Clarendon County, South Carolina Court Filing
Fee Lookup

Court filing fees in Clarendon County, South Carolina are collected by the Clarendon County Probate Court in Manning according to South Carolina's statutory fee schedule, plus any local surcharges authorized by county ordinance. South Carolina's court structure — Circuit Court (civil) / Family Court / Probate Court (county-level) / Magistrate Court (small claims) — determines which courthouse accepts which case types and what fees apply.

The Clarendon County Probate Court operates as a smaller court handling civil matters alongside other case types. Confirming the current fee schedule with the clerk's office is recommended, as fees can change when new state legislation takes effect or when the county updates its local surcharge schedule.

For the full South Carolina court filing fee schedule, see our South Carolina Court Filing Fees.

• Filing fees in Clarendon 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 Clarendon County Probate Court in Manning may include additional local charges.

As a smaller jurisdiction, Clarendon County typically operates with modest local surcharges, though the base state filing fees apply uniformly.

• Beyond the initial filing fee, Clarendon 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 Clarendon County, request the full fee schedule from the Clarendon County Probate Court clerk in Manning before initiating the proceeding.

South Carolina is expanding e-filing across its court system. The Clarendon County Probate Court in Manning may still accept or require paper filings for some case types.

Contact the clerk directly to confirm requirements for your case type and whether a convenience fee (typically $2–$8 per transaction) applies. For full statewide e-filing details, see our South Carolina Court Filing Fees.

• Clarendon 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 Clarendon County Probate Court clerk's office in Manning 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 Clarendon 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 Clarendon County Probate Court clerk in Manning for the current income guidelines before completing your declaration.

• A granted fee waiver covers filing fees charged by the Clarendon County Probate Court — including initial filing fees and subsequent filings in the same case — but does not cover costs owed to third parties.
• In Clarendon 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.