Legal aid in the United States is delivered through Legal Services Corporation (LSC)-funded nonprofits, law school clinics, pro bono panels, and court self-help centers. Most programs serve women at or below 125–200% of the Federal Poverty Level and handle family law, housing, public benefits, immigration, and protective orders. The American Bar Association's Commission on Women in the Profession and the National Women's Law Center supplement local services. For women, the most common legal aid needs are custody, divorce, child support, VAWA-based immigration relief, and DV protective orders — all areas LSC grantees regularly handle. This directory aggregates state legal aid offices, women's legal clinics, and bar referral panels.
South Carolina family courts handle divorce, custody, and support in each of its 16 judicial circuits. The Child Support Services Division operates under the Department of Social Services. Charleston, Columbia, North Charleston, and Mount Pleasant are the largest cities. South Carolina Legal Services and the South Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault (SCCADVASA) serve women.
SC Legal Services at 2109 Bull Street in Columbia is the statewide LSC-funded civil legal aid provider, serving low-income women in family law, housing, public benefits, and consumer cases. Call the central intake line at 888-346-5592 Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm. Eligibility based on federal poverty guidelines. Spanish-speaking staff available.
888-346-5592 · 2109 Bull St, Columbia, SC 29201 · Mon-Fri 8:30am-5pm · Visit Website
SC Appleseed at 1338 Main Street in Columbia is the state's policy-and-impact litigation center, focusing on housing, immigration, criminal justice, and economic justice for low-income women. They don't handle individual divorces but litigate systemic issues. Phone 803-779-1113 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm. Email info@scjustice.org.
803-779-1113 · 1338 Main St Suite 525, Columbia, SC 29201 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm · Visit Website
SC Free Legal Answers at sc.freelegalanswers.org is the SC Bar's online clinic where income-eligible women post a civil legal question and get written advice from a volunteer SC-licensed attorney, typically within a few days. Covers family, housing, consumer, and benefits law. Anonymous, free, 24/7.
Online Service · Online 24/7 · Visit Website
The USC School of Law's clinics at 1525 Senate Street in Columbia provide free legal services to low-income women through supervised third-year law students. Active clinics include family law, child advocacy, and immigration. Operates during the academic semester. Phone 803-777-6880 to inquire about intake.
803-777-6880 · 1525 Senate St, Columbia, SC 29208 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm (semester) · Visit Website
Charleston School of Law at 81 Mary Street runs a Pro Bono Program where law students assist Lowcountry women with limited-scope legal projects — document review, court accompaniment, expungement clinics. Phone 843-329-1000 Mon-Fri 9am-5pm to inquire about current student-attorney projects. Free.
843-329-1000 · 81 Mary St, Charleston, SC 29403 · Mon-Fri 9am-5pm (semester) · Visit Website
Dial 211 from any South Carolina phone to reach the United Way's information line for free routing to legal aid, DV advocates, housing, and basic-needs programs across all 46 counties. Operators are bilingual and available 24/7. Particularly useful when you don't know which agency to call first.
211 · Statewide Service · 24/7 · Visit Website
LSC.gov is the federal nonprofit Congress created to fund civil legal aid. Their program locator finds South Carolina Legal Services and identifies which LSC office serves your county. Useful when you've relocated or have a multi-state issue. Free.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
LawHelp.org is a Pro Bono Net project linking women to state-specific legal aid information. The South Carolina section aggregates SC Legal Services contact, SC Bar resources, and topic guides for divorce, eviction, and benefits. Free, no log-in, mobile-friendly.
Nationwide · Online
The American Bar Association portal at americanbar.org/groups/legal_services/flh-home/ aggregates state-by-state free legal clinics, pro bono programs, and lawyer referral services. A useful fallback when local SC intake lines are full or your issue falls outside standard legal-aid eligibility.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Pro Bono Net at probono.net is the technology backbone of state legal-aid websites. Mothers can use the public-facing tools for parenting plan generators, step-by-step interviews for petitions, and clinic locators — useful for pro se litigants in SC Family Court.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Justia.com publishes a free state-by-state legal-aid directory; the SC page lists every regional office of SC Legal Services, law school clinics, and key pro bono panels with phone numbers. No log-in required. Useful for finding county-level contacts.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
WomensLaw's Finding a Lawyer page filters for DV-savvy legal-aid programs, pro bono panels, and law school clinics across South Carolina. Especially useful when custody, divorce, or housing matters involve abuse, immigration, or a protective order. Free, 24/7.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
NCADV's Get Help portal at ncadv.org/get-help compiles state-specific protective-order processes, lethality-assessment tools, and legal-aid links for SC survivors. Useful background reading before filing. Free, anonymous.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
Stateside Legal at statesidelegal.org is the LSC portal for veterans and military families, with content for SC women service members and spouses on family law, VA appeals, and SCRA protections. Especially relevant given SC's military bases (Fort Jackson, Shaw, Parris Island).
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website
The DOJ's recognized-and-accredited representatives list at justice.gov/eoir lets immigrant women find SC nonprofits authorized to handle visas, asylum, U-visas, and VAWA self-petitions. All listed providers meet federal standards. Free public registry.
Nationwide · Online · Visit Website