Rule 3.Forms
Section I. General Provisions · Last verified September 4, 2026
Full Text of Rule 3
[EDITOR'S NOTE: Family Court forms can be found in the Appendix of Forms. A copy of a sample form may be obtained from any Clerk of Court.]
Plain-English Summary
Rule 3 is two sentences about who controls the paperwork.
Who makes the forms
The Office of Court Administration, subject to approval by the Chief Justice, may develop forms for use in the family courts in domestic relations and juvenile matters.
How binding a form is
This is the part that matters in practice. Use of a particular form may be mandatory, exclusive or discretionary, as directed by the Chief Justice. The three words are not synonyms:
- mandatory — the form must be used;
- exclusive — nothing else may be used in its place, so a lawyer's own version of the same document will not do;
- discretionary — the form is available but not required.
So the answer to "must I use the official form?" is never uniform across forms. It depends on what the Chief Justice has directed for that particular one.
Where the forms are
The court's own Editor's Note, reproduced above, says the forms are in the Appendix of Forms and that a sample may be obtained from any Clerk of Court.
Two other rules make a form the operative requirement rather than a convenience. Rule 20 requires a current financial declaration in the form prescribed by the Supreme Court, and Rule 13 requires bench warrants to be in the form the Supreme Court prescribes. Both of those are Supreme Court forms rather than Court Administration forms — a distinction Rule 3 does not blur.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who creates South Carolina family court forms?
Rule 3 allows the Office of Court Administration, subject to approval by the Chief Justice, to develop forms for use in the family courts in domestic relations and juvenile matters.
Do I have to use the official form?
It depends on the form. Rule 3 provides that use of a particular form may be mandatory, exclusive or discretionary, as directed by the Chief Justice.
What does an "exclusive" form mean?
That nothing else may be used in its place. Rule 3 lists exclusive as a category separate from mandatory, so a substitute document of one's own drafting will not serve.
Where do I find the forms?
The court's Editor's Note to Rule 3 says Family Court forms can be found in the Appendix of Forms, and that a copy of a sample form may be obtained from any Clerk of Court.