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Greenwood County Courthouse
528 Monument Street
Room: 114
Greenwood, SC 29646
Hours: 8:30-5:00 Monday-Friday
The Family Court Public Portal is now available for viewing.
This portal is only for Family Court Records.
(Access to the Attorney Portal requires ID and Password.)
The Child Support Client Portal is now available.
Financial Identity Fraud and Identity Theft Protection Act Notice
Pursuant to 30-2-330 (C) of the South Carolina Code of Laws, notice is hereby provided that 30-2-330 (B) states that a person preparing or filing a document for recordation or filing in the official records may not include a social security, driver's license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code, or passwords in the document, unless expressly required by law.
An individual has a right to request a register of deeds or clerk of court to remove, from an image or copy of an official record placed on a publicly available Internet web site or on a publicly available Internet web site used by a register of deeds or clerk of court to display public records, any social security, driver's license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, or debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code, or passwords contained in an official record.
The request must be made in writing and delivered by mail, facsimile, or electronic transmission or in person, to the register of deeds or clerk of court. The request must specify the identification page number that contains the social security, driver's license, state identification, passport, checking account, savings account, credit card, debit card number, or personal identification (PIN) code, or passwords to be redacted. A fee must not be charged for the redaction pursuant to request.
Help us fight identity theft! If you see a social security or account#, email us to have it removed.
Hours
The Greenwood County Clerk of Court’s operating hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday thru Friday. We are closed on major holidays. For different department contacts see listings below.
Our office does not provide legal advice. If such advice is needed, you should contact a private attorney.
Responsibilities
The Clerk of Court Office is responsible for all aspects of General Sessions (Criminal), Common Pleas (Civil), Family and Juvenile Courts. We accept filings and maintain all records pertaining to each of these courts. Our office also handles all ROD recordings.
In General Sessions (Criminal) Court, this office is responsible for accepting and maintaining all warrants, bonds, indictments, etc. We also collect fines and restitution payments as well. The 8th Circuit Solicitor’s Office prepares General Sessions’ dockets.
In Common Pleas (Civil) Court, our office is responsible for maintaining all documents in civil cases and arbitrations. We prepare, and post online, rosters for the appropriate terms of court, and schedule hearings. Foreclosures are recorded through Common Pleas as well. The Clerks Office also draws juries for General Sessions and Common Pleas terms of court for the county.
Our office is responsible for maintaining all records regarding Family Court. This includes all divorce and adoption papers, child support and custody papers, and juvenile records.
Our ROD Department records, documents, and keeps updated indexes of deeds, mortgages, plats, power of attorney, contracts, satisfactions, etc.
Our office cannot provide legal advice or give information out over the telephone. You must come in person to request specific information about Child Support, General Session charges, or a Common Pleas case. You must come into the office to research any recordings from the ROD department. This office cannot research records of any kind, but we do have terminals available for use by the public and can assist in using them and/or the index books. Office hours are from 8:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. We are closed on major holidays.
Register of Deeds
On January 1, 1998, the name of the office changed from Register of Mesne Conveyances (RMC) to Register of Deeds (ROD). Current office holders, whether appointed or elected, were authorized to keep the name of ROD during their tenure in office, however, after their term, the name is to change to ROD.
The Code of Laws of South Carolina sets out the duties of the Register of Deeds. The proper recording of documents provides notice to subsequent purchasers or creditors of the interests of others in the property and establishes priority of claims against that property. Generally, all instruments conveying an interest in real property must be recorded in that county's Register of Deeds in order to be valid. Other documents of public interest may also be recorded by the Register of Deeds.
The Register of Deeds exists as a separate governmental office in 18 counties in South Carolina. In Anderson, Beaufort, Chesterfield, Georgetown, Horry, Kershaw, Oconee, Orangeburg, Pickens, Richland, Spartanburg, and Sumter, the position is appointed by the governing body. In the counties of Aiken, Berkeley, Charleston, Dorchester, Greenville, and Lexington, the holder of the office is elected. In the remaining 28 counties, the functions are performed by the elected Clerk of Court.
Our department has both online terminals and index books for the research of records. All documents are recorded on the same day they are brought into the office. Originals will be mailed out three (3) to five (5) business days from the recorded date. Please see the link below for all requirements and fees for any document recorded in this office.
Any ROD documents or Common Pleas cases brought in for recording after 4 p.m. will not be clocked or recorded until the following day. These documents may not be available on this website for up to one work week. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the recording of these documents, please feel free to contact our office.
Family Court
The uniform statewide Family Court system was established by statute in 1976. The Family Court has exclusive jurisdiction over all matters involving domestic or family relationships. Pursuant to this provision, the Family Court is the sole forum for the hearing of all cases concerning marriage, divorce, legal separation, custody, visitation rights, termination of parental rights, adoption, support, alimony, division of marital property, and change of name. The court also generally has exclusive jurisdiction over minors under the age of seventeen alleged to have violated any state law or municipal ordinance. However, most traffic, fish, and game law violations are still triable in the magistrate or municipal courts. Serious criminal charges may be transferred to the Circuit Court.
