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South Carolina court form packet
Download the South Carolina petition for change of name of minor packet for your child. This state-specific self-help form package is ready for instant secure access and includes the packet documents listed below.
A practical minor name change packet built around the court filing documents used to request an official name change order.
Prepared for South Carolina minor name change filings, with petition and order materials reflected in the downloadable packet.
Download the files, complete them on your own device, then file with the appropriate court. Your personal details are not entered into an online form builder.
A short PublicLegal filing guide covers this state's age split, publication and service sequence, and after-order updates — ending in a printable checklist to carry to the clerk.
This state packet includes 2 documents in editable Word and print-ready PDF formats. Use the Word version for editing and the PDF for print-ready reference.
Researched filing overview
Who files: a parent or legal guardian petitions the Family Court of the county where the child lives for a child under 18 (S.C. Code § 15-49-10(B)). South Carolina publishes no statewide official minor form, so this packet’s instruments are PublicLegal-authored to the statute. Use this packet only for a child — an 18-year-old files the adult packet.
The other parent is part of the case: they must be named as a party unless the court waives it — and if there is no other parent, the child is named instead. The cooperative path is the included Consent and Joinder / Acceptance of Service (notarized); otherwise the other parent is served with the statewide SCCA 401F summons (free at sccourts.org or the clerk), and an unlocatable parent can be covered by the petition’s waiver prayer. A consent is not a veto — the judge decides the child’s best interest either way.
The court always appoints a guardian ad litem to represent the child — even when both parents agree (§ 15-49-10(B)). The guardian’s fee or deposit is set by the local court and is the petitioner’s responsibility; ask your clerk what to expect. Expect a hearing: the guardian reports and the judge decides best interest. No SLED/DSS background package is required for a child (the statute’s carve-out), though some counties may ask the petitioning parent — call your clerk.
Fee and after: the filing fee is $150 plus the locally set guardian-ad-litem fee and any service cost. After the order, buy certified copies, then update the child’s Social Security record first (SSA form SS-5, free), school and medical records, and passport; a South Carolina birth certificate is amended through the Department of Public Health Vital Records office on a certified copy of the order. A name change does not create or end custody, support, or parental rights.
See page 1 of the actual blank form and review a plain-language outline. The complete documents are delivered after checkout.
VERIFIED PETITION FOR CHANGE OF NAME OF A MINOR — PublicLegal-authored to S.C. Code § 15-49-10(B). The petition a parent or legal guardian files in the Family Court of the county where the child lives.
Caption: In re the child's name — the petitioning parent, the other parent (or the child) named as Respondent, and the family-court case number the clerk assigns.
What it asks: the child's current and requested names, the other-parent path (joinder, service, or waiver), the guardian-ad-litem recital, and why the change serves the child's best interest.
The full packet opens with the PublicLegal filing guide whose last page is a printable checklist, then the other parent's consent and joinder / acceptance of service and the proposed order. No SLED/DSS package is required for a child. Editable Word set included.
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Yes. This product is the South Carolina minor name change packet tied to this state-specific page and the packet documents shown above.
The included packet documents are listed on this page. Where the same document is provided in more than one format, it is grouped once with Word, PDF, or other format badges.
This packet currently includes editable Word and print-ready PDF formats. The document list above reflects the packet contents for this state without exposing internal fulfillment filenames.
Complete the petition and related court documents, then file them with the appropriate court. Court filing fees and local procedures vary by county.
These forms are designed for self-help use, but ILRG does not provide legal advice. Consult a licensed attorney if your situation involves unusual facts, contested issues, or questions about local procedure.
Timing depends on the court, local scheduling, notice requirements, and whether anyone objects. Many name change matters take several weeks, but local timing can vary.
A parent or guardian can usually file a minor name change petition, but notice to or consent from the other parent may be required. Requirements vary by state and county.
No. ILRG provides self-help legal forms and information, not legal advice. You are responsible for reviewing local court requirements before filing.
No — but the other parent must be named as a party and either join in writing (the included consent) or be served, unless the court waives naming (for example a parent who is deceased, never adjudicated, or unlocatable). The judge decides the child’s best interest either way.
Yes — the court shall appoint a guardian ad litem in every minor name-change case, even when both parents agree (§ 15-49-10(B)). The fee is set locally and is the petitioner’s responsibility.
No. The statute’s adult attachment list does not apply when a parent petitions for a minor (§ 15-49-20(A) final sentence). Some counties may still ask the petitioning parent — call your clerk.
$150 in Family Court, plus the guardian-ad-litem fee set by the local court and any service cost. No newspaper publication is required.