Family Court in Charleston County handles divorce, custody, support, adoption, and related domestic matters. The court sits at 100 Broad Street in downtown Charleston, in Suite 143 of the Judicial Center. Filings arrive from residents across the county, and each one receives a case number that follows the file for life. Most hearings happen in the same building. Copies and docket details come from the family court clerk.
This page explains where family court files live, which parts stay closed, and how to order a certified copy. It covers case types, petition numbers, hearing logs, and the steps a reader takes when a name search returns nothing. Fees and wait times come from the office, so confirm them before a trip. Bring a case number when you have one. Ask the clerk which desk handles your request.
Family Court Record Search
A family court search in Charleston County starts with a party name or a case number.
- Official Website Search Portal: https://www.charlestoncounty.gov/online-services.php
- Family Court address: 100 Broad Street, Suite 143, Charleston, SC 29401-2265.
- Clerk’s phone line: (843) 958-4400.
- Open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with county holidays off.
- Case types on this page: divorce, custody, support, adoption, paternity, name change, and protective orders.
- Topics covered below: petitions, hearing logs, sealed files, certified copies, and missing records.
Case Types, Petitions & Judgments
Domestic filings fall into a few groups. A divorce petition opens most files, and requests for custody, support, or adoption often travel with it. Each petition names the parties, the relief sought, and the grounds. The clerk stamps a filing date, and that date drives the deadlines that follow. A judgment closes the case at the end, and a later motion can reopen or change a term.
One office keeps every domestic file opened in Charleston County. The Family Court clerk receives petitions, assigns case numbers, sets hearing dates, and holds the orders a judge signs. Staff answer questions about one case at a time, so have the number ready. The county listing printed below gives the street address, the clerk’s phone line, and the public counter hours. Confirm the counter schedule before a holiday visit.
| Office detail | Verified information |
|---|---|
| Location | Charleston County Family Court, 100 Broad Street, Suite 143, Charleston, SC 29401-2265 |
| Contact Number | (843) 958-4400 |
| Office Hours | Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (excluding county holidays) |
| Official Website Search Portal | https://www.charlestoncounty.gov/online-services.php |
Use the main line for questions about a hearing date, a filing fee, or a copy order. A caller who gives a case number usually gets an answer in one call. A caller who gives only a name may need a follow-up as staff search the index. Mail requests go to the same office, with a stamped return envelope. Ask for the clerk’s name and note the date of every call.
| Case type | What the file usually holds | Usual identifier |
|---|---|---|
| Divorce | Complaint, financial statement, final decree | Case number |
| Custody and visitation | Petition, parenting plan, guardian report | Case number |
| Child support | Income affidavit, support order, payment record | Case number |
| Adoption | Petition, home study, placement report, final order | Case number and year |
| Paternity | Complaint, genetic test result, support order | Case number |
| Protective order | Affidavit, temporary order, hearing notice | Case number |
Read the case number as a set of parts. The prefix shows the court, the year shows when the file opened, and the last digits run in sequence. A number from another county will not work in the Charleston index. Write the full number on every request, and add the party names when a form asks. Mismatched digits send a clerk to the wrong file.
Divorce, Custody, Support & Adoption Filings
A divorce file begins with a complaint and a summons served on the other spouse. Financial statements follow, then a temporary order that sets support and parenting time during the case. Custody disputes often bring a guardian ad litem, whose report lands in the file before the final hearing. Adoption files add a home study and a placement report. The final decree ends the marriage and settles each open term.
Paternity, Name Change & Protective Orders
Paternity cases usually start with a complaint filed by a parent or by the state child support office. A genetic test result may follow, and the order then sets support and a parenting plan. A name change petition goes through the same court, with a notice published before the hearing. Protective orders move fast, with a temporary order issued the same day and a return hearing set within weeks.
Motions, Court Orders & Hearing Logs
A motion asks a judge to act before or after a final order. The clerk files it, sets a date, and sends notice to both sides. A hearing log lists each event, the date, the courtroom, and the judge assigned. Short matters may go on a motions docket with several cases in one morning. Bring the case number and a copy of the notice when you appear.
Active Status, Final Judgments & Modified Orders
An active case has a future event on the docket. A closed case has a final judgment and no scheduled hearing. A modified order changes a term of the original judgment, often support or parenting time. Look at the date on each order and keep the newest one on top. A file may hold several amended decrees after years of motions, so read the last page of the last order.
Public Availability & Official Copies
South Carolina opens most family court files to public view, with limits that protect children and private finances. The clerk decides what may be copied at the counter. A sealed file needs a judge’s order before a release. Some documents, such as income affidavits, may be reviewed but not copied. A reader should ask about the release rule before paying a fee for copies at the window.
