Reviewed by Carrie Warner, Attorney at Law, SC Bar No. 72836 · Last reviewed November 2, 2026
Divorces for Edgefield County residents are filed with the Edgefield County Clerk of Court in the town of Edgefield, the county seat, and heard in the Family Court for Edgefield County. Edgefield is part of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit, together with Lexington, McCormick and Saluda counties. This page explains when your case belongs here and what filing involves.
Edgefield County at a Glance
Edgefield County had 25,657 residents in the 2020 Census. Johnston and Trenton are in the county along with the town of Edgefield. Its neighbors include Aiken, Saluda, McCormick and Greenwood counties, and the Augusta, Georgia, area is a short drive away.
The Eleventh Circuit also includes much larger Lexington County. Family court judges assigned to the circuit may hear cases in several of its counties, but a case filed in Edgefield County stays in Edgefield County.
When Your Case Belongs in Edgefield County
S.C. Code § 20-3-60 controls venue in a divorce. Examples:
- Your spouse lives in Edgefield County. You can file here, even if you live in Aiken or Saluda County.
- You last lived together in Edgefield County. If you still live in South Carolina, you can file here even if your spouse has moved to Greenwood County.
- Your spouse moved to Georgia or elsewhere out of state. You file in the county where you live. If that is Edgefield County, this is the right court.
If you, the filing spouse, live outside South Carolina, for example across the river in Georgia, you must file where your spouse lives.
Two situations that come up near Edgefield
A spouse serving at Fort Eisenhower. Fort Eisenhower, formerly Fort Gordon, is near Augusta in Georgia. If your spouse is stationed there but lives in Edgefield County, South Carolina venue rules still apply to where you file. Military status raises other issues too, such as service of papers and division of retired pay. See our military divorce page.
A spouse who is incarcerated. Edgefield County is home to a federal correctional institution. Where a spouse is being held does not by itself make Edgefield County the right venue. The § 20-3-60 questions still center on where each spouse lives and where you last lived together, and how they apply to an incarcerated spouse is worth asking an attorney about. Read divorcing a spouse who is in prison.
Residency, Grounds and Waiting Periods
- Residency (§ 20-3-30): one year in South Carolina before filing, or three months if both spouses live here when you file. If you live outside South Carolina, you can still file here if your spouse has lived in South Carolina for at least one year. See residency requirements.
- Grounds (§ 20-3-10): adultery, one-year desertion, physical cruelty, habitual drunkenness or drug use, or one year of living separate and apart. See grounds for divorce in SC.
- Waiting periods (§ 20-3-80): a three-month wait before a final decree in adultery, cruelty and drunkenness cases. One-year separation and desertion cases can move forward once your spouse answers or defaults. See the waiting period guide.
Filing With the Edgefield County Clerk of Court
The county’s website lists the Clerk of Court at 129 Courthouse Square, #206, in Edgefield, with weekday hours of 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and a separate Family Court phone line. Confirm details before you go.
- Summons and complaint stating your grounds and requests.
- Filing fee, currently $150 statewide. Confirm with the Clerk. If you can’t afford it, ask the court to waive it.
- Service on your spouse under SCRCP Rule 4, by the sheriff, a non-party adult, certified mail with restricted delivery, or signed acceptance. Your spouse has 30 days to answer.
- Financial declaration from each spouse on the state form (Family Court Rule 20).
For more detail, read how to file for divorce in South Carolina.
Temporary Hearings and Mediation
If you need short-term orders, either side can ask for a temporary hearing. Under Family Court Rule 21, these are usually decided on affidavits and financial declarations. Contested issues generally go to mediation before a final hearing, because ADR Rule 3 requires it in most contested family cases statewide. Exceptions include temporary relief and some domestic-violence situations.
More guides are in the South Carolina Divorce Guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
My spouse moved to Augusta, Georgia. Can I file in Edgefield County?
If you live in Edgefield County and meet the South Carolina residency rule, generally yes. When your spouse lives out of state, you can file in the county where you live.
Where is the Edgefield County Clerk of Court?
The county’s website lists 129 Courthouse Square, #206, in Edgefield, open 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays. Call ahead to confirm.
My spouse is held at the federal prison in Edgefield. Does that make Edgefield the right county?
Not by itself. Venue under S.C. Code § 20-3-60 focuses on where each spouse lives and where you last lived together. Ask an attorney how it applies when a spouse is incarcerated.
We last lived together in Johnston, but I now live in Saluda County. Where do I file?
You can file in Edgefield County, where you last lived together, as long as you still live in South Carolina. You can also file where your spouse now lives.
What does filing cost?
The statewide family court filing fee is currently $150. Confirm it with the Clerk of Court and ask about a fee waiver if you cannot afford it.
Sources
- S.C. Code Title 20, Chapter 3 (Divorce)
- Edgefield County: Clerk of Court
- SC Judicial Branch: Clerk of Court roster
Talk to Warner Law about your situation. Warner Law’s office is in Columbia. If your case is in Edgefield County, contact us to ask whether we can help. The office is at 1405 Calhoun Street in Columbia. Call (803) 692-1072 or request a consultation.
This article is general information about South Carolina law, not legal advice for your case. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every case is different, and past results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
