2022 South Carolina Code of Laws
Title 62 - South Carolina Probate Code
Article 3 - Probate Of Wills And Administration
Editor's Note
2013 Act No. 100, Section 4, provides as follows:
"SECTION 4. (A) This act [amending Articles 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 7] takes effect on January 1, 2014.
"(B) Except as otherwise provided in this act, on the effective date of this act:
"(1) this act applies to any estates of decedents dying thereafter and to all trusts created before, on, or after its effective date;
"(2) the act applies to all judicial proceedings concerning estates of decedents and trusts commenced on or after its effective date;
"(3) this act applies to judicial proceedings concerning estates of decedents and trusts commenced before its effective date unless the court finds that application of a particular provision of this act would substantially interfere with the effective conduct of the judicial proceedings or prejudice the rights of the parties, in which case the particular provision of this act does not apply and the superseded law applies;
"(4) subject to item (5) and subsection (C) of this section, any rule of construction or presumption provided in this act applies to governing instruments executed before the effective date of the act unless there is a clear indication of a contrary intent in the terms of the governing instrument; and
"(5) an act done and any right acquired or accrued before the effective date of the act is not affected by this act. Unless otherwise provided in this act, any right in a trust accrues in accordance with the law in effect on the date of the creation of a trust and a substantive right in the decedent's estate accrues in accordance with the law in effect on the date of the decedent's death.
"(C) If a right is acquired, extinguished, or barred upon the expiration of a prescribed period that has commenced to run under any other statute before the effective date of the act, that statute continues to apply to the right even if it has been repealed or superseded."
- 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 62-3-105. Proceedings affecting devolution and administration; jurisdiction of subject matter.
- 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 62-3-202. Appointment or testacy proceedings; conflicting claim of domicile in another state.
- 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 62-3-307. Informal appointment proceedings; delay in order; duty of court; effect of appointment.
- 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 62-3-620. Order for executor de son tort to account for deceased's property; decree for damages.
- 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 62-3-703. General duties; relation and liability to persons interested in estate; standing to sue.
- 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 62-3-713. Sale, encumbrance, or transaction involving conflict of interest; voidable; exceptions.
- 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 62-3-721. Proceedings for review of employment of agents and compensation of personal representatives and employees of estate.
- 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 62-3-912. Private agreements among successors to decedent binding on personal representative.
- 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 62-3-1001. Required filings with court; petition for order compelling personal representative to perform duties; court orders.
- 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 62-3-1101. Effect of approval of agreements involving trusts, inalienable interests, or interests of third persons.
- 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.