District Clerk Directory & Search Outlets
South Carolina does not use a district clerk for family matters. The Family Court clerk keeps domestic files, and the Clerk of Court for the Ninth Judicial Circuit keeps the trial docket. A request for a district clerk should go to the family court office in Suite 143. The county website lists each office, with a phone line and a counter address. Start with that directory, then call ahead.
Restricted Minor, Financial & Sealed Data
Juvenile files and adoption records stay closed by state law. Financial affidavits often remain in a restricted section that a clerk reviews before release. A judge may seal a file when a child’s safety or a party’s privacy requires it, and the seal order names what stays hidden. Redacted copies may be sold when the rest of the file is open. Ask which pages were removed and why.
Online, Mail & In-Person Copy Requests
A copy request needs the case number, the document title, and the date of filing. Online services cover some indexes, and a full image usually requires a counter visit or a mailed order. Mail requests should include a check for the fee and a stamped envelope. At the window, bring photo identification and expect a short wait. Staff pull the file by number, not by description.
| Item on the request | Detail to give the clerk |
|---|---|
| Case number | Full number with year and sequence |
| Document name | Title as it appears on the order |
| Filing date | Date stamped by the clerk |
| Certification | Whether a raised seal is required |
| Return method | Pickup, mail, or electronic delivery |
| Identification | Photo ID for in-person pickup |
Leave a phone number on a mailed order so staff can reach you about a fee or a missing detail. Keep the receipt with the copy, since a certified page is only useful when the seal and the signature stay intact. A court may ask for a certified copy rather than a plain one. Order that version first and skip a second trip to Broad Street.
Certified Copies, Fees & Fulfillment Timelines
A certified copy carries a raised seal and a clerk’s signature. Fees follow a state schedule, usually a small charge per page plus a fixed amount for the seal. Same day service happens at the counter when the file sits in the building. Files in storage may take several days. Ask for the cost before the copy is made, and keep the receipt with the document.
Record Accuracy & Resolution
A search can fail for reasons that have little to do with the courts. Names get typed in different orders, middle initials drop out, and a party may use a maiden name in one file and a married name in another. Case numbers carry a year that a reader may guess wrong. Recent filings can take days to reach the public index. Each of these problems has a fix.
Matching Party Names & Case Numbers
Try the last name first, then the first name, then a middle initial. Spellings with a hyphen, an apostrophe, or a tag such as Jr. can each block a match, so try every form. Search the maiden name when a marriage or divorce sits in the file’s history. For numbers, copy every digit and the year from a court paper. A clerk can run the same search in the internal system.
System Delays for Recent Filings
New petitions reach the public index after the clerk completes intake. That gap can run from a few hours to several business days, and a holiday weekend stretches it. Electronic documents may appear before the paper copy reaches the file room. A hearing scheduled within a week sometimes shows no docket entry yet. Call the office when a filing must be confirmed the same day.
Unlisted Family Court File Resolution
When nothing turns up, ask for a search across several years and both party names. A file may sit at another courthouse, in a magistrate court, or in an archive. Give the clerk the filing date if you have one, since indexes sort by year. Request a written answer when the counter cannot help. A supervisor can check the internal docket and the storage log.
Frequently Asked Questions
These questions cover the requests the family court clerk hears most often. Each answer gives the office, the record type, and the first move. Details such as fees and counter hours can change without much notice, so confirm them with the office before a visit. A question outside these entries should go to the family court staff in Suite 143. Ask for the records clerk at the window.
Are family court case files open to the public in Charleston County ?
Most family court files are open, but parts stay restricted. Divorce decrees, support orders, and hearing notices can be read at the counter during business hours. Financial affidavits, juvenile material, and sealed documents need a clerk’s review or a judge’s order. Bring a case number and photo identification. Ask which pages may be copied before you pay a fee, since staff must follow the release rule written on the file.
What types of domestic cases are included in court logs?
Family court logs list divorce, separate support, custody, visitation, child support, paternity, adoption, name change, and protective order matters. A log may show motions, contempt hearings, and appeals from a family court ruling. Each entry carries a case number, a party name, a date, and a courtroom. Adoption and juvenile entries often appear in a shortened form, with names withheld to protect a child. Ask the clerk to explain any code you do not know.
What identification is needed to obtain certified court copies?
A photo identification issued by a state or the federal government works at the counter. A driver’s license, a passport, or a military card is accepted. Staff may ask for the case number and a signed request form. A mail order needs a copy of the identification, a check for the fee, and a return envelope. A person asking for a sealed file must show a court order that names them.
Who confirms missing or unlisted family court records?
The family court clerk confirms whether a file exists and where it sits. Staff can search the internal docket by name, case number, or filing year. A record may rest in an archive, in a magistrate court, or in another county. Ask for a written response when a search comes back empty. A supervisor can check the storage log and the microfilm index for older matters held in the building.