Tools for Charleston, South Carolina Guardians ad Litem, Therapists and Mediators

A co-parenting app and case tools you can recommend to the Charleston, South Carolina families you work with, whether you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator. Messaging between co-parents is free for both parents, and every message is time-stamped and tamper-evident.

If you serve as a guardian ad litem, a therapist, or a mediator for families in Charleston, South Carolina, you already know the pattern: two parents, one child, and a record of what happened that lives in two different phones. FamilyCourtHelp.com gives the parents you work with one organized place for co-parent messages, schedules, parenting plans, expenses, and records, so the time they spend with you, and in front of the Charleston County Family Court, goes to the children instead of the screenshots.

Area covered: Charleston County.

Court for custody cases: Charleston County Family Court.

Appointed for the child: Guardian ad litem.

Custody mediation: Usually required in custody disputes.

State family law: South Carolina Code Title 20 - Domestic Relations.

Co-parent messaging (Free): One time-stamped, tamper-evident thread, free for both parents, with a Tone Meter that offers calmer rewrites.

Invite a professional into the conversation (Free): A parent can add a guardian ad litem or mediator to the co-parent conversation with a single-use link.

Parenting plan, built and shared (Free to build): Parents draft a parenting plan and can share it with you to read and comment on.

Verify a chat export (Free): Check that an exported message record (the JSON file) has not been changed. No account needed.

Court-Grade Journal (Paid plan): A dated, no-delete journal; a parent can send you a packet of chosen entries.

Expense Tracker (Paid plan): Shared child costs with receipts; a parent can give you a view-only look.

Parents can create an account and message their co-parent for free, with no credit card. Building a parenting plan is free; sharing, downloading, and printing it, and the tools marked as a paid plan, are part of a monthly plan a parent can start and stop.

For guardians ad litem in Charleston, South Carolina

In South Carolina, the court can appoint a guardian ad litem in a custody case. What the role involves is in the FAQ below.

Nothing here opens a family's account to you on its own. When a parent wants you in, they send a single-use invitation into the co-parent conversation; you join with your own free account, see the full thread and the shared calendar's change requests, and can post. They can also share the parenting plan for you to read and comment on.

For therapists and counselors in Charleston, South Carolina

Court-involved therapists, reunification therapists, co-parenting counselors, and custody evaluators in Charleston, South Carolina get no seat in the conversation and no access to accounts. Parents keep their own time-stamped record and decide what to show you, which keeps your role clear. For co-parenting work, the Tone Meter in the free messenger shows a parent how a message will land and offers a calmer version before it is sent.

For mediators and parenting coordinators in Charleston, South Carolina

In South Carolina, custody mediation is usually required when parents disagree about custody. The details are in the FAQ below.

Parents can bring you in before the first meeting in Charleston, South Carolina: a single-use link adds you to the co-parent conversation, and a shared parenting plan lets you read the draft and comment on it. After the session, what was agreed stays in writing in the thread, and schedule changes run through the shared calendar's request and approval record.

Family court in Charleston, South Carolina: what to know

Custody cases in Charleston, South Carolina are heard in the Charleston County Family Court.

If you searched for a guardian ad litem, a family therapist, or a custody mediator in Charleston, South Carolina, the court that has your case, the order in it, or your lawyer is the place to find who is appointed or approved. This site does not appoint professionals or refer you to one. What you can do here is come prepared: keep every message with your co-parent in one time-stamped thread, write down what happened with dates while it is fresh, and work on a parenting plan before the meeting.

Free help for parents in Charleston, South Carolina: the court help desks and legal aid offices below were checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

Charleston: South Carolina Judicial Branch Self Help Resources, (803) 734-1800. Free online packets and guides for South Carolina residents handling divorce, support or visitation cases alone.

Charleston legal aid: South Carolina Legal Services, (888) 346-5592.

FamilyCourtHelp.com is a self-help platform, not a law firm and not a court, and nothing on this page is legal, clinical, or mediation advice. Court rules and local programs change, so confirm anything that matters for a case with the court, the order that appointed you, or the program itself.

Frequently asked questions

Where are custody cases heard in Charleston, South Carolina?

Divorce, custody and other family cases in Charleston County are filed with the Clerk of Court and heard by the Charleston County Family Court in downtown Charleston.

Where can parents in Charleston, South Carolina get free help with a family court case?

Free court help for parents without a lawyer: South Carolina Judicial Branch Self Help Resources. Free legal aid: South Carolina Legal Services. Phone numbers and links are in the parents section above, checked link by link for the site's free pro se help directory.

How can parents prepare for custody mediation in Charleston, South Carolina?

Bring the family calendar, a draft parenting plan, a list of the issues still open, and a list of shared costs with receipts. Parents can put all of that together on FamilyCourtHelp.com before the first session.

What does a guardian ad litem do in a Charleston, South Carolina custody case?

In a private South Carolina family court case where custody or visitation is at issue, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem only if it would likely not be fully informed otherwise and there is a substantial dispute, or if both parties agree. The guardian ad litem represents the child's best interest and does an independent investigation, including meeting the child at least once. You may also see "GAL". The rule is in S.C. Code 63-3-810. This is general information, not legal advice; the order in the case controls.

Is custody mediation required in South Carolina?

Under the South Carolina Supreme Court's alternative dispute resolution rules, contested issues in family court domestic relations cases, including custody and visitation, must go to mediation, with some exceptions. The parties must take part for at least three hours unless they reach agreement sooner.