When can you file for divorce in South Carolina? (2023)

How long do you have to be separated in South Carolina before divorce?

South Carolina does not require couples to formally file for separation before filing for divorce. However, couples must live separately from one another for one year prior to filing for a no-fault divorce.

There are five grounds for divorce in South Carolina: adultery, habitual drunkenness, physical cruelty, abandonment and no fault, which is based on the parties living separate and apart for at least one year. Mental abuse/cruelty is not a basis for divorce in South Carolina.

Even if you agree on all the important parts of a divorce (child custody, alimony, and property division), it can still cost a pretty penny. Filing for divorce in South Carolina costs $150. The couple will need to pay an additional $25 fee if a temporary hearing is required.

Does it matter who files for divorce first in South Carolina? It matters only from a psychological perspective – if you file first, you have the first opportunity to tell the story of your case and to provide a framework through which the court will see the facts of your case.

To file for divorce in South Carolina, either you or your spouse must live in of South Carolina for at least one year before you file, or you both must live in South Carolina for at least three months before you file.

Divorces in South Carolina Family Court can take anywhere from 90 days to well over a year or longer. How long it will take for you to get divorced in a South Carolina Family Court will be controlled by five specific factors: The preparation and procedure for filing for a divorce.

Unlike many other states, South Carolina is not a community property state. In our state, the marital property in a divorce is not divided 50/50. Instead, it is distributed in a manner that is fair and equitable to both parties, which may not necessarily be an equal distribution.

In the event of a divorce, each spouse is entitled to an equitable apportionment of the marital assets, which may include real estate, retirement accounts, pensions, businesses and personal property. If the spouses cannot agree on how to divide their marital property, the family court will make the decision for them.

The applicant always pays the divorce fees

Initially, the person filing for the divorce (known as the applicant ) will always pay the divorce filing fee. The court fees are paid to the court to prove the administration for the divorce process.

Can I get divorced for free in SC?

If you can't afford to pay, you may file a Motion and Affidavit to Proceed in Forma Pauperis. Then, if the court approves your request, you won't have to pay filing fees or the sheriff's fees for serving the divorce papers (more on that below).

Remarrying in South Carolina

After your divorce is finalized, you need to wait 24 hours to apply for a marriage license in South Carolina. Since you can't reverse your divorce after it's finalized, the most practical step is just to get legally remarried.

In South Carolina, Are Retirement Accounts Split in a Divorce? If it's a marital asset, then yes. If the retirement account started during the marriage, then it's almost certainly a marital asset, and the spouse could be entitled to some of it, possibly even more than 50% depending on the circumstances.

South Carolina doesn't recognize mental cruelty or emotional abuse as grounds for divorce.

If you're in the process of filing for divorce, you may be entitled to, or obligated to pay, temporary alimony while legally separated. In many instances, one spouse may be entitled to temporary support during the legal separation to pay for essential monthly expenses such as housing, food and other necessities.

Is Dating ok during a separation? As long as you are living apart, and abide by any legal agreements, dating while separated is legal. However, dating while separated may have emotional implications that may impact the quality of life for your entire family for years to come.

Separation can allow you to tackle various aspects of the divorce process, such as establishing a child custody arrangement and dividing marital property, more calmly. Without court fees and timelines hovering over their heads, spouses may find navigating these legal disputes significantly easier during separation.

In South Carolina, when a spouse requests alimony, the court has the discretion to make an appropriate alimony order, considering the couple's circumstances. South Carolina law provides for the following types of alimony: Alimony pendente lite.

SC does not require a “legal separation” before you can get your final divorce decree, although you may be required to live separate and apart for one year if it is a no-fault divorce. An Order for Separate Maintenance and Support is not required for you to get your divorce.

No, you are not required to have a specific reason to get a divorce in South Carolina. Spouses can seek a divorce after living apart for at least one year. However, in some situations, it may be necessary to seek an at-fault divorce.

What is considered adultery in SC?

According to South Carolina law (SC Code § 16-15-70 (2012)), adultery requires the individuals to live together and engage in carnal intercourse or, if not living together, engage in habitual carnal intercourse with each other.

Divorce by mutual consent can be obtained within six months, but no petition in such a case can be filed within first year of marriage. There also has to be gap of six months between the first and second motions. The court can waive this cooling off period in some cases.

What is the cost to file for a divorce in South Carolina? The filing fee for a divorce, annulment, and separate support and spousal maintenance actions in South Carolina is $150. There may also be other fees you will have to pay as well such as paying to have your court papers served on your spouse.

It really depends on the size of the marital estate. If the marital estate is large enough, then the court can award the house and its equity to one spouse while the other makes up for it by receiving other assets. Family court judges have a ton of discretion in making their decisions.

Can my spouse refuse to divorce me ? In a nutshell, no, your spouse cannot prevent a divorce proceeding. If they refuse to cooperate, it will be necessary for you take some additional steps, such as using a court bailiff or a process server.

There is no mathematical equation that judges use to calculate alimony in SC, and, unlike child support, there are no formal guidelines for calculating alimony.

South Carolina law defines adultery as intercourse between a married person and someone other than that person's spouse. Adultery is one of the “fault-based” grounds for divorce in South Carolina. If you can prove adultery to the court, then you can be divorced in as little as 90 days from the date you filed your case.

Any man or woman who shall be guilty of the crime of adultery or fornication shall be liable to indictment and, on conviction, shall be severally punished by a fine of not less than one hundred dollars nor more than five hundred dollars or imprisonment for not less than six months nor more than one year or by both fine ...

