62-3-903. Right of retainer.
Section 62-3-905. Penalty clause for contest.
Section 62-3-906. Distribution in kind; valuation; method.
Section 62-3-907. Distribution in kind; evidence.
Section 62-3-908. Distribution; right or title of distributee.
Section 62-3-909. Improper distribution; liability of distributee.
Section 62-3-910. Purchasers from distributees or personal representatives protected.
Section 62-3-911. Partition for purpose of distribution.
Section 62-3-913. Distributions to trustee.
Section 62-3-914. Disposition of unclaimed assets.
Section 62-3-915. Distribution to person under disability.
Section 62-3-916. Apportionment of estate taxes.
Section 62-3-1002. Payment of taxes; certificate from Department of Revenue.
Section 62-3-1003. Payment of taxes; filing federal estate tax return.
Section 62-3-1004. Liability of distributees to claimants.
Section 62-3-1005. Rights of successors and creditors.
Section 62-3-1006. Limitations on actions and proceedings against distributees.
Section 62-3-1007. Certificate discharging liens securing fiduciary performance.
Section 62-3-1008. Subsequent administration.
Section 62-3-1102. Procedure for securing court approval of compromise.
Section 62-3-1201. Collection of personal property by affidavit.
Section 62-3-1202. Effect of affidavit.
Section 62-3-1203. Small estates; summary administrative procedure.
Section 62-3-1204. Small estates; closing by sworn statement of personal representative.
Section 62-3-1301. Only procedure for sale of lands by court.
Section 62-3-1302. Sale of real estate.
Section 62-3-1303. Issuance of summons upon petition for sale.
Section 62-3-1304. Form of summons.
Section 62-3-1305. Service of summons and petition.
Section 62-3-1306. Execution of process by sheriff; fees.
Section 62-3-1307. Publication as to nonresidents and parties with unknown residences.
Section 62-3-1308. Filing notice of pendency of action.
Section 62-3-1309. Time for answer.
Section 62-3-1310. Bond for handling of proceeds by personal representative.
Section 62-3-1311. Filing of papers; requirement of returns.
Section 62-3-1312. Entry of releases of liens on property sold.