The South Carolina Financial Declaration (Form SCCA 430)

Reviewed by Carrie Warner, Attorney at Law, SC Bar No. 72836 · Last reviewed November 2, 2026

In almost every South Carolina divorce where money is at issue, each spouse must file a sworn Financial Declaration on the Supreme Court’s form, SCCA 430. Under Family Court Rule 20, it is due by the first hearing or within 45 days after the complaint is served, whichever comes first. Judges rely on it for temporary support, alimony, child support and property decisions, so accuracy matters.

What the Financial Declaration Is

The Financial Declaration is a standard court form that shows a snapshot of your finances: what you earn, what comes out of your paycheck, what you spend each month, what you own and what you owe. It is signed under oath in front of a notary. That makes it a sworn statement, not a rough budget.

The form is published by the South Carolina Judicial Branch and is also included in the self-help packet for simple divorces. Use the current version from the Judicial Branch website. At the time of writing, the posted form is marked “Revised 11/2024.” Older copies saved on your computer may be out of date.

The declaration is one of the first documents in your case, and it follows you. The other side will compare it to your tax returns, bank statements and testimony. If you are still gathering paperwork, our guide to financial records you will need for a South Carolina divorce is a good starting point.

When You Must File It: Family Court Rule 20

Rule 20 of the South Carolina Rules of Family Court says that in any domestic relations case where a party’s finances are relevant, every party must serve and file a current financial declaration. The deadline is:

• prior to or at the first hearing, or
• no later than 45 days after the complaint is served,

whichever happens first. In practice, if a temporary hearing is scheduled soon after filing, your declaration is due by that hearing, even if 45 days have not passed.

There is one exception in the rule. If the defendant does not answer on time (a default), the plaintiff is not required to serve a declaration on the defendant before the final hearing. The rule also allows reasonable sanctions against a party or attorney for willful noncompliance. A missing or late declaration can also leave the judge with only the other side’s numbers.

The financial declaration is especially central at a temporary hearing. Under Family Court Rule 21, temporary hearings are generally decided on affidavits and required documents rather than live testimony, and financial declarations do not count against the affidavit page limits.

The Sections of Form SCCA 430

The current form is five pages. Here is what each part asks for and where people often go wrong.

1. Gross monthly income

This section lists income from every source, with columns for each spouse: wages from employment, overtime, tips, commissions and bonuses, additional jobs, pensions and annuities, Social Security and VA benefits, disability and workers’ compensation, unemployment, support received from another relationship, dividends and interest, rental income and business profits, and anything else.

The form’s own instructions explain how to convert pay to a monthly figure. If you are paid every two weeks, multiply one gross paycheck by 26 and divide by 12. If you are paid weekly, multiply by 52 and divide by 12. If you are paid twice a month, multiply by two. For overtime, tips, commissions and bonuses, the instructions say to average the past three years, or your time with the employer if shorter, including this year. The instructions also say to attach a recent paystub.

2. Payroll deductions and net income

Next you list deductions: federal and state income tax, Social Security and Medicare, self-employment tax, health and dental insurance for adults and children, union dues, voluntary and mandatory retirement contributions, savings plans and other items. Net monthly income is gross income minus these deductions.

Voluntary retirement contributions are listed separately from mandatory ones. Expect the other side to notice if voluntary contributions jumped after the separation.

3. Monthly expenses

This is a detailed household budget: rent or mortgage, food and household supplies, utilities, phones, insurance premiums not taken from your paycheck, work-related child care, car payments and car costs, property taxes, home maintenance, clothing, medical costs not covered by insurance, children’s activities, school costs, entertainment and personal expenses. You must say who lives in your household and whose expenses are included.

The instructions warn not to list an expense twice. If health insurance comes out of your paycheck, it belongs in deductions, not expenses.

4. Installment debts and other obligations

You list each creditor, what the debt is for, the monthly payment, the balance, and who owes it (husband, wife or joint). The form also asks whether you are in bankruptcy and whether any obligations are behind. If a spouse’s bankruptcy is part of your situation, see how a spouse’s bankruptcy affects divorce proceedings.

