Core Forms for Divorce With Children

When minor or dependent children are involved, South Carolina's paperwork requirements expand significantly to address custody, parenting time, child support, and health insurance. You will need all of the forms listed above for a childless divorce, plus several additional documents:

Complaint for Divorce (With Children) — This version of the complaint includes additional sections identifying each child of the marriage by name and date of birth, and specifying the custody or parenting arrangement you're requesting. It also addresses which parent you're proposing as the primary residential parent, how decision-making authority should be allocated, and what visitation or parenting time schedule you're requesting for the non-custodial parent.

Parenting Plan or Custody Affidavit — This is one of the most important documents in any divorce involving children. It details the proposed custody arrangement, including the regular weekly schedule, holiday and vacation schedules, transportation responsibilities, communication protocols between parents, and how major decisions about the children's education, healthcare, and religious upbringing will be made. Many South Carolina courts require a detailed parenting plan before a case can proceed to a final hearing.

Parenting Proceeding Affidavit / UCCJEA Declaration — Required by the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act, this sworn statement discloses where each child has lived for the past five years, identifies every person the children have lived with during that period, and reveals whether any other court proceedings involving the children (custody cases, protection orders, dependency actions) are pending or have been decided. This document helps the court determine whether it has jurisdiction over custody matters. If you have safety concerns, many states allow you to request that your address be sealed.

Child Support Worksheet or Computation — South Carolina uses the income shares model to calculate child support. The worksheet requires detailed income information from both parents and factors in the number of children, the parenting time split, health insurance costs, daycare expenses, and other relevant deductions. The resulting calculation produces a presumptive support amount that the court will order unless a deviation is justified. Completing this form accurately is critical — errors can result in a support order that doesn't reflect either parent's actual financial situation.

Health Insurance Affidavit or Disclosure — This form documents what health insurance coverage is currently available for each child through either parent's employer, the marketplace, or another source. Courts use this information when issuing health care orders as part of the child support determination. You'll need to provide plan names, coverage details, premium costs, and the availability of dental and vision coverage.

Financial Disclosure Affidavit — Same as described above, but particularly critical in cases with children because the court uses this information to calculate child support. Be thorough: include all sources of income, all monthly expenses (with a specific section for child-related expenses), and all insurance premiums.

Final Decree or Judgment Entry of Divorce (With Children) — The proposed final order in a divorce involving children is substantially more detailed than a childless decree. It must address legal and physical custody, parenting time schedules, child support amounts, health insurance obligations, tax exemption allocations, and provisions for modifying the order if circumstances change.