The Supreme Court of South Carolina

Re: Revisions to the Self-Represented Litigant Simple Divorce Packet

ORDER

The Self-Represented Litigant Simple Divorce Packet was last modified in December 2009.  Since that time the Access to Justice Commission has received several recommendations to improve the packet from judges, members of the SC Bar, and legal service providers. The suggestions were forwarded to South Carolina Court Administration and to the Family Court Judges Advisory Committee for consideration. While a number of recommendations were submitted, the Advisory Committee endorsed the revisions listed below in keeping with the goal to provide documents to obtain a simple, uncontested divorce based on one year separation.

Pursuant to the provisions of South Carolina Constitution Article V § 4, IT IS ORDERED that the SCCA 400.11 SRL-DIV - Sample Script for Plaintiff’s Testimony be added to the Self-Represented Litigant Simple Divorce Packet. In addition, the revisions to the SCCA 400.02 SRL-DIV - Complaint for Divorce, with a revision date of (7/2011), are approved as follows:

SCCA 400.02 SRL-DIV – Complaint for Divorce

• Paragraphs 1 and 2 have been added to Page 1 so the parties can provide the county and state of their residency.
• Paragraph 3 of Page 1 has been added so the parties can provide the county and state where they last shared a residence.
• Paragraph 4 has been revised to allow the Plaintiff to select the length of time the parties have lived in South Carolina.
• The statement “If no name change is requested, please leave blank” is added at the end of Paragraph B on page 3.

The “Instructions for Completing the Self-Represented Simple Divorce Packet” have been modified to reflect these changes.  The revisions are effective immediately.

IT IS SO ORDERED.

July 6, 2011
Columbia, South Carolina