Circuit Riders: Self-Help & Legal Services

Directory of legal information and South Carolina court approved forms, with interviews to help you complete them. You can also apply for free legal assistance from its home page.

Classrooms offered by SC Legal Services in several subject areas to help you represent yourself in court. Subject areas include Debt Collection Defense, The ABC's of Guardianship, Unemployment Benefits Appeals, Filing for an Order of Protection, and Getting Your Landlord to Make Repairs. The Online Classrooms include instructions, videos, and forms.

Brochures, manuals, articles, and training information for various legal topics.

Information on free legal clinics, legal assistance, and publications on various legal topics.

Information and resources (including some videos) on common legal topics including automobile issues; bankruptcy; benefits; children and family law; consumer, credit & business law; criminal law; end of life issues; landlords, tenants & leases; and lawyers, legal assistance and the courts.

Schedule for the S.C. Bar's seven-week Law School for non-lawyers course. The course covers a variety of general legal subjects.

Information on South Carolina courts along with links to self-help videos, free legal clinics, court approved forms, and free legal research resources on the web.

Guide to resources on self-representation, including information on the courts, self-help centers and technology.

Instructions on how to prepare, file, and serve documents to initiate a civil action in a South Carolina federal court.

Schedule and location of S.C. Bar sponsored clinics on topics such as landlord/tenant, estate, family, and Magistrate Court issues.

Calendar of S.C. Legal Services clinics covering topics such as divorce, foreclosures, bankruptcy, and expungements.

This Guide created by the Library allows you to search or browse for South Carolina court forms which are available on the South Carolina Judicial Department website.

Access forms for South Carolina courts, including circuit courts (common pleas-civil and general sessions-criminal); municipal and magistrate courts; probate court; and appellate court.

Packet of instructions and forms for representing yourself in a child support modification (increase or decrease) action. Includes a link to a how-to video @ http://www.modifychildsupportsc.com/.

Forms and a link to the SC Legal Services Manual on Filing for an Order of Protection in SC.

Complete packet of instructions and forms for representing yourself in a simple divorce action.

Forms and a link to a how-to video @ http://scvisitation.com/.

From this SC Legal Services website, you can access interviews to help you complete child support modification, simple divorce, order of protection, ID theft, and visitation forms.

Instructions and forms for representing yourself in a SC Magistrate's Court, from the SC Bar Association

Current SC trial, appellate, and evidence rules along with a link for rule changes submitted to the SC General Assembly.

Links to federal and local rules and forms. Forms include non-prisoner forms, prisoner forms, and habeas corpus forms.

Rules, forms, and other resources to help with filing bankruptcy.

Court rules and forms for the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Court Rules and guidance for filing an appeal with the United States Supreme Court.

Ten signs of excellence in a legal website to help researchers determine its reliability.

Research guide to evaluating websites as potential resources for legal research.

Three main factors to consider in evaluating online sources of legal information from the American Association of Law Libraries.

If you need legal help, these resources will point you in the right direction. You can scroll through the resources below, or use our interactive Legal Resource Finder, which will help identify legal aid organizations you might be eligible for and self-help resources available to you.

Free civil legal services for low income residents of South Carolina. Eligibility for assistance depends on income and type of legal problem.

Directory for legal help in South Carolina by service area and by legal issue.

Visit this Integrated Child Support Services website to learn how DSS can help you establish paternity and establish and enforce court ordered child support.

SC lawyers offer their services for free (pro bono) to clients who cannot afford to pay for assistance with legal issues such as family, housing, bankruptcy or probate civil legal matters.

SC volunteer lawyers answer legal questions through televised phone banks and Web chats.

ABA sponsored program that allows qualified clients to post legal questions to their private messaging system where volunteer lawyers answer legal questions for free.

The Veteran and Armed Forces Legal Out-Reach (V.A.L.O.R.) program is a collaboration between the SC Attorney General's Office, SC Bar and SC Military Department to coordinate existing legal resources and to help fill-in the gaps for military personnel and veterans who need legal assistance. It offers free legal clinics and connects veterans and members of the military with with free or discounted legal help.

Resources include Consumer FAQs on topics such as Housing and Dealing with Debt, Wage Garnishment in SC, and a link to file a complaint.

Links to the laws the SC Dept. of Consumer Affairs enforces.

P&A accepts clients for individual representation based on its annual priorities and case selection criteria.

Legal Assistance for Seniors page. Includes Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney forms.

One hour free legal consultation if you own heirs property in 18 SC counties.

This SCCID website includes a Find a Defender link to locate a public defender in your area and an Frequently Asked Questions page to see if you qualify for services.

The SC Victim Assistance Network seeks to "provide support services for victims of crime and to prevent future crimes through advocacy, education, public awareness and technical assistance."

The S.C. Bar's Lawyer Referral Service refers individuals to qualified, prescreened lawyers in over 100 areas of law, including personal injury, real estate and landlord-tenant, family law (including divorce, custody, alimony and child support), employment law, (including discrimination, wrongful termination and unpaid wages), criminal defense, and most other areas of law.

Search or browse for lawyers by legal issue or location.

Find lawyers, law firms, and organizations by location and by practice area.

Although not legal advice or legal authority, the S.C. Bar maintains this website to respond to frequently asked questions relating to expungement and pardons in South Carolina.

Check for clinics on Expungement Law Issues.

Complete guide to expungement in S.C., including contact information for your Solicitor's office (see Appendix 1).

Parole hearing schedules, victims services information, and access to a downloadable pardon application.

Information on which offenses can be expunged in South carolina and how to apply for an expungement or pardon.

Check the calendar for expungement clinics.

Information on the expungement application process for general sessions and summary courts in S.C.

Information on restoring your right to vote and expunging your criminal record in South Carolina.

S.C. Code of Laws: §§ 22-5-910 to -930.

S.C. Code of Laws: §§ 17-22-910 to -1010.

See S.C. Code Ann. § 63-19-250. Also, see our Children's Law guide.