Often people ask me how much probate costs in South Carolina. There are a number of factors that go into the cost, but the one people seem most concerned about are filing fees. The cost to get the process started and to advertise in the newspaper varies by county (in Richland to get started it is $45 or $150 to file and $55 to advertise):Here is a list of the fees you can expect (I copied it from the Richland County, South Carolina website).
Filing Fees
South Carolina Probate Estate Fee Schedule
| Size of the Regular Estate | Filing Fee |
|---|---|
| $0.00 to $4,999 | $25.00 |
| $5,000 to $19,999 | $45.00 |
| $20,000 to $59,999 | $67.50 |
| $60,000 to $99,999 | $95.00 |
| $100,000 to $599,999 | $95.00 plus .0015 in excess of $100,000 |
| $600,000 and above | $845.00 on the 1st $600,000 plus .0025 in excess of $600,000 |
Small Estate Affidavit or Affidavit for Collection of Personal Property
| Less than or Equal to $100.00 | $17.50 |
| $101.00 to $4,999.99 | $30.00 |
| $5,000.00 to $19,999.99 | $50.00 |
| $20.000.00 to 25,000.00 | $72.50 |
| Includes $5.00 certification fee |
*Pursuant to SC Code of Laws §8-21-770
Possible Additional Fees:
| Copies per page | $.50 |
| Search Fee | $3.00 |
| Filing Demand for Notice | $5.00 |
| Issuing Certified Copies | $5.00 |
| Filing Conservatorship Accounting | $10.00 |
| Filing of a Will only | $10.00 |
| Will Filed only Advertising Fee | $35.00 |
| Certifying Appeal Record | $10.00 |
| Probated Will Filing Fee | $10.00 |
| Order Issued without a Hearing | $15.00 |
| Issuing Exemplified/Authenticated Copies | $20.00 |
| Recording Authenticated or Certified Copies | $20.00 |
| Reopening Closed Estates | $22.50 |
| Application/Petition for Special Administrator | $22.50 |
| Application for Successor Personal Representative | $22.50 |
| Advertising fee for creditor’s claims (required by state law) | $55.00 |
| Copy of an entire estate file on CD | $52.50 |
| Any Summons and Complaint or Petition | $150.00 |
| Affidavit for Access to Safe Deposit Box | $22.50 |
| Affidavit to Obtain Bank Balance | $22.50 |
Palmetto Probate Blog 