Intestate Distribution of Property (search, grandmother, public, person)

[PawleysDude]

My grandmother died intestate in SC in the early 1950's. Should the county's probate court have a record of distribution of any personal property? Would you expect that to be public record and available to me? Thanks for your help.

[willow wind]

Yes, the proceedings of the probate court are public record and are available in the county clerk's office at the county courthouse

If someone in SC dies intestate, this is how the court will distribute any assets of the estate. It's very long - keep scrolling through until the end

Intestate Succession in South Carolina | Nolo.com

[daliowa]

https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1919417
South Carolina Probate Records, Bound Volumes, 1671-1977

click on "browse through"
then click on the county

Not all counties have records from the 1950's on the site.

Also: https://familysearch.org/search/collection/1911928
South Carolina Probate Records, Files and Loose Papers, 1732-1964

[jiminnm]

IF her estate was probated, then the record should be somewhere in the SC probate court archives. That assumes there was a separate probate court in the 1950s, because in some jurisdictions county courts did, and still do, serve as probate courts.

The nolo link above reflects current SC laws on intestacy. Laws on probate and intestacy have changed a lot in the last 60 years and the distributions shown may have well been different in the 1950s.

[PawleysDude]

Thanks very much for the responses. Unfortunately, the FamilySearch documents do not include the time period in question for her county. Time for a trip to the courts. Thanks again for your help.