5. Marital and nonmarital property

The asset section lists all marital property known to you by category and by owner (husband, wife or joint): cash and checking, savings and CDs, retirement accounts, pensions, stocks and funds, privately held business interests, real estate net of mortgages, and other property such as vehicles, furniture and jewelry. A separate table lists any property you believe is nonmarital, with the title owner, date acquired, source of funds and estimated value.

Listing something as nonmarital on the form does not make it nonmarital. Under S.C. Code § 20-3-630 (see Title 20, Chapter 3), the court decides that question, and the source-of-funds column is often where the argument starts.

6. Itemized schedules for larger estates

According to the form, if total assets are under $300,000, you sign and have it notarized. If total assets are more than $300,000, you also complete itemized schedules for financial accounts, retirement and pension accounts, non-retirement investments, real estate, and other property.

7. Signature and notary

You sign the declaration under oath before a notary public. Read every page before you sign.

Accuracy: Why It Matters So Much

Judges often use the financial declaration as the starting point for child support calculations and for deciding temporary alimony. Mistakes can work against you in two ways. Understated income or overstated expenses can damage your credibility once bank records come out in discovery. Careless guesses can also leave out real costs, like a child’s medical needs, that you later want the court to consider.

Practical habits that help:

• Base expenses on actual records. Pull 6 to 12 months of bank and credit card statements and average them.
• Separate what you spend now from what you expect to spend after separation, and be ready to explain any estimate.
• Do not leave blanks. Write “0” or “none” so the reader knows you did not skip a line.
• Check your math. Totals that do not add up are easy targets for cross-examination.
• Keep your supporting documents organized by line item.

If you suspect your spouse’s declaration leaves out income or assets, formal discovery can test it. Our page on hidden assets in a South Carolina divorce explains common warning signs.

Attachments and Supporting Documents

The form’s instructions call for a recent paystub. Beyond that, gather backup for every number you list so you can produce it quickly:

• recent paystubs and the last few years of tax returns with W-2s and 1099s
• bank, credit card, retirement and brokerage statements
• mortgage statements, loan statements and property tax bills
• insurance premium notices and child care receipts
• for business owners, profit-and-loss statements and business tax returns

Self-employed spouses often need extra care with income, because personal expenses run through a business can affect the figures. Courts can look past the tax return to actual cash flow.

Updating Your Declaration

Rule 20 requires a current financial declaration. If your income, job, housing or debts change in a meaningful way, you will usually need to prepare an updated declaration before later hearings, including the final hearing. Ask your attorney whether an update is needed before each court date or mediation.

Your declaration should also match your other filings. If your affidavit for a temporary hearing says you pay the mortgage, your declaration should show it.

A Quick Checklist

1. Download the current SCCA 430 from the Judicial Branch.
2. Gather paystubs, tax returns and 6 to 12 months of statements.
3. Convert income to monthly figures using the form’s instructions.
4. Build expenses from real records, without double-counting deductions.
5. List every debt and who owes it.
6. List all assets, and note any you believe are nonmarital with the source of funds.
7. Complete the itemized schedules if your total assets are over $300,000.
8. Review every page, sign before a notary, file and serve it on time.

For the bigger picture of the case, return to the South Carolina Divorce Guide.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the financial declaration due in South Carolina?

Under Family Court Rule 20, each party must file and serve it before or at the first hearing, or within 45 days after the complaint is served, whichever comes first.

Does the financial declaration have to be notarized?

Yes. The current SCCA 430 form is signed under oath before a notary public.

What do I attach to my financial declaration?

The form instructions call for a recent paystub. Keep tax returns, statements and bills that support each figure ready to produce.

What happens if I do not file a financial declaration?

Rule 20 allows reasonable sanctions for willful noncompliance, and the judge may be left with only the other side’s numbers.

Do I need to update my financial declaration?

Rule 20 calls for a current declaration, so a meaningful change in income, housing or debts usually means preparing an updated one before later hearings.

Sources

• South Carolina Rules of Family Court, Rule 20 (Financial Declaration)
• South Carolina Rules of Family Court, Rule 21 (Temporary Hearings)
• SC Judicial Branch, Form SCCA 430 Financial Declaration
• S.C. Code Title 20, Chapter 3 (Divorce)