South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 20 - Domestic Relations

Section 20-1-50. Legitimacy of children of marriages contracted after absence of previous spouse. - The issue of all marriages contracted after the absence of...

Section 20-1-60. Marriage of parents legitimates illegitimate children. - If the parents of an illegitimate child subsequently marry, the...

Section 20-1-70. Name of children legitimized after marriage of parents. - Any child legitimized under the provisions of Section 20-1-60 shall...

Section 20-1-80. Bigamous marriage shall be void; exceptions. - All marriages contracted while either of the parties has a...

Section 20-1-90. Legitimacy of children when either party to bigamous marriage marries in good faith. - When either of the contracting parties to a marriage that...

Section 20-1-100. Minimum age for valid marriage. - Any person under the age of sixteen is not capable...

Section 20-1-210. License required for marriage. - It shall be unlawful for any persons to contract matrimony...

Section 20-1-220. Written application required twenty-four hours prior to issuance of license. - No marriage license may be issued unless a written application...

Section 20-1-230. Issuance of license; premarital preparation course. - (A) The judge of probate or clerk of court with...

Section 20-1-240. Information to be provided to applicants for marriage licenses. - All authorized offices, officials, or individuals empowered to issue a...

Section 20-1-250. Applicants under age of consent; consent of relative or guardian. - A marriage license must not be issued when either applicant...

Section 20-1-260. Proof of age required of minor applicant. - The probate judge or any other officer authorized by law...

Section 20-1-270. Proof of age required of applicant over age eighteen and under age twenty-five. - All persons over eighteen years of age and under twenty-five...

Section 20-1-280. Penalty for furnishing false affidavit. - Any person furnishing the probate judge or any other officer...

Section 20-1-290. Wilful failure of license-issuing officer to comply with Sections 20-1-250, 20-1-260 and 20-1-270 as cause for removal. - The wilful failure of any officer responsible for the issuance...

Section 20-1-300. Repealed. - HISTORY: Former Section, titled Issuance of license to unmarried female...

Section 20-1-310. Form of license and certificate. - The form of license and certificate of marriage shall be...

Section 20-1-320. Division of vital statistics shall distribute license forms. - The Division of Vital Statistics of the Department of Health...

Section 20-1-330. Issue of licenses in triplicate; disposition. - The officer issuing marriage license certificates shall issue them in...

Section 20-1-340. Record of license and certificate kept by probate judge or clerk of court. - The probate judge or clerk of court who issued any...

Section 20-1-350. Filing of license and certificate and issuance of certified copies by Department of Health and Environmental Control. - The Department of Health and Environmental Control shall properly file...

Section 20-1-360. Effect of article on marriage without license. - Nothing contained in this article shall render illegal any marriage...

Section 20-1-370. Disposition of license fee. - Of the fee of one dollar required under the provisions...

Section 20-1-375. Marriage license fee. - In addition to the marriage license fee authorized pursuant to...

Section 20-1-380. Disposition of fines. - All fines imposed and recovered for any violation of this...

Section 20-1-510. Jurisdiction to determine validity of marriage. - The court of common pleas shall have authority to hear...

Section 20-1-520. Affirmation of marriage if validity has been denied or doubted. - When the validity of a marriage shall be denied or...

Section 20-1-530. Declaration of invalidity. - If any such contract has not been consummated by the...

Section 20-1-540. Adjudication of presumed death. - When a person has been married in this State or...

Section 20-1-550. Service on defendant in action to annul marriage. - When a marriage has been contracted or solemnized in this...

Section 20-1-560. Service on persons in military or naval services overseas in action to annul marriage. - No action shall be brought under the provisions of Section...

Section 20-1-570. Establishment of official record of marriages. - An official record of any marriage contracted in this State...

Section 20-1-580. Effect of establishment of official record of marriage and record. - The record herein permitted, when so established, shall be accepted...

Section 20-1-700. Short title. - This act may be cited as the "South Carolina Family...

Section 20-1-710. Legislative purpose. - The General Assembly finds that the family is the fundamental...

Section 20-1-720. Publication and distribution of "South Carolina Family Respect" pamphlet. - (A) The office of the Governor shall publish an informational...

