St. George is the Dorchester County seat, and we are in its courthouse complex on Jim Bilton Boulevard constantly—for probate hearings, guardianship hearings, General Sessions and bond hearings at the detention center. For St. George, Reevesville and Harleyville families, the courthouse is close; our office is thirty minutes down Highway 78.
Where a St. George case is heard
Dorchester County's courthouse complex—the probate court, the clerk of court and General Sessions (felony) court—is in St. George, about 28 miles up Highway 78 from Summerville. The county magistrates sit in St. George and at the Troy Knight Judicial Complex on Deming Way in Summerville, and bond hearings are held at the county detention center on Hodge Road in Summerville.
St. George has a municipal court for town-police cases; county cases go to the Dorchester County magistrate in St. George.
Dorchester County Probate Court
5200 E. Jim Bilton Blvd., St. George, SC 29477 · (843) 563-0105 · Website
Estates, guardianships and conservatorships for Dorchester County residents. Call before visiting; hearings are by appointment.
Dorchester County Detention Center
220 Hodge Road (off US-78), Summerville, SC 29483 · (843) 832-0215 · Website
Bond hearings for Dorchester County arrests are held here, in Summerville—not in St. George.
Dorchester County Courthouse (Clerk of Court; General Sessions and Common Pleas)
5200 E. Jim Bilton Blvd., St. George, SC 29477 · (843) 563-0160 · Website
Family Court sits at the Troy Knight Judicial Complex, 212 Deming Way, Summerville.
Dorchester County Magistrate Court – Summerville (Troy Knight Judicial Complex)
212 Deming Way, Summerville, SC 29483 · (843) 832-0370 · Website
Bond hearings, misdemeanors and tickets written by the Sheriff's Office or Highway Patrol in the Summerville area.
Court-town practice
Because the Dorchester County Probate Court and General Sessions sit in St. George, we can often combine a client meeting with a court appearance and meet St. George clients at the courthouse. Tara sat as an Associate Probate Judge in this building.
How we help St. George families
- Estate planning — wills, revocable trusts, powers of attorney and living wills drafted for South Carolina law and recorded in Dorchester County where required.
- Probate and estate administration — opening, administering and closing estates in the Dorchester 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 Dorchester County Detention Center on Hodge Road in Summerville, misdemeanors in magistrate and municipal court, and felonies in Dorchester 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 St. George
Follow East Jim Bilton Boulevard (US-78) to North Cedar Street, then Central Avenue, South Laurel Street, West Carolina Avenue, and turn onto Linwood Lane. The drive is about 28 miles and 44 minutes in normal traffic.
Directions from St. George in Google Maps
About St. George
| County | Dorchester County |
|---|---|
| Status | Incorporated town; Dorchester County seat |
| ZIP codes | 29477 |
| Population (2020 census) | 1,843 |
| Landmarks | Dorchester County Courthouse, 5200 E Jim Bilton Blvd (clerk, probate, magistrate); World Grits Festival (annual since 1986); Indian Fields Methodist Campground, Appleby's Methodist Church, Carroll Place (NRHP) |
Live in St. George? 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 St. George address?
The Dorchester County Probate Court in St. George. Estates are opened in the county where the person lived at death.
Where is the bond hearing after an arrest in St. George?
At the Dorchester County Detention Center on Hodge Road in Summerville, usually within 24 hours of a warrant arrest.
Do you meet clients in St. George?
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