Filing for Divorce in Pickens County, South Carolina

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

If you live in Pickens County, your divorce will generally be filed in the Family Court for Pickens County, located in the city of Pickens, the county seat. Pickens County is part of South Carolina’s Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, which it shares with Greenville County. Here is how to tell whether your case belongs in Pickens County and what filing there usually involves. This page is part of our South Carolina Divorce Guide.

When Your Case Belongs in Pickens County

The venue statute, S.C. Code § 20-3-60, lets you file a divorce in:

• the county where the defendant (the spouse being sued) lives;
• the plaintiff’s county, if the defendant lives outside South Carolina or cannot be found after a diligent search; or
• the county where the two of you last lived together, unless the plaintiff lives outside South Carolina, in which case it must be the defendant’s county.

Pickens County sits next to Greenville, Anderson and Oconee counties, and many residents commute across those lines. City limits can also cross county lines. Examples:

• Your spouse lives in Easley, Liberty or Pickens. These are generally Pickens County addresses, but part of Easley extends into Anderson County. Confirm the county of your spouse’s address.
• You lived together in Clemson, and your spouse moved to Greenville. Greenville County is now the defendant’s county. If your Clemson home was in Pickens County, Pickens County may also be proper as your last shared county, as long as you live in South Carolina. Most of Clemson is in Pickens County, but part is in Anderson County.
• Your spouse accepted a job out of state. If you live in Pickens County, you can generally file here because your spouse is a nonresident. See divorce when your spouse lives in another state.

Residency, Grounds and Waiting Periods

• Residency (S.C. Code § 20-3-30): the filing spouse needs one year of South Carolina residence, or three months if both spouses live in the state. If you are the one who moved away, you can still file in South Carolina when your spouse has lived here for at least one year. University faculty, staff and graduate students who arrived recently should check this first. See residency requirements.
• Grounds (S.C. Code § 20-3-10): adultery, one-year desertion, physical cruelty, habitual drunkenness or narcotic drug use, or one year of separation without cohabitation. Our page on fault and no-fault grounds explains each.
• Waiting periods (S.C. Code § 20-3-80): no final decree until three months after filing in adultery, physical cruelty and habitual drunkenness cases. One-year separation and desertion cases can be heard once the defendant answers or is in default.

Filing at the Pickens County Clerk of Court

The SC Judicial Branch lists the Pickens County Courthouse at 214 E. Main Street, Pickens, SC 29671, and the Clerk of Court’s office phone as (864) 898-5857. Confirm filing hours and procedures with the clerk before you go.

You will usually file:

• a summons and complaint that state your grounds and what you want the court to decide;
• any cover sheet or other forms the clerk requires; and
• the filing fee, currently $150 statewide. Confirm with the Clerk of Court. You can ask the court to waive it if you cannot afford it.

Your spouse is then served under SCRCP Rule 4, by a sheriff’s deputy or other non-party adult, by certified mail with restricted delivery, or by signing an acceptance of service, and has 30 days to answer. Each spouse also files a financial declaration (Form SCCA 430). Our guide to filing for divorce in South Carolina lays out the full process.

Mediation, Temporary Hearings and What Comes Next

Mediation is required in most contested domestic-relations cases statewide under ADR Rule 3, with exceptions for temporary relief and some domestic-violence cases. Read Is Mediation Required in a South Carolina Divorce?

A temporary hearing can set custody, support and use of the home while the case is pending. These hearings are generally decided on affidavits and financial declarations rather than live testimony. Learn how to prepare in our guide to temporary hearings.

Because Pickens and Greenville counties form the Thirteenth Circuit, the family court judge who hears your Pickens County case may also sit in Greenville. A typical case moves through filing, service, the answer, a possible temporary hearing, financial disclosure and mediation, and then a settlement or final hearing.

About Pickens County

Pickens County had 131,404 residents in the 2020 Census. Clemson University is in Pickens County, and many households have ties to it. Retirement plans for public employees may be part of the property picture in some cases; our guide on dividing SCRS and PORS retirement explains how those plans are handled.

Frequently Asked Questions

My spouse moved from Easley to Greenville. Where do I file?

Greenville County is now your spouse’s county. If you last lived together in Pickens County and you live in South Carolina, Pickens County may also be a proper place to file.

Part of Clemson is in Anderson County. Does that matter?

It can. Venue follows the county of the actual address, not the city name. Check the county for your spouse’s address and for the home where you last lived together.

How much is the filing fee in Pickens County?

The family court filing fee is currently $150 statewide. Confirm with the Pickens County Clerk of Court. You may ask the court for a fee waiver.

Who hears Pickens County divorce cases?

Family court judges assigned to the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit, which covers Pickens and Greenville counties.

Is mediation required in Pickens County?

In most contested cases, yes. ADR Rule 3 applies statewide. Exceptions include temporary relief and some domestic-violence situations.

Sources

• S.C. Code Title 20, Chapter 3 (Divorce)
• SC Judicial Branch: Pickens County courthouse and Clerk of Court