At least two family court judges are elected for staggered six-year terms to each of the sixteen judicial circuits, and rotate primarily from county to county within their resident circuits. Occasionally they are assigned to other circuits based upon caseload requirements as directed by the Chief Justice.
The Family Court has exclusive jurisdiction to hear cases concerning domestic disputes. Among the many types of matters that the Family Court presides over are the granting of divorces, property disputes between husband and wife, and the granting of alimony. The Family Court is also charged with child custody matters, including child support orders, visitation schedules, the termination of parental rights, the finalization of adoptions, and legal name changes. Additionally, the Family Court hears paternity disputes and domestic violence incidents. The Court also hears most juvenile criminal cases where the juvenile is under the age of seventeen. Unlike the Circuit Court, the Family Court does not employ the use of juries. Appeals from Family Court cases are heard by the South Carolina Court of Appeals.
The Family Court is a formal court of record, and operates under the South Carolina Constitution, the code of Laws of South Carolina, and the Rules of Family Court. A majority people having cases in Family Court are represented by attorneys. These attorneys have spent at least three years in law school studying the various laws and procedures. Laws regarding fairness and impartiality prevent the judges and the Clerk’s staff from giving legal advice to anyone, including those trying to represent themselves. We recommend that you consult an attorney for all Family Court legal matters
Family Court filing fees:
Summons and Complaint $150.00
Summons, Complaint & Motion $175.00
Motion $ 25.00 (if filed individually)
PLEASE NOTE THAT FAMILY COURT FORMS CAN BE FOUND AT WWW.SCCOURTS.ORG
Child Support Office
CIRCUIT COURTS
The Circuit Court is the state's court of general jurisdiction. It has a civil court, the Court of Common Pleas, and a criminal court, the Court of General Sessions. In addition to its general trial jurisdiction, the Circuit Court has limited appellate jurisdiction over appeals from the Probate Court, Magistrate's Court, and Municipal Court, as well as appeals from the Administrative Law Judge Division, which hears matters relating to state administrative and regulatory agencies. The State is divided into sixteen judicial circuits. Each circuit has at least one resident circuit judge who maintains an office in the judge's home county within the circuit. There are forty-six circuit judges who serve the sixteen circuits on a rotating basis, with court terms and assignments determined by the Chief Justice based upon recommendations of Court Administration. Circuit court judges are elected by the General Assembly to staggered terms of six-years.
Civil Court Filing Fees:
Summons and Complaint $150.00 (no additional charge for Motion if filed with Summons & Complaint)
Motion $ 25.00 (if filed individually)
Common Pleas (Civil) rosters are posted online 30 days before the term of Court.
To view the Court Roster online go to www.judicial.state.sc.us (click on “Trial Court”, then click on “Court Rosters”, choose “Greenwood” on the Map and select “Motion” for the Non-Jury Motion Roster.
Court Reporters and Transcripts
Both the Circuit Court and the Family Court are courts of record in which a court reporter records all proceedings in the courtroom. Court reporters are state employees who are assigned to record the proceedings of an assigned judge. If you anticipate the need for a transcript of any court proceedings, you should obtain the business card of the court reporter assigned to your hearing or trial. Requests for court transcripts must be made in writing directly to the assigned court reporter. The court reporter will contact you with an estimated charge for the transcript.
Court reporters’ names and contact information may also be obtained from your attorney or by calling South Carolina Court Administration at (803) 734-1800. When making a request you must specify the respective case’s name and the date of the hearing or trial.
Accounting Frequently Asked Questions
Does your office accept credit cards?
No.
I know a payment has been made but I have not received my check. What do I do?
You will need to call the SDU at 1-800-768-5858. All payments are now received on a Way 2 Go Card or Direct Deposit.
How can I find out if a payment has been made?
You can call the SDU, visit the Child Support Portal, or come into the office to check on payments.
How do I get a payment history of my account?
You can come into the office and request a printout. There is a .50 charge per page. Also you can go to the Child Support Portal.
How do I change my address and/or name?
You need to go to the Child Support Portal to make changes.
Wage withholding Frequently Asked Questions
I receive payments from someone on wage garnishment and the payment is late. What can I do about this?
You must come into the office to speak with one of our support specialists. Do not contact the employer yourself.
I have changed jobs. Will your office send a new request automatically?
No, you must come into our office or call our office to give us the new updated employer information.
I am ordered to pay weekly payments and my company pays me monthly. Will this be a problem?
No, the employers are informed that they may send the payments in as you are paid.
Will my wage withholding start immediately?
Most employers take between 4 to 6 weeks to process wage-withholding paperwork. You need to check your paycheck stub to see if it has been garnished. If not, it is your responsibility to send your payments into the SDU until your paycheck reflects that the payments are being drafted.
How can I request wage withholding?
Please come by our office to fill out a request and we will mail the paperwork directly to your employer. Also, you may contact us in writing or have your employer contact the office for the necessary forms.