Only Marital Property will be Divided

All the marital property must be divided between the spouses when the marriage ends. Generally, non-marital property is property that either belonged only to one spouse before marriage or was acquired after the filing for divorce.

What payment is made after a divorce?

We found 1 solutions for Payment After A Divorce . The most likely answer for the clue is ALIMONY.

The term 'alimony' has its origin in the Latin word 'Alimonia', meaning sustenance. Generally speaking alimony means an allowance or amount which a court orders the husband to pay to the wife for her sustenance.

Unfortunately, South Carolina is one of twelve states that do not allow legal separation, which makes it difficult for people to separate who are no longer interested in living together. Each state has its own unique laws regarding grounds for divorce.

What is the cost for a legal separation? There is a set filing fee that must be paid to the Clerk of Court to file an action which is currently $150.00. If a party needs a temporary hearing, there will be an additional $25.00 fee associated with that.

It's important that you make sure your divorce has been finalised before you marry again. It is against the law to marry someone if your previous marriage is not legally over, and so if you do remarry immediately it is possible that you could be committing a crime.

A divorce or dissolution will take at least 6 months to complete, even if your circumstances are straightforward. It might take longer if you need to sort out issues with money, property or children. These things will be dealt with separately to your divorce or dissolution.

Contrary to popular belief, eviction in the context of a divorce isn't like landlord/tenant eviction. Even if your name is the only one on the mortgage or lease, you cannot evict your spouse or make them leave the marital home simply because you want to or because the home “belongs” to you.

Under the law in most states, retirement plan assets earned during a marriage are considered to be marital property that can and should be divided. It's therefore advisable for couples to make these assets part of their property settlement agreement negotiations and their divorce decree.

Is my wife entitled to half my savings?

Often personal savings will have been built up during the marriage, thereby classing them as a matrimonial asset, even those held in one name only. Therefore personal savings will be considered as part of a financial settlement if you divorce.

Cruelty need not be physical. If from the conduct of the spouse it is established or an inference can be legitimately drawn that the treatment of the spouse is such that it causes apprehension in the mind of the other spouse, about his or her mental welfare then this conduct amounts to cruelty; Maya Devi v.

Unlike many other states, South Carolina is not a community property state. In our state, the marital property in a divorce is not divided 50/50. Instead, it is distributed in a manner that is fair and equitable to both parties, which may not necessarily be an equal distribution.

South Carolina does not require couples to formally file for separation before filing for divorce. However, couples must live separately from one another for one year prior to filing for a no-fault divorce.

What is Considered Abandonment or Desertion in South Carolina? In South Carolina, abandonment or desertion is defined as not living together for a period of one year, without justification or consent of the other spouse.

In South Carolina, a couple is either married or not married. Separation in South Carolina simply means that you and your spouse no longer live together. There is no legal status between being married and divorced, although there may be court orders put in place during the time of separation.

Unlike many other states, South Carolina is not a community property state. In our state, the marital property in a divorce is not divided 50/50. Instead, it is distributed in a manner that is fair and equitable to both parties, which may not necessarily be an equal distribution.

If you have been separated for two years a divorce process can be followed and a divorce obtained on the ground of two years separation, however both parties must agree for a divorce to proceed on this ground. If you cannot come to an agreement, then you can wait five years before you can start the divorce.

South Carolina doesn't recognize mental cruelty or emotional abuse as grounds for divorce.

Does SC have alimony?

In the state of South Carolina, in the proceedings for divorce from the bonds of matrimony, or following a such proceedings, the court may grant alimony or separate maintenance and support in such amounts and for such terms as the court finds appropriate.

In South Carolina, Are Retirement Accounts Split in a Divorce? If it's a marital asset, then yes. If the retirement account started during the marriage, then it's almost certainly a marital asset, and the spouse could be entitled to some of it, possibly even more than 50% depending on the circumstances.

According to South Carolina law (SC Code § 16-15-70 (2012)), adultery requires the individuals to live together and engage in carnal intercourse or, if not living together, engage in habitual carnal intercourse with each other.

Can my spouse refuse to divorce me ? In a nutshell, no, your spouse cannot prevent a divorce proceeding. If they refuse to cooperate, it will be necessary for you take some additional steps, such as using a court bailiff or a process server.

Separation Isn't A Legal Concept In SC

This means they must live in separate locations – living in the same house and sleeping in separate bedrooms doesn't count. Even if one spouse moves to a guest house on the same property, it is considered living together.

It really depends on the size of the marital estate. If the marital estate is large enough, then the court can award the house and its equity to one spouse while the other makes up for it by receiving other assets. Family court judges have a ton of discretion in making their decisions.

There is no mathematical equation that judges use to calculate alimony in SC, and, unlike child support, there are no formal guidelines for calculating alimony.

SC does not require a “legal separation” before you can get your final divorce decree, although you may be required to live separate and apart for one year if it is a no-fault divorce. An Order for Separate Maintenance and Support is not required for you to get your divorce.

There appears to be a myth that the person being divorced (known as the Respondent) always pays the fees for a divorce, when in reality this is not the case in the majority of divorce cases. The person filing for the divorce (known as the Applicant) will always pay the divorce filing fee.

"If you're no longer spending any time together, if one or both partners is spending all their time at work, with friends, online — and if feels like a relief not to be with each other — it's a sign that you've already disengaged from the marriage." You don't support or listen to each other.

Can you divorce without the other person signing?

Applying for a divorce can be a difficult decision to make, especially if you're not sure your partner will sign your petition. Crucially though, you don't need your partner's consent to get a divorce. Although it may be a long process if your partner doesn't comply, they won't be able to stop you indefinitely.