Dear Conservator/Guardian:

We are here to help you. One reason I ran for Probate Judge was to help people and make them aware that probate does not have to be a totally unbearable experience. Accordingly, the following information concerning the statutory requirements of becoming a conservator/guardian is furnished to assist you. Please do not hesitate to ask specific questions about any problem encountered which is not explained here. The staff of this Court will be happy to furnish assistance and information to the extent allowed by law. Beyond that, seeking legal counsel is always recommended. Elizabeth Sykes and Susan Curran are the Conservatorship/Guardianship clerks. Please direct all inquiries to them. Appointments are required because of the volume of cases we handle and our limited resources. If Ms. Sykes or Ms. Curran is unavailable when you telePhone, it is important that you leave a message (include your name, telePhone number, case name, file number, and reason for your call). Keep in mind that this division has over 800 cases in process. We are here to help you but because of limited resources we must ask that you do your share of the work as outlined in the attached procedures.

Another reason that I ran for Probate Judge was to stress the need for estate planning. We hope that you will take this opportunity to review your estate planning documents. You should consider a Last Will and Testament, a Declaration of Desire for Natural Death (otherwise known as a Living Will), a Durable Power of Attorney for Healthcare, and a Durable Power of Attorney for Business Affairs. If you have a Durable Power of Attorney and the Health Care Power of Attorney you could bypass the Conservatorship/Guardianship procedures. You need legal counsel to complete your estate planning. For the reason 'Why you need a Will' please call the South Carolina Bar Law Line toll-free at 1-800-521-9788 ext. 160. As a public service we provide the statutory Living Will and Health Care Power of Attorney. If you need these documents please ask the clerk to provide them to you. We hope that you will take this opportunity to review and update your estate planning documents and that you will also encourage other family members to do so.

As your Probate Judge I am here to serve you. If you should have questions, comments, or suggestions please let me know. I thank you for electing me to be your Probate Judge and hope that we help make probate a pleasant experience considering the circumstances.

Sincerely,                                   

Irvin G. Condon                        

Judicial Center

100 Broad Street, Suite 469

Charleston, SC 29401

Elizabeth T. Sykes, Guardianship/Conservatorship Clerk

Phone: (843) 958-5187  Fax: (843) 958-5191

esykes@charlestoncounty.org

Susan A. Curran, Guardianship/Conservatorship Clerk

Phone: (843) 958-5184  Fax: (843) 958-5191

scurran@charlestoncounty.org