QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

– YOU ASK WE ANSWER –

AThe statute of limitations in South Carolina for personal injury claims is three years.

It’s important to understand and follow South Carolina’s statute of limitations on personal injury cases. If you don’t get your lawsuit filed before the three-year window closes, the state’s civil court system will likely refuse to hear your case at all.

AProbate is the official way that an estate gets settled under the supervision of the court. A person, usually a surviving spouse or an adult child, is appointed by the court if there is no Will, or nominated by the deceased person’s Will. Once appointed, this person, called an executor or Personal Representative, has the legal authority to gather and value the assets owned by the estate, to pay bills and taxes, and, ultimately, to distribute the assets to the heirs or beneficiaries.

The purpose of probate is to prevent fraud after someone’s death. Imagine everyone stealing the castle after the Lord dies. It’s a way to freeze the estate until a judge determines that the Will is valid, that all the relevant people have been notified, that all the property in the estate has been identified and appraised, that the creditors have been paid and that all the taxes have been paid. Once all of that’s been done, the court issues an Order distributing the property and the estate is closed.