Chapter 3 - Divorce

Section 20-3-10. Grounds for divorce. - No divorce from the bonds of matrimony shall be granted...

Section 20-3-20. Effect of collusion. - If it shall appear to the satisfaction of the court...

Section 20-3-30. Residence requirement. - In order to institute an action for divorce from the...

Section 20-3-40. Married person deemed of age. - Any married person shall, for the purpose of maintaining or...

Section 20-3-50. Jurisdiction of actions for divorce. - Actions for divorce from the bonds of matrimony shall, except...

Section 20-3-60. Venue. - Actions for divorce from the bonds of matrimony or for...

Section 20-3-70. Service of summons on nonresident. - When the person on whom the service of the summons...

Section 20-3-80. Required delays before reference and final decree; exceptions. - No reference shall be had before two months after the...

Section 20-3-90. Attempt at reconciliation. - In all cases referred to a master or special referee,...

Section 20-3-100. Attempt at reconciliation when one party is in armed forces overseas. - When either of the parties is a member of the...

Section 20-3-110. Injunctions incident to divorce suits. - The court, pending the termination of the action or by...

Section 20-3-120. Alimony and suit money. - In every divorce action from the bonds of matrimony either...

Section 20-3-125. Petition to enforce award of attorney fee. - Any attorney whose client has been awarded an attorney fee...

Section 20-3-130. Award of alimony and other allowances. - (A) In proceedings for divorce from the bonds of matrimony,...

Section 20-3-135. Spousal support obligation when marriage declared void due to fraud. - A marriage that would otherwise be lawful that is declared...

Section 20-3-140. Allowance of alimony and suit money in suits for separate support and maintenance and similar actions. - In all actions for separate support and maintenance, legal separation,...

Section 20-3-145. Attorney fee to constitute lien; payment to estate. - In any divorce action any attorney fee awarded by the...

Section 20-3-150. Segregation of allowance between spouse and children; effect of remarriage of spouse. - If the court awards the custody of the children to...

Section 20-3-160. Care, custody, and maintenance of children. - In any action for divorce from the bonds of matrimony...

Section 20-3-170. Modification, confirmation, or termination of alimony; retirement by supporting spouse. - (A) Whenever any husband or wife, pursuant to a judgment...

Section 20-3-180. Change of name after divorce or separation. - The court, upon the granting of final judgment of divorce...

Section 20-3-190. Divorced wife barred of dower. - On the granting of any final decree of divorce, the...

Section 20-3-200. Divorce shall not render children illegitimate. - No judgment of divorce from the bonds of matrimony shall...

Section 20-3-210. Unlawful advertising for purpose of procuring divorce. - It shall be unlawful for any person to print, publish,...

Section 20-3-220. Unlawful advertising for purpose of procuring divorce; penalty. - Any person violating any of the provisions of Section 20-3-210...

Section 20-3-230. Clerks of court shall file reports of divorces and annulments with Division of Vital Statistics. - Whenever a divorce or annulment is decreed by a court...

Section 20-3-235. Decree to set forth social security numbers or alien identification numbers of parties in divorce. - A decree of divorce shall set forth the social security...

Section 20-3-410. Short title. - This article may be cited as the "Uniform Divorce Recognition...

Section 20-3-420. Nonresident divorce shall be void if parties were domiciled here. - A divorce from the bonds of matrimony obtained in another...

Section 20-3-430. Prima facie evidence of domicile. - Proof that a person obtaining a divorce from the bonds...

Section 20-3-440. Construction. - This article shall be so interpreted and construed as to...

Section 20-3-610. Spousal equity and ownership rights. - During the marriage a spouse shall acquire, based upon the...

Section 20-3-620. Apportionment factors. - (A) In a proceeding for divorce a vinculo matrimonii or...

Section 20-3-630. Marital property; nonmarital property. - (A) The term "marital property" as used in this article...

Section 20-3-640. Declining values of contributions. - In determining the value of contributions prior to making an...

Section 20-3-650. Sequestration of property. - (A) At any stage of a proceeding under this article...

Section 20-3-660. Court's authority to achieve equitable apportionment. - (A) The court may direct a party to execute and...

