Downtown Charleston is thirty to forty minutes from Summerville depending on I-26, and it is where every Charleston County probate, guardianship and General Sessions matter is heard—the probate court at 84 Broad Street and the judicial center at 100 Broad. We represent Charleston families in estates and guardianships and defend charges in the Charleston Municipal Court and General Sessions.
Where a Charleston case is heard
Charleston County's probate court and judicial center are on Broad Street in downtown Charleston; bond hearings are held at the detention center in North Charleston. The county is its own judicial circuit, so a Charleston County charge is prosecuted by a different solicitor's office than a Dorchester or Berkeley charge.
Charleston Police tickets and ordinance cases are heard in Charleston Municipal Court; county cases go to the Charleston County magistrates.
Charleston County Probate Court
100 Broad Street, Suite 469 (Historic Courthouse, 84 Broad Street), Charleston, SC 29401 · (843) 958-5180 · Website
Estates, guardianships and conservatorships for Charleston County residents, including North Charleston, Mount Pleasant, West Ashley, James Island and Johns Island.
Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center (Charleston County)
3841 Leeds Avenue, North Charleston, SC 29405 · (843) 202-7200 · Website
Bond hearings for Charleston County arrests.
Charleston County Judicial Center (Clerk of Court; General Sessions and Common Pleas)
100 Broad Street, Suite 106, Charleston, SC 29401 · (843) 958-5000 · Website
City of Charleston Municipal Court
180 Lockwood Boulevard, Suite B, Charleston, SC 29403 · (843) 724-7460 · Website
Charleston Police cases from downtown, West Ashley, James Island, Johns Island and Daniel Island.
Estates in the Charleston County Probate Court
The Charleston County court is the busiest in the region, and its scheduling and filing practices differ from Dorchester and Berkeley. Tara's judicial background in the neighboring county translates directly: complete filings, supported valuations, and an accounting the court can approve the first time.
How we help Charleston families
- Estate planning — wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney and living wills drafted for South Carolina law and recorded in Charleston County where required.
- Probate and estate administration — opening, administering and closing estates in the Charleston County Probate Court, small-estate affidavits, and disputes when they arise.
- Guardianship and conservatorship — for an aging parent or a minor, contested or not.
- Criminal defense — bond hearings at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston, misdemeanors in magistrate and municipal court, and felonies in Charleston County General Sessions, defended by a former officer.
- Personal injury — car, truck and motorcycle crashes and dog bites, through our dedicated injury site.
Getting to our office from Charleston
Follow Meeting Street to I-26 to exit 199A, then North Main Street (US-17A), West 2nd South Street, Central Avenue, South Laurel Street, West Carolina Avenue, and turn onto Linwood Lane. The drive is about 27 miles and 39 minutes in normal traffic.
Directions from Charleston in Google Maps
About Charleston
| County | Charleston County, Berkeley County |
|---|---|
| Status | Incorporated city; Charleston County seat |
| ZIP codes | 29401, 29407, 29409, 29410, 29412, 29420, 29422, 29425, 29492 |
| Population (2020 census) | 150,227 |
| Landmarks | Historic City Market; Fort Sumter National Monument; The Battery and Rainbow Row; Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC); College of Charleston; Charleston County Judicial Center at 100 Broad St |
Live in Charleston? Call Frost first.
Consultations at our Summerville office, or by phone and video when the drive is not worth it.
Questions people ask
Which probate court handles an estate for a Charleston address?
The Charleston County Probate Court in Charleston. Estates are opened in the county where the person lived at death.
Where is the bond hearing after an arrest in Charleston?
County arrests are heard at the Sheriff Al Cannon Detention Center in North Charleston, usually within 24 hours. Municipal charges are heard by the municipal judge for that town.
Do you meet clients in Charleston?
Consultations are at our Summerville office or by phone and video. For estate-plan signings we can sometimes arrange a meeting closer to you; ask when you call.
Related pages
Estate planning
Wills, trusts, powers of attorney and living wills for South Carolina families.
Learn moreProbate
Estate administration, executor guidance, small estates, disputes and guardianship.
Learn moreCriminal defense
Drug charges, domestic violence, bond, warrants, traffic and expungements.
Learn more