South Carolina Legal Services

South Carolina Legal Services (SCLS) provides free civil legal assistance to eligible low-income residents of South Carolina. Established in 2002, SCLS was formed through the merger and consolidation of regional legal aid programs to streamline resources across the state. As a non-profit corporation, it receives funding from various sources, including grants from the federally funded Legal Services Corporation, the South Carolina Bar Foundation, local United Ways, state court filing fees, and other federal, state, and local contributions.

The organization's mission is to provide civil legal services that protect the rights and represent the interests of low-income South Carolinians, working towards a vision where all low-income residents have full and fair access to justice. SCLS handles a broad spectrum of civil legal matters, explicitly excluding criminal cases.

Practice areas include consumer and finance, education, elder law, employment, family law, health, housing, income maintenance and public benefits, immigration and migrant issues, and tax. Additionally, SCLS offers assistance with disaster-related legal needs, such as insurance disputes, landlord-tenant issues, title issues, storm-related repair and contractor scams, disaster tax relief, bankruptcy, and foreclosure. Eligibility for services is determined by income, assets, and the nature of the legal issue, typically requiring household income to be at or below 125% of the Federal Poverty Level, with certain exceptions. While attorney's fees are not charged, clients may be responsible for out-of-pocket expenses, including court filing fees, service fees, Guardian ad Litem fees, and costs for medical or other records.