Section 20-3-670. Notice of pendency of action. - (A)(1) In a proceeding under this article, either party may...

Section 20-3-680. Form of transcript of judgment. - A transcript of judgment may be substantially in the following...

Section 20-3-690. Subject matter jurisdiction over contracts. - The family courts of this State have subject matter jurisdiction...

Chapter 4 - Protection From Domestic Abuse

Section 20-4-10. Short title. - This chapter may be cited as the "Protection from Domestic...

Section 20-4-20. Definitions. - As used in this chapter: (a) "Abuse" means: (1) physical...

Section 20-4-30. Jurisdiction. - (A) The family court has jurisdiction over all proceedings under...

Section 20-4-40. Petition for order of protection. - There is created an action known as a "Petition for...

Section 20-4-50. Hearing on petition. - (a) Within twenty-four hours after service of a petition under...

Section 20-4-60. Order of protection; contents. - (A) Any order of protection granted under this chapter shall...

Section 20-4-65. Order of protection from domestic abuse; filing fee. - A person seeking an order of protection from domestic abuse...

Section 20-4-70. Duration of order of protection; modification of terms. - (A) An order of protection issued under Section 20-4-60 must...

Section 20-4-80. Mailing or service of order. - A certified copy of an order of protection must be...

Section 20-4-90. Sheriff's department to assist in execution of order. - When any order is issued pursuant to this chapter, upon...

Section 20-4-100. Responsibilities of law enforcement officer. - The primary duty of a law enforcement officer when responding...

Section 20-4-110. Immunity from civil or criminal liability. - Any person who makes a report pursuant to this chapter...

Section 20-4-120. Actions not affecting right to relief. - The petitioner's right to relief under this chapter is not...

Section 20-4-130. Applicability of other remedies. - Any proceeding under this chapter is in addition to other...

Section 20-4-160. Domestic Violence Fund. - (A) There is established the Domestic Violence Fund, a fund...

Section 20-4-310. Citation of article. - This article may be cited as the "Uniform Interstate Enforcement...

Section 20-4-320. Definitions. - For purposes of this article: (1) "Foreign protection order" means...

Section 20-4-330. Judicial enforcement of foreign protection order; determining validity of order. - (A) A person authorized by the law of this State...

Section 20-4-340. Enforcement by law enforcement officer; service of order on respondent. - (A) A law enforcement officer of this State, upon determining...

Section 20-4-350. Registration; presentation to family court; affidavit of currency; entry in state or federal registry; fee. - (A) Any individual may register a foreign protection order in...

Section 20-4-360. Immunity. - This State or a local governmental agency, or a law...

Section 20-4-370. Remedies available to protected individual. - A protected individual who pursues remedies under this article is...

Section 20-4-375. Filing false protection order; criminal penalty; civil liability. - (A) A person who knowingly or wilfully makes, presents, files,...

Section 20-4-380. Construction of act. - In applying and construing this uniform act, consideration must be...

Section 20-4-390. Severability. - If any section, subsection, paragraph, subparagraph, sentence, clause, phrase, or...

Section 20-4-395. Applicability. - This article applies to protection orders issued before July 1,...

Chapter 5 - Property Rights Of Married Women

Section 20-5-10. Powers of wife as to property and contracts generally. - A married woman may purchase any species of property in...

Section 20-5-20. Power of wife to convey, bequeath, and devise separate property; descent. - A married woman shall have power to bequeath, devise or...

Section 20-5-30. Wife's property is not subject to husband's debts. - The real and personal property of a married woman, whether...

Section 20-5-40. Earnings and income of married women. - All the earnings and income of a married woman shall...

Section 20-5-50. Requisites of marriage contracts, deeds, and settlements. - All marriage contracts, deeds and settlements shall therein describe, specify...

Section 20-5-60. Husband shall not be liable for wife's debts. - A husband shall not be liable for the debts of...

Section 20-5-70. Liability of husband in suit brought against wife. - Neither a husband nor his property shall be liable for...

Section 20-5-80. Validation of certain deeds subsequent to April 16, 1868. - All deeds and conveyances made since April 16, 1868, whereby...

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South Carolina Code of Laws Title 20 - Domestic Relations

South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 20 - Domestic Relations