Berkeley County, South Carolina Court Filing
Fee Lookup

Court filing fees in Berkeley County, South Carolina are collected by the Berkeley County Probate Court in Moncks Corner according to South Carolina's statutory fee schedule, plus any local surcharges authorized by county ordinance. With 229,861 residents and ranked in the top quarter of South Carolina jurisdictions by population, Berkeley County operates within the Circuit Court (civil) / Family Court / Probate Court (county-level) / Magistrate Court (small claims) and follows both the state's base fee requirements and its own local additions.

Berkeley County is a rapidly growing part of the Charleston metro, home to major Volvo and Google operations, extensive Francis Marion National Forest lands, and a mix of suburban and rural communities. These local economic characteristics shape the types of legal proceedings filed in Berkeley County — from probate of estates that include commercial property or business interests near Moncks Corner to civil disputes arising from the county's primary industries.

The Berkeley County Probate Court handles the full range of case types for this community, with filing fees applying uniformly based on case type regardless of the underlying subject matter.

Berkeley County is known for landmarks including Cypress Gardens, Old Santee Canal Park, Francis Marion National Forest. For residents and businesses in the areas surrounding these community anchors, knowing the applicable filing fees and court procedures in advance helps legal matters proceed efficiently at the Berkeley County Probate Court in Moncks Corner.

• Filing fees in Berkeley County are based on South Carolina's statutory schedule, which applies statewide, plus any local surcharges assessed by the county. For reference, the statewide base fees by case type are: probate and estate filings — $50–$150 (Probate Court — per county)
• civil complaints and appearances — $150–$260 (Circuit Court) / $80–$100 (Magistrate Court)
• family law matters (divorce, custody, support) — $150–$260 (Family Court)
• small claims filings — $80–$100 (Magistrate Court / Small Claims). These figures represent the state-level base
• the total amount due at the Berkeley County Probate Court in Moncks Corner may include additional local charges.

As one of South Carolina's larger jurisdictions, Berkeley County may assess higher local surcharges than the state's rural counties, reflecting the greater administrative cost of operating a high-volume court in Moncks Corner.

• Beyond the initial filing fee, Berkeley County litigants and estate administrators should budget for recurring court costs throughout the proceeding: fees for filing subsequent motions and responses, charges for certified copies of letters testamentary or court orders (typically $5 to $25 per document in South Carolina), jury demand deposits in civil cases, and in probate matters, fees associated with filing the inventory, accountings, and petition for discharge.
• For a complete picture of expected court costs in Berkeley County, request the full fee schedule from the Berkeley County Probate Court clerk in Moncks Corner before initiating the proceeding.

South Carolina has been expanding electronic filing (e-filing) capabilities across its court system. Berkeley County is among the jurisdictions where e-filing is more established.

For this major county, the Berkeley County Probate Court in Moncks Corner likely participates in the state's e-filing system, and represented parties in civil and family matters may be required to file electronically. Contact the Berkeley County Probate Court clerk directly to confirm the current e-filing requirements for your specific case type.

When e-filing is available in Berkeley County, the system charges a convenience fee per transaction — typically $2 to $8 — in addition to the applicable statutory court fees. This convenience fee is charged by the e-filing service provider rather than the court itself and is generally non-waivable even for litigants who have received a court fee waiver.

Self-represented litigants (pro se filers) are often exempt from mandatory e-filing requirements and may file in paper at the Berkeley County Probate Court clerk's window in Moncks Corner during regular business hours.

For probate and estate matters in Berkeley County, e-filing availability may differ from civil cases. Some South Carolina probate courts have been slower to adopt e-filing given the document-intensive nature of estate proceedings — original wills, certified death certificates, and original deeds often require in-person or mail submission regardless of whether other case types accept electronic filing.

Verify with the Berkeley County Probate Court in Moncks Corner which documents can be e-filed and which require physical originals before planning your filing strategy.

• Berkeley County residents who cannot afford court filing fees may apply for a fee waiver under S.C.
• Code Ann.
• § 8-21-310.
• To apply, file a declaration of financial condition with the Berkeley County Probate Court clerk's office in Moncks Corner at the time of your initial filing.
• The declaration lists all household income sources, monthly expenses, assets, and liabilities.
• A judge or court commissioner reviews the application and issues an order granting or denying the waiver, typically within a few days of submission.

• Eligibility for a fee waiver in Berkeley County generally requires that household income fall at or below 125% to 200% of the federal poverty level, or that the applicant is receiving qualifying public benefits — commonly Medicaid, SNAP, SSI, or public housing assistance.
• The specific income thresholds and qualifying programs are defined in S.C.
• Code Ann.
• § 8-21-310 and may have been updated by recent legislation.
• Ask the Berkeley County Probate Court clerk in Moncks Corner for the current income guidelines before completing your declaration.

• A granted fee waiver covers filing fees charged by the Berkeley County Probate Court — including initial filing fees and subsequent filings in the same case — but does not cover costs owed to third parties.
• In Berkeley County probate proceedings, a fee waiver does not eliminate the cost of publishing a notice to creditors in a newspaper of general circulation (a statutory requirement in most states), service of process fees paid to process servers or the sheriff's office, or costs for court-ordered appraisals.
• Budget for these additional costs separately even when a fee waiver is in effect.